Free Web NovelChapter 144: The amnesia could become permanent
Eleanor didn’t move. She kept her head high, but her eyes narrowed.
"He has no class and no respect," Zara continued, her voice getting louder. "He’s a beast in an expensive suit. But I suppose the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, does it?"
"You are crazy Zara," Eleanor said.
"Let your son apologize," she insisted. freewёbnoνel.com
"You want an apology for Andrew? Here it is." He leaned over the table, his eyes locking onto his. "I’m sorry... that I didn’t finish the job."
Zara gasped, her hand flying to her chest. "You’re insane."
The heavy doors opened and the Chairman walked back in. He looked at the pale faces.
"Is everything alright?" he asked. Sensing the tension in the air.
Julian picked up his fork and gave his father a calm, perfect smile.
"Everything is perfect, Father. We were just discussing family values."
The Chairman sat back down, smoothing his napkin.
"Good. Now that we are all here, I want to introduce you two properly. Julian, I am getting older. I want to see my sons united for the sake of the family name. Finding Andrew has been a miracle."
The Chairman placed his hands on the table.
"I want you two to be the pillars of this family. Whatever blood was spilled between you, it ends tonight. Try to put the past behind you."
Andrew leaned forward. "I’m willing to try, Father. If Julian is."
"Of course," Julian said without hesitation.
"Good," the Chairman nodded, looking pleased.
"Andrew has a lot to learn about our world. I want you to be the one to show him the ropes."
"You want me to teach him? About our world?" Julian asked.
"I do," the Chairman said firmly.
Julian turned his gaze to Andrew. He gave him a slow, chilling smile.
"Don’t worry, Father. I will teach him alright."
The Chairman raised his glass, looking satisfied. "To the future of the Grants."
The rest of the dinner passed in a suffocating silence. The Chairman spoke of business expansion and legacy, oblivious to the fact that his sons were measuring each other for a casket.
When the meal finally ended, the Chairman stood up. "Julian, stay behind. Andrew, go get some rest. We have a long week ahead."
Andrew hurried out of the room, Zara following closely behind him. They didn’t look back.
Julian stood by the window, watching the moonlight hit the garden. Eleanor stood beside him. She didn’t say a word, but her hand rested briefly on his arm, a silent show of support before she, too, retreated for the evening.
"You look troubled, Julian," the Chairman said, walking over to him. "Is it really that hard to accept a brother?"
"No father," Julian said. "That’s not it."
The Chairman frowned. "Alright. Look, I need to discuss something with you. Something I’ve never talked about."
Julian turned away from the window and leaned against the frame.
"Go on," Julian said.
The Chairman sighed. He walked back to the table and poured himself the last of the wine, but he didn’t drink it.
"I need grand children."
Julian was taken aback. Out of all the things he expected his father to say, business strategy, past sins, or territorial wars, this was not one of them.
"Grandchildren?" Julian repeated, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes," the Chairman said, finally taking a sip of his wine. "The Grant name means nothing if there are no heirs. I’ve built an empire, but I am looking at an empty table."
"You just found a ’firstborn’ son an hour ago, Father. Isn’t that enough of a miracle for one night?"
"Andrew is a start," the Chairman admitted. "But a legacy needs roots. It needs a future. You are at the age where you should be thinking about more than just ledgers. You need an heir."
"I have heard you, Father," Julian said quietly.
"I want to see the next generation before I close my eyes for good," the Chairman continued. His voice became stern. "And I will state emphatically that any woman you choose must be Grant standard. You know what I mean by that."
"Yes, Father. I’ll keep your... request in mind."
Julian stepped out a few minutes later. When he sat in his car, he called Dr. Aris. The doctor had called earlier while he was still talking to his father.
"Julian," the doctor’s voice sounded tense. "I have the results from the MRI and the follow-up labs."
"And?" Julian’s heart hammered against his ribs. "Is the swelling not going down? Is that why she still can’t remember?"
"That’s the thing," Aris replied. "The MRI is clean. There is no physical trauma or swelling that explains amnesia of this magnitude. So, we ran a full toxicology screen on the blood samples we took when she was admitted."
The doctor paused. Julian felt a cold chill run down his spine.
"We found a trace amount of a synthetic compound," Aris said. "A neuro-inhibitor. Julian, this wasn’t an accident. Based on the concentration, we believe she was intentionally injected. It’s a chemical designed to wipe short-term memory and induce amnesia."
"You’re saying someone did this to her on purpose?"
"It’s the only explanation," Aris confirmed. "It was a professional dose. Someone wanted her mind wiped. They wanted it to look like a side effect of the trauma."
Julian’s eyes darkened. "How do we fix it? How do we get her memory back?"
"The compound is still active in her system," the doctor explained. "It’s binding to her neural pathways. As long as it’s there, the ’block’ will remain. We have to clear it from her system."
"Then do it," Julian commanded. "Whatever it takes."
"It’s not that simple, Julian. A standard detox won’t work on a synthetic neuro-inhibitor. We need an experimental neutralizer. Something that can break down the compound without damaging her brain."
"Where do we get it?"
"There are only a few labs in the world that produce it. And none of them are legal. It’s expensive, and it’s dangerous to transport. But if we can get it into her system within the next forty-eight hours, there’s a chance the block will dissolve. Her memories could return all at once."
"Why forty-eight hours?"
"After that, the neural pathways might set. The amnesia could become permanent."
