Chapter 4

Gavin was well aware of his predicament. He believed that even the most experienced doctors would be powerless against his illness. Plus, Andrew appeared to be only in his 20s. He lacked the air of a skilled doctor, looking more like a schemer attempting to pursue his granddaughter, Doria. Therefore, Gavin, a hothead, didn't bother to be nice to Andrew. Sensing Gavin's distrust, Andrew spoke up. "Your situation is looking pretty dire, sir. May we have a private word?" "Give us some space, Doria. I want to hear him out." Gavin sneered. Doria hesitated briefly. But in the end, she chose to trust Andrew and left the room. "Alright, spill it. What's your game with Doria?" Gavin went straight to the point. Andrew smiled and shook Gavin's hand. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Thompson Senior. I'm the heir of the Hughes family!" Gavin's surprise was evident on his face. "Are you saying you're from the Hughes family of Josona?" "That's right. Lucas Hughes is my father, and Fred Hughes is my grandfather." After saying that, Andrew handed Gavin a gold ring. Gavin took the ring and scrutinized it. After a while, he burst into laughter and said, "So, you're Fred's grandson! It's a pleasure to meet you as well. "Earlier, it was all just a big misunderstanding, Andrew. I thought you were up to something. Can you come closer so I can have a better look at you?" Andrew obliged. Gravin then ran his hand over Andrew's face and patted his shoulder. "You've got Fred's fire in you, alright. You remind me of him in his prime." Looking at Andrew, Gavin felt a sense of pride, as if he were looking at his own grandson. Perhaps Gavin got so excited that he ended up coughing up blood once more. "Easy there, Mr. Thompson Senior. Let's catch up after we fix you up." Andrew calmed Gavin down. "Over the years, I've learned a bit of medicine. I might be of help." Upon hearing the coughs, Doria couldn't help but barge into the room. "Are you alright, Grandpa?" "I'm fine. I was just overjoyed." Gavin shook his head and looked at Andrew. "Are you married, Andrew?" Gavin had inevitably brought the topic up. Andrew smiled in resignation. "I'm not married." Gavin got even more excited. "Perfect. Since Doria is here, why don't you two get a marriage certificate today? We can plan a proper wedding later." "Grandpa!" Doria was taken aback and even wondered if she had misheard. Andrew sported a resigned expression. Why did Gavin still remember the arranged marriage? Seeing Doria's confusion, Gavin explained, "Do you remember the arranged marriage I've spoken to you about before, Doria? That person happens to be Andrew." "What?" Doria exclaimed in disbelief. Doria knew about her arranged marriage, but she didn't take it seriously. After all, many years had passed, and Gavin hadn't mentioned it; she thought it was merely a joke. Doria never thought Gavin would bring it up again and that Andrew was still her fiancé. Before Doria could speak, Gavin sternly said, "Okay, the decision's made." Doria bit her lower lip and anxiously said, "I'm not agreeing to this, Grandpa!" "If you don't go along with it, then I won't accept treatment. Instead, I'd rather just die." Gavin glared at Andrew and Doria. Suddenly, Gavin's expression twisted in agony as excruciating pain surged through his body. He crumpled onto the bed, drenched in cold sweat. Doria's face drained of color as terror gripped her. "Stop scaring me, Grandpa! I promise you, I'll marry him!" Andrew said with a serious expression, "Mr. Thompson Senior's situation has worsened, Ms. Thompson. Can you give me some room? I need to treat him immediately." "Please save Grandpa, Mr. Hughes." Doria wiped her tears and stepped aside. Andrew retrieved a set of silver needles from his bag and was about to treat Gavin when someone yelled from the doorway. "Stop! What are you doing?" A stern, middle-aged man led an old man in a doctor's outfit into the room. "Uncle Hamilton!" Doria softly called out to the middle-aged man. The middle-aged man turned out to be Hamilton Thompson, the eldest son of the Thompson family. With a grim expression, Hamilton said, "Who is this punk, Doria? How could he try to use needles on your grandfather?" "Uncle Hamilton, I brought Mr. Hughes here to treat Grandpa." Upon hearing Doria's words, Hamilton was infuriated. "He's young and inexperienced. It's not his place to treat your grandpa. This is absurd!" The old man behind Hamilton shook his head. "Young people these days have no idea of their limits. Mr. Thompson Senior's illness has stumped many skilled doctors. You're inexperienced, yet you dare to act like you know better." Hamilton then introduced the old man to Doria. "This is Dr. Xanthus Gerald from Jaedornia. He comes from a prestigious family of doctors and is renowned as a medical expert. He has saved many lives and is the president of the Signatious Association in Jaedornia." Upon hearing Hamilton's words, Gavin and Doria were stupefied—Xanthus was known as the medical expert in Busmainga. Neither of them had expected Hamilton to pull in such a high-profile figure. Compared to Xanthus's air of seasoned authority, Andrew appeared a mere novice. "After this ordeal, expect a lecture from me," Hamilton warned Doria with a glare, then turned to Xanthus. "Dr. Gerald, I'm entrusting my father to you." "Rest assured, Mr. Hamilton. I've come prepared. Mr. Thompson Senior will be fine." Xanthus beamed and took out a black pill. He explained, "This, Mr. Thompson, is Sporazoxane, a formula I specifically developed for Mr. Thompson Senior's illness. It harnesses the power of rare herbs. Once Mr. Thompson Senior takes it, its effects will be nothing short of miraculous. A swift recovery is all but guaranteed!" "Excellent! Please give the pill to my father immediately." Doria's face lit up with joy after hearing that. "Wait!" Andrew's hand shot out, intercepting Xanthus before he could administer the pill. A sharp intake of breath escaped Andrew's lips as he flared his nostrils, his gaze fixed on the pill in Xanthus' hand. "The scent alone tells me what you've concocted there, Dr. Gerald." As soon as Andrew made his remark, Xanthus' expression turned grim. The pill consisted of several components, with some being typical. Nevertheless, Andrew could already discern the ingredients within the pill. What Andrew said next agitated Xanthus. "While the ingredients may individually seem beneficial, their combination yields unintended consequences. It appears your medical knowledge is lacking."