Day Twenty-One…
~~*****~~
[ At Yan Mansion… ]
Madam Priya visited her Father, Old Master Yan. The old man was lying on his bed. An oxygen mask was connected to his mouth and an IV drip on his left wrist.
Old Master Yan was sick and weak. But he chose to stay at home. He only had a private nurse. The family doctor was closely monitoring his condition so he was staying in the Yan Mansion for the meantime.
Madam Priya went to see her father. She had a sullen expression on her face. She didn't know how she would inform him that the search for his missing granddaughter was still in progress.
She could tell that her father was already eager to see her missing niece. She sat on the vacant chair next to Old Master Yan's bed.
Madam Priya held her father's hand and gently called him. "Dad…"
The old man slowly opened his eyes and turned his head in her direction. A subtle smile appeared on his face as soon as he saw his daughter. He removed his oxygen mask and tried to sit up.
"You are here," Old Master Yan mumbled weakly. He was glad to see her. He was expecting to hear some good news from her.
"Have you found her, Priyanshi?" Old Master Yan asked his daughter.
Madam Priya could only look down, clenching her fists. They failed again this time. They couldn't find her. She didn't show up to the detective.
"I'm sorry, Dad. I failed again…" Madam Priya replied, feeling disheartened.
Old Master Yan was saddened after hearing that but he didn't blame her. He knew that Priyanshi was doing everything she could just to find the missing daughter of her sister.
"Don't apologize to me… It's my fault that I failed to protect them. I lost your sister… because of my greed. Do you think… my granddaughter is still alive? Sigh… I can't forgive myself if I will not see her before I die." Old Master Yan's voice was filled with regrets.
"Don't worry, Dad! I will not stop until I find her. You will definitely see her. So please, stay healthy. You have to be strong… so that you can still meet her." Madam Priyanshi encouraged her father. He had to fight his illness and strive to live longer.
The two were still talking when someone knocked on the door. Aside from Madam Priya, Old Master Yan also had another visitor. It was his younger sister, Madam Lu.
"Brother, Priyanshi… It's me," Madam Lu let them know about her presence.
"Aunt, just come in." Madam Priya acknowledged her, letting her in.
The door was pushed open and Madam Lu entered the room. She traced her steps towards Madam Priya and hugged her. Then she politely greeted her brother.
"What brought you here?" Old Master Yan questioned her. The old man seemed like he was unhappy to see her.
"Of course, to visit you, my brother. Furthermore, I heard you have news about my missing granddaughter! I wanna hear some updates too." Madam Lu said excitedly. Her cheerful voice ruined Old Master Yan's mood.
"Aunt… No news about my niece…" Madam Priya informed her.
Madam Lu gasped covering her mouth. She didn't know what to say after hearing that. A few months ago, the detective was positive that the missing child several years ago was still alive.
The room was engulfed in deafening silence. No one had spoken among the three for ten seconds. It did not take long when another person came inside to see Old Master Yan.
"Grandpa! I miss you!" Lady Nadia ran into her grandfather's bed. She bent down, giving him a warm hug. Old Master Yan's mood changed as soon as he saw her.
Nadia, his granddaughter, was the one filling his longing for his other missing granddaughter. He spoiled Nadia a lot. However, whenever he would see her, he was reminded of his other missing granddaughter.
"I miss you too, Nadia. Where is your boyfriend? Is he not here?" Old Master Yan asked her, looking at the door, searching for her boyfriend.
"Richard is in the living room, Grandpa. Do you want me to call him here?" Nadia picked up her phone and message her fiancé. Richard immediately proceeded to Old Master Yan's room, greeting the elders.
Madam Priya, Madam Lu, and Old Master Yan were very happy to see Richard Chang, Nadia's fiancé. This man was very sweet and thoughtful towards Nadia so they truly liked him for her.
"Grandpa, you were looking for me?" Richard moved closer to them. Then he wrapped his arm around Nadia's shoulder. The atmosphere inside the room turned back into a lively one because of the couple.
