Chapter 89 The Origins of Lanthem Hospital
The housekeeper quietly took out Alina's gift and showed it to Caitlin.
Caitlin immediately inspected the jade ornament. With a smile of relief, she quickly took out a stack of cash from her bag and stuffed it into the housekeeper's arms. Then, she grabbed Lucas and left in a hurry. The housekeeper watched them leave with a meaningful gaze.
Wilson had indeed predicted everything. It was no wonder that Lincoln favoured Wilson the most among his three grandsons.
Besides, he was fond of Alina as well. At the very least, she truly respected Wilson's grandfather. Her gift was sincere, unlike the others who only wanted to please the old man.
Thinking of the Pines and Cranes jigsaw puzzle that had been sent up to Lincoln's study, a kind smile appeared on Uncle Kyree's face.
After living for a long time, he had met all kinds of people. With a single glance, he could guess the thoughts that people had and what kind of people they were.
Whether they were sincere or plotting a scheme, nothing could escape his discerning eyes.
He shook his head gently and put away the stack of cash.
Wilson had said that it would be a waste to reject these bribes. It would be better to distribute the money to the servants working in the Scott family villa.
Caitlin pulled Lucas away and chuckled. "Lucas, we will be able to humiliate Alina in a while! With this, there will be a chance for us to lower the stock prices of Scott Group and buy in immediately. Did that b*tch think that she could get away with such a cheap gift that is only worth five digits? She must be dreaming if she planned to win the favour of your grandfather! By the way, have you prepared enough cash? Are all the funds available to be deployed in time? It would be a shame if we manage to lower the stock price but the cash is not ready yet."
Lucas smiled proudly. He took Caitlin's hand and kissed it as he said, "Baby, the cash is ready at our disposal. Yesterday, I had Colton transfer all the money for the project deposits into our bank accounts. Anyway, we will be using it for a few days at best. Besides, Nancy managed to snag a huge production deal with a famous director. The drama is more than 80 episodes long. She said that the money will be credited by today."
Caitlin nodded. "Excellent. Everything would go smoothly as long as the money is available. After a while, we will make sure Alina is utterly humiliated as we put on a show. Have you arranged for the reporters and paparazzi to sneak in?"
"Of course!" Lucas smiled arrogantly. "Everything has been arranged according to plan. When the time comes, the gossip mills would have a field day. Think about this, the penniless fiancée of the Scott Group's president bought third-rate goods as a birthday gift!"
"Well, let's go over and inform your parents. If the scene got out of control, they would back us up!" Caitlin nodded with satisfaction.
"You've really thought of everything!" Lucas pulled Caitlin towards him and showered her with kisses again.
Caitlin snorted at his public display of affection.
The two of them walked hand in hand towards the lively crowd as if nothing had happened. To draw attention, they put on a show as a couple deeply in love.
Lucas was the eldest grandson of the Scott Family. Obviously, he wouldn't want Wilson to hog all the limelight.
Wilson happened to be the opposite. He didn't want to be disturbed at all.
He led Alina around the courtyard, chatting and laughing along the way.
"Lina, Uncle Louis and Uncle Davian are my grandfather's best friends. The friendship between the three reputable families could be traced back to many generations ago. This was why I made sure to introduce you to both of them."
"I see." Alina nodded as she thought about her future. She hoped that Rosie would still be by her side and they could grow old together.
Wilson said with a smile, "Uncle Louis had a son and a daughter. He also had an adopted son, whose daughter is Caitlin, Lucas's girlfriend. However, her status is awkward because she is also the daughter of a mistress and born out of wedlock. Therefore, Uncle Louis had never acknowledged her position as her granddaughter.
"No wonder." Alina nodded as she remembered what Wilson's sister had mentioned that day.
Wilson continued his story, "The lawyer who helped Rosie get back her money was Uncle Brooks's eldest grandson, Bennett Brooks. He is the Scott Group's legal representative."
"Oh." Alina nodded again. It was no wonder that he could get Rosie's money back in such a short time. As a member of the Brooks family and the legal representative of such a large company like Scott Group, he would have a few tricks up his sleeve.
Wilson moved on to the Taylor family. "The Taylor family is larger than the Brooks family. However, among Uncle Davian's grandchildren, Bill is the only one who is interested in medicine. Therefore, among his many grandsons, Uncle Davian has the highest expectations for Bill as his favourite grandson."
"What? Bill is Uncle Davian's grandson?" Alina was pleasantly surprised when she heard the name of an acquaintance.
She suddenly had a feeling that the world was so small! Somehow, everyone around her seemed to be related.
Wilson looked at Alina's surprised expression and gave her a profound smile. "Did you know how Lanthem Hospital came about?"
"I don't know!" Alina raised her head to look at Wilson with a pout. She shook her head. How would she know that?
If she hadn't met him, their worlds would have never collided. Alina probably wouldn't have known about these things for the rest of her life.
