Chapter 4

Nichola’s pov..

The loud crash jolted Nicholas awake. He sat up in bed, heart pounding, and glanced at the clock: 3:00 AM. Groaning, he threw off the covers and stumbled out of bed. The noise had come from downstairs, from the direction of the mansion's grand hall.

I crept down the hallway, the old wooden floorboards creaking beneath my feet. As I neared the hall, I could hear frantic shouting. "Dad?" I called out, my voice barely a whisper.

I pushed open the heavy oak door and froze. My father was slumped on the floor, clutching his chest, his face contorted in pain. Beside him, a shattered vase lay in pieces. "Nicholas," he gasped, "Help me... my pills..."

"Dad!" I rushed to his side, dropping to his knees. "What happened?"

"Chest... pain..." his father wheezed, barely able to speak. "In the drawer... get them..."

I scrambled to the nearby table and yanked open the drawer and grabbed the small bottle of pills and fumbled with the cap, my hands shaking. I managed to get a pill into my father's mouth, and then another. "It's okay, Dad," I said, trying to sound calm, though panic clawed at my throat. "I've called for help."

The ambulance sirens wailed as they sped to the hospital. I sat in the back with my father, holding his hand, while my stepmother, Claudia, and my two younger sisters, Sarah and Emily, sat in the front. The air was thick with tension. No one spoke, each lost in their own thoughts.

I was so worried now, my father has had several crises, but they were always taken care of at home and may need a doctor later, just to check and be sure. None has ever been as severe as today’s.

I don’t know why I was this scared, I could feel my body still trembling from shock. Do I really care for this old man as annoying as he was???

But no one would ever see his father go through the kind of pain he was in when I got to the room and not be scared.

I looked down at him, his face seemed more relaxed or was he dead??? I almost screamed in terror…

At the hospital, the chaos was overwhelming. Doctors and nurses swarmed around my father, whisking him away. Neither me nor Claudia , Sarah, and Emily were left to wait in the sterile, fluorescent-lit waiting room. The silence was even more suffocating here. Claudia occasionally dabbed at her eyes with a tissue, while Sarah and Emily stared blankly ahead, their faces pale.

I don’t know if Claudia's tears were genuine, but at least it should be, she should at least have a little care for her dear husband even though we all know she’s callous.

Hours crawled by. The waiting room slowly emptied as other patients were seen and discharged. The awkwardness between me and my stepmother and sisters was palpable. They were a family bound by circumstance, not by genuine affection. I felt a pang of guilt for my strained relationship with them, but the years of coldness and unspoken resentments made it hard to bridge the gap.

Finally, a doctor emerged from the ward. He scanned the room, his eyes settling on them. "Are you the family of Mr. Xander?"

"Yes," Claudia answered, her voice trembling.

She did care a bit, I scoffed silently, this isn’t the right time to pick on her.

"I'm Dr. Evans. Your husband is stable, but he suffered a severe heart attack. We've stabilized him, but he'll need to stay here for observation." He paused, his gaze shifting to me.

"Can I speak with you for a moment, Nicholas? Privately?"

My heart leaped into his throat. "Of course, Doctor."I followed Dr. Evans down a long, quiet corridor, my mind racing.

What was wrong? Was it something serious?

We entered a small office. Dr. Evans gestured for me to sit. "Nicholas," he began, his tone grave, "your father's condition is... complicated. He's had several heart attacks in the past, and his heart is significantly weakened. We did some tests, and the results..." He paused, searching for the right words. "They indicate something else. Something... concerning."

I leaned forward, his anxiety spiking. "What is it, Doctor? What's wrong?"

Dr. Evans took a deep breath. "We found traces of a substance in his blood. A substance that doesn't belong there. It's a highly potent toxin, Nicholas. And it's been administered intentionally."

My blood ran cold. "Toxin? You mean... he was poisoned?"

"It appears so," Dr. Evans confirmed. "And the amount... it was a significant dose. Someone wanted to harm him. We've contacted the authorities. They'll want to speak with you, and with the rest of your family. This is a serious matter, Nicholas. Your father's life is in danger, not just from his heart condition, but from the poison itself. His heart is weak, but the poison is weaken it more and rapidly"

A wave of shock and disbelief washed over me. Poisoned? Who would do such a thing? And why? His mind reeled, struggling to make sense of the doctor's words. He looked at Dr. Evans, his voice barely a whisper.

"Do you... do you have any idea who could have done this?"

Dr. Evans hesitated, his expression unreadable. "We have some leads, Nicholas. But I can't say more at this time. The police will handle the investigation. But I need to ask you something, something that could be crucial to your father's survival. Did your father have any enemies? Anyone who might want to see him dead?"

I thought long and hard. My father was a powerful man, a successful businessman. He had made many enemies over the years. But who would go this far? And then, a name popped into his head. A name he hadn't thought of in years. A name that sent a chill down his spine. "Yes," I said, his voice sounding very displeased. "There's one person. Someone who has a very strong motive..."

I wasn’t sure, but Claudia is the only one who I think would want him dead. Or who else would??