King-In-Law, The Hidden God Of War!

010

The next morning, Raymond left the Crown Class villa complex and drove himself to the central city hospital. The hospital lobby was crowded, but no one paid attention to the man in an old gray shirt, walking straight but with heavy steps. As soon as he reached the pediatric ward hallway, he was immediately blocked.

Mrs. Kiera and Laura were already waiting. Both of them spotted Raymond from afar, their faces darkening, eyes full of wariness and resentment.

Mrs. Kiera approached, blocking the doorway to the hospital room, her voice harsh: “What are you doing here? Come to bring more bad luck to my granddaughter? Wasn’t last night enough humiliation for this family?”

Laura crossed her arms, tossing her chin at him: “You’d better leave. No one wants you here. Stop clinging. You disappeared for years, and now when the child’s in critical condition, you want to play the good father?”

Raymond was silent for a few seconds, glancing at the door where a dim light fell on the nameplate: “Anna Thompson.” He replied through gritted teeth: “I just want to visit my daughter.”

Mrs. Kiera waved him off, her eyes full of contempt: “Visit? Don’t say it’s out of love. If you loved her, you wouldn’t have left for four years, wouldn’t have forced us to beg the Grant family for help. What kind of useless father does that?”

Laura was merciless, her words like slaps: “You think transferring a bit of money solves everything? If it weren’t for the Grant family’s promise to help, Sophia and Anna would already be dead. Don’t think showing up here, pretending to care, will fool anyone.”

Raymond stood still, face unchanged. He replied, his voice low: “I’ve already covered the hospital fees. Anna’s surgery is scheduled.”

Mrs. Kiera laughed curtly, shaking her head: “Stop claiming credit. Without Young Master Grant backing you, this hospital wouldn’t even look at you. Our family owes you nothing. Forget about reclaiming your role as a father.”

Laura pointed at the nameplate on the door: “Look at yourself. You don’t even recognize Anna’s face, and now you want to play the model dad? Get out, stop causing us more trouble.”

Raymond remained by the hospital room door, eyes fixed on his daughter’s room, then glanced at Sophia, but she didn’t look at him. She only stared at the hospital room, eyes lifeless and empty.

After a few seconds, Mrs. Kiera spoke straight to his face: “Will you only be satisfied if you see my granddaughter die? Stop pretending to care, leave!”

Laura snapped: “What kind of father are you? Gone for four years without a word, now you come back just to get in the way. What’s the point of hanging around?”

Raymond replied coldly: “I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying to monitor my daughter’s treatment.”

Mrs. Kiera glared at him, muttering under her breath, but still stood firm, blocking the hospital room door, refusing to let him approach. Laura sneered: “Who needs you? We got through the hardest times without you!”

The tension was at its peak when the sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway. It was Victor Grant, appearing at the end of the ward with a smug expression. He strolled over, didn’t greet anyone, just let his gaze flick past Raymond and settle on Sophia.

Victor spoke in a cold, even voice: “This can all be resolved with one signature. Raymond, as soon as you sign the divorce papers, I guarantee the hospital will receive full payment within five minutes, and Anna’s surgery will be scheduled immediately.”

Mrs. Kiera instantly hurried over to Victor, her voice obsequious: “Young Master Grant, our family is counting on you! People like him only make things worse.”

With that, she pulled a divorce form from her purse and threw it at Raymond: “Sign it!”

Laura was just as brazen, pointing at Raymond: “Did you hear that? One signature saves your daughter’s life. Stop being selfish.”

The hospital hallway was bustling, but only this VIP corner was tense to the breaking point. Raymond stood there, hemmed in by two women and Victor’s arrogant stare.

Victor stepped closer, just an arm’s length away. He stared hard at Raymond, his voice low but every word heavy as a hammer: “I’ll say this one last time. Either you sign, or be ready to watch this whole family, your mother-in-law, your wife, your daughter, be driven to ruin. You think Anna’s the only one who’ll die? Wrong. Just one call from me, and the Thompson family’s company disappears overnight. Are you willing to bet against me?”

“Young Master Grant, please don’t!” Mrs. Kiera immediately reached out to grab Victor’s sleeve, panic in her voice: “It’s just this bastard who’s being stubborn, please don’t take it out on the rest of us!”

Then she turned on Raymond, gritting her teeth: “Do you hear that? Don’t drag the whole family down with you! It’s just one signature, can’t you even do that? You want to kill us all?”

Laura shoved her mother aside, pointing straight at Raymond: “You really are cruel! You see your daughter at death’s door and still refuse? Now you’re taking the whole family down with you. My poor family, my sister, suffering her whole life because of you!”