Old Master Yan could only smile at them. "When will you set the wedding? I have to see you marrying each other before I die," the old man teased them.
Nadia pouted her lips. "Grandpa, you can't die yet, okay? You have to see your great-grandchildren first. So stay healthy! Promise me!"
Old Master Yan let out another chuckle. But then again, his mind wandered off somewhere. 'If she is alive… I wonder if she grows as a fine and beautiful lady like Nadia. Does she have a boyfriend too? Is she happy with someone?'
Old Master Yan kept thinking about his missing granddaughter. He was planning to give his inheritance to her to make it up for her and for her mother.
Nadia didn't need his wealth anymore. She was also an heiress of the Patel Conglomerates. His father was a powerful and influential businessman too. So Old Man Xu was thinking of giving the Yan Corp to his other granddaughter. However, until now, they couldn't find her.
'Where are you, my dear? Please let me see you before I die…' Old Master Yan was silently praying.
"Okay, my dear granddaughter… I will do my best so you have to do your part. You and Richard should push the wedding now and set the date!" Old Master Yan insisted.
Richard could only smile sheepishly while scratching his face. He felt a little bit embarrassed. But he didn't want to rush things between Nadia and him. The two decided to take their time and enjoy their career as of now.
"Yeah, you should set the final date already. Who knows another woman will try to steal your ma?!" Madam Lu said meaningfully, eyeing Richard sharply.
Richard and Nadia just stayed silent while Madam Priya reacted. "What do you mean by that, Aunt?"
"Hmm. I will be honest and frank with everyone here. I heard the rumors going around the entertainment industry. Have you heard about Abigail Scarlett?" Madam Lu suddenly mentioned Abigail's name.
Old Master Yan and Madam Priya had no idea about her. Unlike Madam Lu, the two were not updated with entertainment news. On the other hand, Richard's expression got worried at the mention of Abigail's name. He glanced at Nadia who was already looking at him. Nadia had an unreadable expression on her face as she waited for Madam Lu to speak another word.
"Who is she?" It was Old Master Yan who asked about Abigail. He suddenly got curious about her.
"She is a new rising star who was rumored to be… Richard's other woman! Is it true, Richard? Is she the reason why you are delaying your marriage with our dear Nadia?" Madam Lu blatantly asked Richard in front of everyone.
Richard was caught off guard by that direct accusation from Madam Lu. Fortunately, Nadia spoke on his behalf, defending her fiancé.
"Mom, Grandpa… Aunt Grandma… that rumor is false! Richard is faithful. Abigail is just an actress working under his company. I can guarantee that no romantic relationship is involved between them! Someone just wanted to destroy either Abigail's name or Richard's name!"
Madam Lu didn't believe it. She just eyed Richard suspiciously.
"What can you say about that, Richard?" Old Master Yan questioned him. Richard suddenly became anxious after meeting Old Master Yan's sharp gaze.
"Grandpa, I'm not cheating on Nadia. I love her. This is just a false rumor." Richard defended himself.
"Why don't you bring Abigail here? I wanna talk to her personally and hear her explanation. I want to hear both sides!" Old Master Han demanded. He wouldn't let anyone hurt his granddaughter's feelings. If he found out that Abigail and Richard were conniving with each other to take advantage of Nadia, he wouldn't just sit down. He would do anything he could to punish them. He was capable of making Richard's company go bankrupt.
"But, Brother… I heard that actress committed a suicide…" Madam Lu informed them. "Where is she now? I didn't hear any news about her. Is she still alive or dead?"
Richard could only bite his lower lip, hiding the fact that Abigail was already fine. She was safe and sound… strong and healthy as if she didn't commit suicide at all.
"Suicide? But why? Was it because Richard was going to marry my granddaughter?" Old Master Yan's imagination was running wild.
Nadia could only facepalm while shaking her head helplessly. The elders were not listening to them.
Richard just held her shoulder, gently tapping it as if he was telling her to relax.
"When the right time comes… I will try to invite her for you to meet her…" Richard said, reassuring them.
This content is taken from free web nov𝒆l.com