Faux Vows, True Desires

Chapter 356

"Boss, the son-in-law is too sharp. Janice saw through the game." Kent sighed in resignation, "Even when I told the young master that you coughed up blood again, they didn't fall for it."

The fact that Nathan had coughed up blood in the car was true.

But the second time was a lie concocted by Kent.

In Keith's words, the components of that drug were all pretty much the same.

And to quote Stefan, the effects of the drug weren't hard to counter.

Nathan had seen through the ploy early on, and the effect of the poison was only slightly more potent than usual, hence the coughing of blood. But it was not incurable.

He was merely trying to use this opportunity to persuade Janice through their children.

Unfortunately, his plan had failed.

His son had fallen for it. But his wife was not fooled.

And his son-in-law was too astute.

Nathan was somewhat gloomy.

He had always been the wiliest of the bunch, but now there was a sharp son-in-law in the picture.

Even though he was a part of the family, Nathan was somewhat resentful. The reason was simple: the son-in-law saw through his plan and did not assist him in coaxing Janice.

Nathan sighed, "Janice despises me to the core. Naturally, she wouldn't lift a finger to help me in such a situation. As for Stefan, he listens to his wife. I can't say anything about that. His wife is my

precious daughter that I've just found."

Kent was at a loss for words.

After a while, Kent suggested, "Boss, the young master has matured a lot. He's started to understand certain things. Why don't you tell him about your predicament? It could at least unite you two."

Nathan smiled bitterly, "Some actions, once done, can't be undone. No matter my reasons, they won't forgive me."

He had not initially intended to act as he had. But he soon realized that the more he cared for his wife and children, the more anxious those around him were to harm them.

They thought that if they could get rid of the people they cared about the most, he would break down, and they would achieve their goal.

He had to change his protective strategy, moving his protectors from the open to the shadows.

He began to neglect his wife, to be harsh with his son, to shout and scold him often as if he wouldn't care for Keith if he had another son.

His adversaries thought they could get what they wanted without resorting to violence, hoping he would abandon Janice and that Keith would become useless.

His neglect of his wife and his indifference to his son lowered their profiles, and the instances of them being in danger steadily decreased.

He used his heartless demeanor to hide his protection, saying that the only reason he hadn't divorced was because Janice's family was almost gone. He had to wait until Hayes grew up and could care for his aunt before they could talk about divorce.

Back then, he was young, and his power was at its zenith.

The hidden enemy didn't dare to confront him directly. He could only test and wait, hoping that Keith would grow up, that Lucinda would be found, and that Janice would wake up.

Unfortunately, because it had taken so long, Nathan's original good intentions were now met with resentment from his wife and children.

"She might not forgive you so easily, but Keith and Lucy are your own flesh and blood. Blood is thicker than water. If they understand your situation, they'll understand."

After a long silence, Nathan told Kent, "Go and tell Keith that I've found a good solution. Let him pretend to give me an antidote and some intravenous fluid. I'll find an opportunity to have a chat with Keith."

He was leaving everything to his children.

Mainly his son. Content provided by NôvelDrama.Org.

There were indeed things that his son should know. Only with a united father and son could they face the world better.

"Alright."

At four in the morning, Keith received the good news that his father's poison had been cured.

He was already in the ward, and he could go home after dawn after some intravenous fluid.

When he walked into his father's ward, he saw his father lying on the bed, looking very weak, with an IV needle in his hand.

Keith walked over, sat by the bed, and quietly looked at his father.

In his memory, his father was like a hill, a towering tree. Although occasionally, a few rocks would roll down the hill and hit him, his father was very tall in his heart.

He had never seen his father looking so ill.

"Dad."

Keith softly called out.

Nathan, who was resting with his eyes closed, opened them and saw his son. He smiled weakly and said, "I'm fine, son. Don't worry. Go home and rest. You don't need to go to the office in the morning. I'll handle the Pete situation."

"Pete cost the company a business deal worth a hundred million. Are you still going to keep him at headquarters?"

Keith had finally found an opportunity to oust Pete from the Blue Corporation rightfully. He didn't want his father to spare Pete out of familial sentiment. Pete was more ambitious and ruthless than Hayden.

"Even if we can't keep him, I'll handle it. Then Hayden will have nothing to say, and he won't be able to complain about you to your grandparents."

Keith didn't say anything.

After a while, he asked his father, "Dad, all these years, you've been neglecting Mom, and you've been extremely harsh on me. Sometimes, you're so cold that you don't seem like my dad. Do you have any hidden troubles?"

Nathan looked at his son.

Father and son quietly looked at each other.

Suddenly, Nathan smiled. This was the first time in Keith's memory that his father smiled at him, not because of someone else, but because of him.

"Keith, I do have my troubles. But no matter what, I've wronged your mother. I'm glad you asked me this. Remember, no matter what I do, it's for your future, for your and Lucy's wellbeing. I've failed your mother, we probably won't be able to return to how we were."

Janice would instead let him succumb to the poison than save him.

It showed how much she despised him.

"When Lucy comes back, if you two can work together to remove the black tumor in the Blue family, and if I can retire while I'm still alive, I'll spend the rest of my days making up for my wrongs to your mother. If I die before I retire, remember to carve your mother's name on my tombstone. That way, I can rest in peace."

"Dad, what are you talking about? You're the patriarch of the Blue family. You've held that role for over two decades now. Can't you control it?"

"Son, how does it feel to have been fighting alone all these years? I know the feeling. Sure, I'm the patriarch, but the entire family, even your uncles, they don't share my vision. They're all standing on the opposite side. Tell me, how can I relax?"

He gave a bitter smile. "In the Blue family, it's been a tradition for the children of the patriarch to face unfortunate circumstances. The one who ascends to the patriarch's position becomes the envy of the entire clan. Some people just envy and do nothing, but some go mad with jealousy. Once there's a mutual benefit, they can unite against a common cause."