12

The last thing Richard wanted was to get photographed by anyone carrying a strange girl taking her to hospital.
He thus asked the guards to drive them to Sora Hospital that was owned by their family and registered and names under their mother’s name, Sora Conrad – Armstrong.
When they got to the hospital, Cash had already arranged a VIP room for them and then he had called the president of the hospital letting him know that their young master was bringing a patient in, the best doctors and nurses were deployed to that room and they found them waiting.
“What’s all this? Aren’t there other sick people in this hospital? What are all of you doing here?” Richard asked with irritation as he set the unknown girl on the bed.
That was when he looked at her well and he could tell that she was beautiful. She seemed to be of African Mexican heritage but he couldn’t be sure.
“We were told that you are bringing a patient here and since we didn’t know what to expect, we had to deploy the best just in case. You know…” the president of the hospital said with embarrassment because he didn’t expect their young master to lash out at them when all they were doing was care.
“Okay. She got drugged. I think withsleeping pills if I’m not wrong. I want you to wake her up soonest. How long do you think it would take?” Richard asked and the president sighed in relief.
At least, it wasn’t anything complicated.
He dismissed all the doctors and asked one and a nurse to remain and he also excused himself and left.
The doctor didn’t answer first as he asked the nurse to extract a blood sample quickly and the nurse took it to the lab as the doctor did basic tests on the girl.
“She seems to be in good health, though malnourished. Her heart rate and blood pressure are normal and her lungs also seem normal.
I think it’s just the drug poisoning and if it’s the normal over the counter sleeping pills, there is an antidote that can bring her back immediately.
That was why I don’t want to prescribe any medications before we know the exact drug that is in her system,” the doctor said and Richard just listened without saying anything.
“Daddy, is auntie going to be okay?” Melvin, who had been quiet all along and still in Cash’s hold, asked.
“Yes baby. She is going to be okay,” Richard said.
“Really? You are not lying to me?” Mel insisted.
“Hey, where would I even get the thought to lie to my angel? It’s true. I promise. Auntie is just sleeping and the doctor here is going to give her medicine to wake up. Isn’t it doctor?” Richard soothed and asked the doctor.
The doctor looked unsure whether he should talk to the young girl or not since she was in her father’s arms.
“Ahem,” Richard pretended to clear his throat as he looked at the nervous doctor.
“Yes young miss. This auntie is just sleeping and she is going to be okay. I promise,” the man said while his palms sweat.
He couldn’t believe that he was in the presence of the great Richard Armstrong.
According to all the stories he had heard about this man since he started working in Sora Hospital seven years ago, this was the man to be feared in the Armstrong family.
Even their Chairman, old man Drake and their CEO, Md Sora, weren’t as feared as Richard.
“See baby? She is going to be okay. Now, let’s go and eat so that you can take your medicine. Okay?” Richard told the young girl who shook her head immediately.
“No. I want auntie to wake up and hug me. We have to make sure she wakes up daddy,” Mel said as she wriggled out of her father’s arms and ran to the bedside where the Sleeping Beauty was lying.
Melvin took her hand and Richard noticed how small her hand was. It was so delicate that it looked like porcelain.
“Auntie, please wake up,” Melvin said slowly and at that moment, there was a knock on the VIP room and the nurse returned.
“Good. You are here,” the doctor said with relief as he took the report the nurse was holding.
“Oh, God. What did the one who gave her intend to do to her?” The doctor exclaimed as he read the report.
“What’s wrong?” Richard asked walking towards where the doctor was standing.
“She was overdosed with rohypnol. According to the lab report, the amount found in her blood is four times the normal amount,” the doctor continued as he looked at the sleeping girl.
“We have to flush it quickly before it does serious damage to her. How long has it been since?” The doctor asked as he got to work.
“Around two hours, on average. I can’t be really sure because I don’t know how long she was there before we found her,” Richard continued.
“Good. That can be managed. Nurse, put her on a drip and administer…”
“Baby, let’s go out and allow the doctor to do his work. We will stand here outside the door. I promise we won’t leave auntie alone,” Richard coerced Melvin who let go of the sleeping beauty’s hand and followed her father outside obediently.
When they were outside the room, “Cash, call Asher and ask him what’s taking so long,” Richard ordered and at that moment, the lift doors dinged and Ash came on to the floor panting.
“What took you so long? You took more than the time I gave you,” Richard hissed and Ash, being Ash, smiled.
“Brother, you are going to buy me the latest Bugatti I have been asking for after you see this. After watching the video, I started investigating who she was because she was with a well known lady and look here.
I extracted the footage where she was drugged and when she was put in the utility closet,” Ash said proudly as he gave his brother his phone.
A video was playing. In the video, the girl came in with Angela Philips, a renown Hollywood actress and Andy Cane, a renown business man.
They entered a VIP room, no wonder she was found in that floor and the footage ended there.
Richard played the second clip that showed the inside of the room.
In Grand Hotel, to prevent crimes happening, there were cameras in the rooms where clients played games, karaoke rooms, restaurants and any other public room or boot.
The only places without cameras were washrooms, or so the clients thought, and sleeping lodges.
They couldn’t take anything to chance.
The cameras in the private areas like washrooms were private and the only person who could access them was Asher.
They were never watched unless there was a crime committed there which was rare cause people knew better than to commit any type of a crime in an Armstrong territory.
The footage inside the room showed the three eating and drinking while laughing when a third woman came in. She talked with Angela and the two walked out.
They then came back and Angela hugged the girl and the woman who came in slipped something into the girl’s drink.
That was how the girl was drugged.
The man with them, Andy Cane, carried the girl and they walked outside.
Richard then played the third video clip and in it, he saw the outside of the room.
Andy was carrying the girl and the hotel manager, Rose, a lady who had worked with and for them for years and knew all the rules and regulations of the Armstrong family, helped the group dump the girl in the utility room and she, the manager, locked the door.
They then saw her being given a bundle of cash by Angela and they shook hands and the trio left.
“There is a forth clip brother. Watch it,” Ash said and Richard did just that.
In that clip, he clearly saw how Melvin ended up in the small room. She came out of the room where they were, which was adjacent to the room where Angela and her group were, picked up a marble and started playing with it.
It was immediately she followed the small ball in the small room did the others come out with Andy carrying the weak girl and they deposited her in the door right behind Melvin.
“So, they are the ones who locked Mel in?” It wasn’t a question per se but a confirmation.
“Where is Rose?” Richard asked because cause she couldn’t imagine what he would do to the woman who had committed a crime in his hotel.
“Locked in her office with guards at the door. No means of communication whatsoever until you decide what to do with her.
“Good,” he said and then looked at his daughter.
“Mel, baby, how did you get out of the room?” Richard asked his daughter gently with that voice that he only reserved for her.
“Auntie unlocked the door with my hair pin. She then asked me to go look for help,” Melvin answered with a fondness and a smile that Richard rarely saw in his daughter’s eyes.
“Cash, get Mel something to eat. Something healthy. Check what the hospital kitchens have for the children’s wing and bring a portion for her,” Richard said and Asher volunteered.
“I will do it brother. Come with me Cash,” he said and they both walking away leaving Richard with the other guards.
In his mind, he was coming up with a million ways of revenging what they did to his daughter.
He was done being nice to people.