Wilson looked at Alina and scratched her nose.
"Uncle Davian's wife was actually one of the daughters of the Brooks family. The Brooks family was already wealthy at that time but Uncle Davian was just a young, nameless doctor. The couple fell in love and of course, the elders of the Brooks family disapproved of their relationship. However, Ms. Brooks insisted on selling her jewellery, clothes, and accessories to support his studies overseas in England." "And then?" Alina was truly curious about this story.
Wilson continued with a smile, "Later, the Brooks family learned that she had supported Uncle Davian financially to study abroad. At that time, most wealthy men had many wives and concubines. Their offspring competed with each other so that they could get more of the family's inheritance. Ms. Brooks was ridiculed and mocked for her actions. Her family laughed at her for being such a fool. To them, supporting Uncle Davian to study overseas was no different from throwing pearls to the pigs.
"Ms. Brooks was taunted so much that she was confined to her home. After persevering for many years, Uncle Davian finally returned back to the country. The first thing he did was to start a hospital in her name, which is now the Lanthem Hospital. Back then, it was rare to see such an occurrence in a patriarchal society.
"The second thing Uncle Davian did was to marry Ms. Brooks. He held a grand wedding with a lavish ceremony that made everyone green with envy.
"Lastly, Uncle Davian bought and redeemed all the jewellery, clothes, and accessories that Ms. Brooks had sold off to finance his studies."
When Alina heard this, her eyes were shining with wonder.
Wilson raised his eyebrows. "When Uncle Davian came back, the people who talked bad about him had to eat their own words.
"Little did they know that Uncle Davian worked part-time at a medical clinic while he studied full-time day and night. Even though he was studying abroad, he was not afraid of hard labour and worked at the clinic diligently. Naturally, his boss saw his abilities and allowed him to work under him as an understudy. Once Uncle Davian had the chance to treat patients, he became well-known for his skills and managed to earn a fortune. Everything was just a matter of course!"
Alina nodded meaningfully. "You're right. Uncle Davian worked so hard for his studies, he would naturally find success once the opportunity presented itself. In that era, it is a precious thing for them to be able to persevere and bring their love to fruition. What a passionate love story!"
"Do you know why I told you this?" Wilson asked with a smile, looking at the envious look on Alina's face as he gently tweaked her nose again.
Alina shook her head and said honestly, "No. Why?"
Wilson smiled and explained to her, "Silly girl, I'm telling you this story is because I want to let you know that as long as we really love each other, we can overcome any difficulty. Love conquers all problems. In the olden times, even Uncle Davian and his wife could break through the traditional stereotypes and finally live happily ever after. We can have that as well!"
Alina was touched. Her hand gripped his tightly when she heard Wilson's words.
He continued, "If even a young lady like Ms. Brooks can support Uncle Davian, what else can't I do for you? Therefore, as your husband, you only have to do one thing for me!" Alina raised her head and looked at Wilson expectantly, waiting for him to tell her what she needed to do.
Wilson replied as he fixed his gaze on her, "You have to trust me! Believe in me unconditionally! No matter what happens, you must trust that I truly love you and believe that we will definitely be together until the end of our lives."
"Okay." Alina nodded vigorously.
Wilson held her in his arms and rested his chin on the top of her head. He gently stroked her hair and whispered softly, "Lina, I love you so much!"
Alina bit her lower lip shyly. She didn't have the courage to reply that she loved him too, but happiness filled her heart at his declaration of love. The words echoed inside her over and over again. "S*umbag, I love you too!"
Wilson said again, "Don't worry about anything and don't be afraid of anyone trying to stir up trouble. Some troubles couldn't be avoided just because you wanted to. If you have any problems, step up and fight back. You don't have to worry about the consequences as I will take care of everything. Don't compromise on your values, just do whatever you want. Be bold and confident in yourself. I am willing to hold up the sky for you."
Alina was moved, but his words gave her a feeling that something wasn't right. She looked up at him and frowned. "Is something bad going to happen?"
Wilson nodded and said, "Yes, Lucas arranged for reporters to sneak in during the celebration. He must be plotting something."
He thought that it was necessary for him to inform her about things like these. Since Wilson had decided on Alina to be his wife until death did them part. Therefore, she was bound to face troubles and adversity from his enemies in the future. It would be better to expose Alina to reality as soon as possible so that she could be mentally prepared.
Alina's mood became a little downcast. She felt miserable for Lincoln. How could his grandson plot to create havoc during his grandfather's 80th birthday celebration?
Wilson saw through her thoughts at a glance. He reached out to stroke her hair and comforted her, "Don't worry, Lucas's resentment is targeted towards me. Regarding Grandfather, he respects him and is a filial grandson to him."
"Alright." Alina secretly hoped that this would be the case.
"Come on, Lucas will put his plan into action soon. Let's put on a show!" Wilson smiled as he thought, "Lucas, show me what you've got." ☐☐☐☐☐☐