Novel Sweet
Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Actors? Gwendolyn struggled to speak, her voice laced with a hint of accusation, “Are all your businessmen so sly and cunning?”
Howard smoothed out a wrinkle on his pant leg and replied with a chuckle. “It’s all about playing the odds. All’s fair in love and war.” Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.
It dawned on Gwendolyn that hiring a few actors wouldn’t cost much compared to the potential value of his project.
“Thank you,” she said sincerely. The simple thanks seemed to lift a weight off Howard’s shoulders.
Soon, they arrived at the hospital. Gwendolyn hustled about, arranging for the admission. Nicolette had worn herself out in her youth, and her vitality was now waning. Gwendolyn’s knowledge of herbal remedies wasn’t enough. They had to rely on the potent drugs of modern medicine to keep Nicolette going.
“Gwennie, I don’t want to stay in the hospital,” Nicolette’s frail hand clutched at Gwendolyn’s clothes, “I’ll be fine once I get back to the countryside.”
“That’s not an option. Grandma, you need to follow the doctor’s orders. They can treat your illness,” Gwendolyn insisted firmly. “I’ll go pay the bills. You just rest.”
She paused briefly as she passed by Howard but said nothing, continuing on towards the hospital ward.
“Mr. Chadwick, you’ve been such a help today.” Nicolette said, leaning against the soft pillow, her cloudy eyes filled with gratitude and humility.
“She married into my life, after all” Howard, seated in his wheelchair, spoke with his elegant hands folded over his knees.
“Gwendolyn has had a tough life. She lost her dad early and her mother left her for a life of luxury. She got through school with the help of kind souls, always so considerate,” Nicolette recounted, cleaning the tears with her rough hands.
Howard remembered how Gwendolyn didn’t seem so obliging when she was fussing over him.
“She’s strong–willed and unbending. She may be tough, but if someone shows her a shred of kindness, she repays it tenfold. Mr. Chadwick, could you please look out for her?”
Listening to her words, Howard softly agreed.
The details on the investigation report about Gwendolyn, once sterile and impersonal, came to life with Nicolette’s narrative.
After spending most of the day with Nicolette, Gwendolyn and Howard left as evening approached.
14:16 T
In the lavish car, with its dim lighting, Howard broke the silence, “Do you stand by what you said earlier?” As he asked, a shimmer of hope flickered in his deep eyes. “About healing my legs?”
“I swear it!” Gwendolyn was eager to make a vow, “I promise you I will heal your legs.”
This time, Howard believed her. How could he not trust the protégée of renowned Enoch?
“Who is your teacher?” Howard had a hunch, but he wanted to hear it from her.
Gwendolyn flushed her face as she explained, “I learned from my neighbor, Mr. White. He may not be as famous as Enoch White, but he taught me with great care and cured many in our village.”
Just as he thought, she had no idea she had apprenticed with a master healer, nor did she realize that Enoch had changed his name and was living quietly in the countryside.
“I believe in you,” Howard said calmly.
He had covered Enoch’s tracks well. Nobody could connect the humble countryman to the famed healer Enoch, ensuring his peaceful retirement.
“Your grandmother’s condition is complex. I’ve arranged for a full–time caregiver for her. You can visit her at the hospital whenever you can spare the time. We’ll deduct the medical expenses from your consultation fees.”
“Mr. Chadwick, I appreciate this,” her clear eyes shone with gratitude, “Thank you for believing in my skills.”
“Gwendolyn, soon enough, they’ll all be turning to you.”
Those short–sighted fools had no clue they were letting go of a real treasure like Gwendolyn, and he had been among them.
Gwendolyn didn’t grasp his meaning, only sensing his voice like moonlight rippling across a spring lake, warming her heart.
Howard pulled out a contract from the car’s drawer and