“Bruno, I’ve come to talk to you, not to offer solutions, but to remind you not to act recklessly during this period,” Sean said.
“Dad!” Bruno slammed his hand on the desk and stood up angrily. “Are you asking me to bow down to Sophia?”
“It’s not about bowing down, Bruno. Right now, Sophia is in the spotlight, and the old Mrs. Henley hasn’t made her stance clear. If you pick a fight with her, the consequences will be severe,” Sean cautioned.
Bruno knew his father was speaking the truth, and he clenched his teeth in frustration. Recently, Sophia had been gaining prominence, and as the future leader of the Henley family, his influence had diminished significantly, which left him feeling extremely discontented.
At that moment, Fanny entered the office.
“Bruno, we have another option,” Fanny said.
“What option?” Bruno asked.
“You help me find out who sent the betrothal gifts. Only that person might be able to change the situation for our family,” Fanny said.
Fanny couldn’t stand living in Sophia’s shadow, and the only way for her to regain her status was if that mysterious betrothal gift sender appeared. With a more powerful investor entering the Henley family, they wouldn’t have to worry about losing their collaboration with Herbal Magic Cosmetics Company.
Bruno, with a stern expression, realized that this mysterious betrothal gift could be their breakthrough. Among the younger generation of women in the Henley family, Sophia was the only one married, which meant this betrothal gifts concerned everyone except her. Even if the person interested in the betrothal gift wasn’t Fanny, as long as they were willing to invest in the Henley family, Sophia’s dominance would be challenged.
“Alright, I’ll do my best to investigate this matter,” Bruno agreed.
Fanny smiled with satisfaction. She believed that the betrothal gift was meant for her, so as long as she could find out who sent it, she would maintain her superiority over Sophia.
The next day, after dropping Sophia off at work, Leo went to the clinic to see patients.
There weren’t many patients that day, and just as Leo was getting up to fetch some hot water, a frail elderly man rushed in.
He clutched his stomach in pain and cried out to Leo, “Doctor, my stomach has been hurting for three days now, and it’s unbearable. Please, help me.”
The elderly man was in his sixties, and while he appeared frail, his eyes were sharp, and his hands were callused.
Leo glanced at his hands and could tell he was a martial artist. He asked the man to sit down and then took his pulse.
After examining him, Leo smiled and said, “It’s a minor issue. You’ve got an upset stomach from something you ate.”
Leo wrote a prescription for him and said, “Follow this prescription, take the medicine for three days, rest for three days, and your stomach should improve.”
The elderly man, however, was worried about taking three days off work. He said, “Doctor, I work as a laborer to support my family. Taking three days off means I’ll lose my job. They say you’re skilled in acupuncture. Could you please perform acupuncture on me to speed up my recovery? I can pay extra.”
“Acupuncture? Sure,” Leo nodded.
The elderly man was relieved and removed his shirt as Leo prepared to perform acupuncture.
Leo inserted nine needles in quick succession, aiming to relieve the man’s discomfort.
However, just as he was finishing, the elderly man suddenly stiffened. His eyes widened, and he clutched his abdomen with one hand while pointing at Leo with the other. He gasped, “You… you’ve killed me!”
With that, he collapsed to the ground with a loud thud.
The patients in the clinic couldn’t believe their eyes. A moment ago, the man had been perfectly fine, and now he lay motionless on the floor.
“Is he dead?” someone dared to ask, causing the entire clinic to fall into a stunned silence.
Death was a serious matter, and if someone died in a clinic, it would have severe consequences. The clinic might have to close its doors.
Dr. Davy, who was standing nearby, also had a look of shock on his face. He quickly rushed over and exclaimed, “Leo, how could this happen!?” He immediately crouched down, trembling as he tried to feel the pulse of the elderly man.
Half a minute later, Dr. Davy, with a pale face, withdrew his trembling hand and struggled to speak but couldn’t find the words.
Seeing Dr. Davy in this state, everyone present instantly realized that something terrible had happened.
An elderly patient, mustering up the courage, approached and checked the old man’s breathing and pulse. He then exclaimed in panic, “He’s gone…”
The patient looked towards Leo, his gaze filled with doubt and sympathy.
With a death on their hands, whether or not it was Leo’s responsibility, the clinic was bound to face severe consequences.
As news of the old man’s death spread, the mood among the crowd grew somber. Some sighed, some wept, and others took out their phones to document the situation. Many began to discuss the incident.
With the old man’s passing, the reputation of this clinic and its doctor, Leo, was severely tarnished. It was unlikely that anyone would come here for treatment in the future.
Leo’s reputation as a miracle-working doctor had come to a sudden end.
Seeing Leo’s indifferent expression, Dr. Davy couldn’t help but approach him. He leaned in and whispered, “Leo, the old man has no signs of breath or pulse.”
As Dr. Davy uttered those last few words, his face turned even paler, as if he had encountered such a situation for the first time..
“I know,” Leo replied calmly, then proceeded to check the man’s pulse himself. There was no change in his expression.
The patient who had just checked the old man’s condition reminded Dr. Bloomer, “Dr. Bloomer, you should inform the patient’s family as soon as possible. It’s best to handle this discreetly. If you involve the authorities, your clinic will be in serious trouble.”
Leo looked up at him and smiled, saying, “Sir, don’t worry, the clinic will be fine.”
“Father, what’s happened to you!?”
Leo had barely finished speaking when five or six men and women burst into the room.
One middle-aged woman immediately began to hysterically cry out, “Dad, you can’t be in trouble! You’re the pillar of this family!”
The middle-aged woman’s companions also wore sorrowful expressions, and they glared angrily at Leo.
“You incompetent quack, you’ve cost my father his life!” The middle-aged woman, upon seeing Leo’s unresponsive demeanor, screamed and attempted to rush towards him.
Dr. Davy quickly intervened, reaching out to restrain her.