Chapter 22 - Wash Away The Sins
"Who's screwing who?" An amused voice spoke from the foyer.
Lina turned at the familiar sound and her eyes lit up. Instantly, she grinned and dashed to help him with his luggage, even though the butlers were already on it. ??
"Grandfather!" Lina greeted, eager to see him so early in the morning, as it had been months.
Lately, her grandfather, Lawrence Yang, had been vacationing all over the world after retiring from his position as Chairman of Yang Enterprise. He was accompanied by his secretary, who rarely said anything unless spoken to.
Sometimes, Lina forgot the secretary was even in the room, but his presence was always there. One could never ignore pupils the color of blood, marking them creatures of the night—Vampires.
"There's my least favorite granddaughter," Lawrence chortled, waving her over and reaching for a bag resting on one of his suitcases.
"Come look, my little Lina, I've brought you candy." Lawrence handed her a souvenir bag, dismissing the gift like it was nothing, even though he had sent his secretary scrambling around the island just to search for it.
"If I am your least favorite, why did you bring back a gift, grandfather?" Lina laughed, taking the bag and peering inside.
True enough, her grandfather did get her candy, but the kind that shouldn't be eaten, and only admired. She pulled it out to see it was a delicately shaped crystal candy that resembled a fairy goddess from the high heavens.
"And how come, as your favorite grandson, I got nothing?" Milo snorted, walking up to his sister and noisily peering into her gift bag. freewebn(o)vel.com
"Bah, young men like you don't need sweet things like candy. Hurry and bring me a sweet great-grandchild," the old man snorted, waving his hand at Milo as one would swat a fruit fly.
"Father, you're here," Evelyn nervously came out to greet him. She flashed him a smile and was ignored.
"Come, come, Milo, look what I got you." Lawrence reached into his pockets and pulled out a tiny plastic baggie of suspicious black, round pills.
"Take this and birth me a great-grandchild, hurry now," Lawrence shoved the bag to his youngest grandson, who was the only one without a woman. Sometimes he thought his grandson batted for the other team…
"I'm beginning to think I'm the least favorite," Milo whispered to his sister, reluctantly taking the pill bag and holding it up like it was a bizarre animal.
"Father, what are you doing here?" Lina's father asked, stepping out of the dining room to greet the unexpected guest.
"Hmph, your father comes to visit once in a while and you're already demanding me to leave?" Lawrence grumbled, waving his cane in his youngest son's direction, a deep scowl on his wrinkled face.
"N-no, it's not that," Lina's father laughed, quickly coming over to greet his parent.
"I'm sure it is, Linden," Lawrence baffled. He took a good look at his son and the two shared a mutual understanding before looking away.
"Father is just a bit surprised, that's all, grandfather," Lina excused for her father, placing the candy back into the bag, so that Milo would stop ogling it.
"It is because you call me grandfather that you are my least favorite," Lawrence grumpily told his granddaughter.
Like most of the Yang men, he doted on the daughters and rarely the son. Daughters were treated like diamonds and sons like stones. He was just old-fashioned.
"Now you there," Lawrence called out, waving his hand to Evelyn. "Hurry and fetch me a glass of water. You don't want this old man to pass out from the altitude of this house, do you?"
Evelyn glanced behind her and to her surroundings. She realized the great Lawrence of Yang Enterprise was treating her like a servant again. Gritting her teeth, she bit on her tongue and walked off to get a glass of water. The whole time, she was seething. After all of her hard work to gain recognition in the Yang Clan, the Patriarch comes crashing it all down.
"So what is this screwing I am hearing about?" Lawerence demanded, taking a hard look at his grandson. "It better involve you and my future granddaughter-in-law."
Lina laughed at her grandfather's humor. "Milo is just a child, Grandfather. He hasn't even applied for college yet."
"Back in my days, young men went off to work at age thirteen," Lawrence complained.
Milo began to count on his finger. "But grandfather, back in your days, there were flat-screen TVs and phones. Child labor was deemed illegal way before you were born—"
"Bah!" Lawrence waved his hand again and grabbed for his granddaughter, using her to stabilize his weak knees.
Lina didn't complain and helped him to the dining hall, holding back an amused smile. Milo was their grandmother's favorite, so it was humoring to see him being teased.
"Enough talks about the past, it is making me feel old," Lawrence stated as he slumped down in his chair.
At the mention of the past, Linden straightened up. He shared another glance with his father and the two seemed pensive.
No amount of time would wash away the sins they committed that day. It was evident in the way that Lina screamed in her sleep, feinted in the mornings, and rarely spoke about her past.
"But you are old," Milo grumbled. "As old as the mountains you like to say you climb but can barely reach the peak."
"Why you little—"
"Grandfather, where did you go this time?" Lina mused, taking a glance at Milo. The two were always bickering and she could never understand why.
Well, her Grandfather was a doting husband, so it might've explained everything. It seemed the Yang men usually adored their wives. And since her grandmother's favorite was Milo, her grandfather must've been disgruntled. Heaven forbid her grandmother ever like another man that wasn't her husband.
"To search for a location to bury my coffin, since I am going to die without a great-grandchild!" Lawrence scoffed, leaning back in his chair just as the dining hall doors opened.
Evelyn stepped in with a glass of lukewarm water. She offered Lawrence a gentle smile and settled the glass in front of the table.
"Father, I've brought you the water," Evelyn kindly said, shooting Lina a nudging gaze. Try and pacify this old man!
Lawrence took a sip and let out a loud "ACK!"
"Grandfather!" Lina gasped, watching him slam the glass down. Why? What's wrong with the water?!
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