<b>Chapter </b><b>655 </b>
Chad was a man <b>of </b>his word, and one weekter<b>, </b>the medication found its way into Thaddeus‘ hands.
Thaddeus, heading an important meeting at the Abernathy Group, was on pins and needles the entire time.
No sooner had the meeting ended than he shot up from his seat like a bat out of hell and bolted out the door. The senior executives were left staring at each other in bewilderment.
“What’s gotten into Mr. Abernathy?”
“Ahem, when nature calls, it calls. I would’ve been bursting at the seams if that meetingsted any longer. Gotta say, Mr. Abernathy’s got some stamina!”
“And one heck of a dder too!”
Meanwhile, at the K Group, another key board meeting loomed, and Emeric was required to attend.
But the meds Avery had supplied were all used up, and Dr. Bright had been whisked away by the Bright family, leaving Emeric increasingly feeble.
As the effects of the medication wore off, he found himself yawning incessantly, battling a runny nose, dizziness, and he’d even hit the hay without supper the night before.
Worried he wouldn’t wake up in time, he’d rescheduled the meeting for the afternoon. But even a slew of rms failed to rouse him; it was the calls of Dn and Evadne that finally did the trick.
“Chairman Ashbourne? Chairman Ashbourne?!”
“Dad!”
“Emeric!”
Bleary–eyed, Emeric opened his eyes to find Evadne, Suri, and Dn all at his bedside gazing at him.
“What time is it?<b>” </b>
Evadne, feeling a pang of distress at her father’s feeble voice, gripped his cold hand.
“It’s nearly noon. Emeric, you skipped breakfast; you can’t miss lunch too. It’ll take a toll on your b*dy.”
“Noon?! The board meeting’s at one; I have to get up now.”
Emeric tried to sit up, but the room spun, and he copsed back down.
“Emeric!”
Evadne’s brow was beaded with sweat as she checked her father’s pulse, which was erratic and troubling.
But she was no Chasel, no wizard of neurology. Although she knew her way around medicine, her forte was surgery. Without her tools and expertise in this field, she felt like a warrior without a weapon.
“Dad, you need to go to the hospital right now!” Brows tightly furrowed, Evadne’s voice cracked with urgency.
“I won’t go!” Emeric dered resolutely.
<b>“</b><b>Then </b>cancel the one o’clock board meeting!”
“That’s <b>out </b>of the question!”
Emeric yanked his hand away, stubbornly determined, “Even if I have to crawl, I’ll crawl there today!”
“Emeric, for heaven’s sake, listen to me!”
Evadne, <b>at </b>her wit’s end<b>, </b>scolded like a mother disciplining a stubborn child, “You can hardly <b>sit </b>up, and you’re still talking tough?! Is showing your <b>face </b><b>at </b>that godforsaken meeting really that important<b>?! </b><b>Is </b><b>it </b>more important than your health, your life?!<b>” </b>
Her fierce outburst left Suri and Dn speechless. <b>In </b>all of Skyrim, only Ms, Ashbourne could stand up to Mr. Ashbourne like <b>this</b>!
“You naive girl, what do you
<b>know</b><b>?</b><b>” </b>
Emeric was trying to muster his <b>spirit </b>but was visibly sweating buckets, “Thest time I was <b>hospitalized</b>, it caused a stir at the K Group, and the rumors outside were as ugly as they get. If <b>I </b>get hospitalized again for illness, not only will it cause a stir internally at the K Group, but our business rivals will also take the chance to snatch themercial resources that belong to our family and it might even lead <b>to </b>bigger problems!”
<b>“</b><b>So </b>what<b>? </b>Let them take those resources if they want; money is endless<b>!</b><b>” </b>
14:16
Evadne’s trembling hands pressed down on his shoulders<b>, </b>her gaze zing like torches, “Dad! You should just focus on <b>your </b>
health and enjoy life from now on<b>; </b><b>that’s </b>what’s truly important<b>! </b>The <b>K </b>Group won’t crumble, not with me here. If anyone thinks they can take even <b>a </b>de of grass <b>from </b><b>our </b>family, they’re dreaming<b>!</b><b>” </b>
“You little brat<b>, </b><b>you </b><b>really think </b>you’re some <b>kind </b>of invincible hero?”
Emeric’s voice was teasing, but his eyes began to water, “I can’t retire <b>so </b>soon. To stay at home as an idle invalid, you might <b>as </b>well wish me dead<b>!</b><b>” </b>
It wasn’t <b>a </b>thirst for power that drove him. He simply wanted to work a few more years to alleviate the pressure on his children, to allow them to pursue their passions without restraint.
If one day he really fell, the entire conglomerate’s weight would fall on their shoulders, especially on Cassius, his eldest<b>, </b>and évadne, the heir apparent in his heart.
Their days would no longer be as carefree as they were now.
“I have to be <b>at </b>today’s meeting, no matter what, and nob*dy’s going to stop me!”
Evadne was at her breaking point!
They said having an elder in the family was like having a treasure, but this was anything but…
Never mind, such thoughts were disrespectful!
Suri’s expression was grave, her mind awash with doubts. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Emeric’s health issues were rted to the medicine Avery had sent.
But Chasel had tested the medication, and it was legitimate, not poison. So, were Emeric’s symptoms – the runny nose, dizziness, drowsiness – just side effects of the medicine?
Just then, a knock at the door echoed through the room.
<b>212 </b>