Victor folded his arms, smirking at Sophia: “I’m not joking, Sophia. Why are you still defending a man like this? Or do you want your daughter dead, your family bankrupt, everything ruined?”

Both Kiera and Laura simultaneously pressed Sophia, practically pushing her toward Raymond: “What are you standing there for? Sign it! Or do you want Anna to die on the operating table?”

“If you want Anna to live, sign it right now!” Laura shrieked, almost hysterical.

Tears streamed down Mrs. Kiera’s face, but her voice was still sharp as steel: “Just one signature, and everything will be saved. Don’t lose everything for a useless man!”

Sophia was pushed right up to Raymond, her face pale, eyes lifeless. She looked at Victor, her mother, Laura, and finally at Raymond, still silent, standing amid so much hatred.

Finally, she stammered, tears spilling out: “Raymond… sign it. If you love your daughter, please, I’m begging you…”

Victor folded his arms, eyes narrowing in satisfaction: “See? In this world, without money, without power, you’re nothing but trash. If your signature can’t even save your daughter, what else do you have to say?”

Mrs. Kiera and Laura shouted in unison: “If you have a conscience, sign it! Or do you want to watch our family die out?”

Raymond stood unmoving, face cold as stone, his voice dropping, each word hard as steel: “I will not sign. I’ve already paid all the hospital fees, the surgery is scheduled, there’s no need for the Grant family’s help.”

Victor burst out laughing, looking at Sophia with contempt: “Hear that? Still wants to put on a show. Do you have any idea how expensive the hospital is, how costly surgery is? He has money? Or is he just delaying Anna’s only chance to survive?”

The air felt frozen. Laura and Mrs. Kiera seemed hysterical, trying to shove the divorce papers into Sophia’s hands: “Sign it! Your daughter’s dying, what more do you want?”

Sophia’s hands trembled as she took the pen, signing with tears streaming down her face, voice choked as she pleaded once more: “You sign too…”

Raymond’s eyes widened, he hadn’t expected even Sophia wouldn’t believe he could pay for their daughter’s treatment. Everything was settled; why did they have to keep pushing and dragging it out?

“Hurry and sign, your daughter’s waiting for you to save her!” Victor added: “Your wife already signed, what are you waiting for?”

But at that moment, Vera appeared from the elevator, marching straight into the fray. She didn’t ask any questions, just pulled out a folder and slapped it onto the table: “Who here is family of the patient Anna Thompson?”

Seeing Vera, Victor narrowed his eyes, recognizing her instantly. He let out a mocking laugh, voice dripping with sarcasm: “You again? I haven’t even looked for you, and here you are showing up yourself. You’re not scared until you see the coffin, is that it?”

Vera didn’t bother looking at Victor, her gaze icy as steel as she looked directly at Laura and Mrs. Kiera: “I repeat, Anna’s surgery has been confirmed. All fees are fully paid. All you need to do now is sign the hospital’s confirmation.”

Victor folded his arms, shrugging with a sneer: “Hah, how long can you keep up the act? I don’t believe it. You’re good at making things up.”

He jabbed a finger at Raymond: “You’re still trying to bluff? Still not willing to admit defeat?”

Laura and Mrs. Kiera kept hounding him, not giving Raymond a second to breathe.

Laura shoved Raymond hard, her voice shrill: “Do you want Anna to die? Why are you still hanging around?”

Mrs. Kiera snapped, her voice rising: “Enough! Isn’t this family miserable enough because of you? Leave, and don’t bother us anymore!”

Raymond was pushed aside, his face expressionless, but his hand was clenched into a fist.

Victor, satisfied, made no attempt to hide his contempt: “See? No one wants you here. Bringing your cronies to make trouble in the hospital, people like you, the only good thing you can do is die.”

Vera’s expression darkened. She stepped up and, without warning, kicked Victor hard in the stomach. He doubled over and crashed into the hallway wall, his face blanching with pain.

Vera raised her hand, almost ready to slap both Mrs. Kiera and Laura, her voice full of fury: “This is a hospital, if anyone else makes noise or touches the patient’s family again, I can’t guarantee you’ll leave in one piece.”

Both Laura and Mrs. Kiera backed away in fear, faces drained of color. But just as Vera was about to slap them, Raymond spoke up, his voice rough and low: “That’s enough.”

Vera lowered her hand, her eyes still blazing, clearly ready to strike again if needed. She only calmed down when she saw Raymond give her a slight nod.

Victor struggled to his feet, his face red with rage. He spat through gritted teeth: “Fine, just wait. One call from me, and you’ll all see who really runs this city, don’t think you can outsmart the Grant family!”