Joel spoke with a chuckle.
" You think you can intimidate me?" Alexander said coldly. "You're nothing but a coward hiding behind lies and manipulation."
Joel's expression darkened, but before he could retort, Alexander spat directly into his face, his fury breaking through.
"I'll never work with you, Joel," Alexander vowed, his voice trembling with anger. "Not now, not ever. You think you've won? I won't let you destroy this family or this company."
Joel froze, stunned by the act of defiance. Slowly, he wiped the spit from his face, his movements deliberate.
The mask of charm he always wore shattered, revealing a storm of rage beneath.
"You ungrateful old fool," Joel hissed, his voice low and venomous. "You've spent your life sitting on a throne you didn't even build, and now you dare to stand in my way?"
Without thinking, Joel grabbed the handles of Alexander's wheelchair and shoved it forward with brutal force.
The wheelchair jolted violently, racing down the sloped garden path.
"Joel! Stop!" Alexander shouted, gripping the armrests, his voice echoing through the garden.
But Joel didn't stop. The wheelchair hurtled toward the edge of a stone staircase that led to the lower garden terrace. Alexander's shouts turned to a chilling cry as the wheelchair hit the edge and flipped.
A sickening crash followed as the wheelchair and Alexander tumbled down the stairs, landing in a crumpled heap at the bottom.
Joel stood frozen at the top of the path, his chest heaving as the reality of what he had just done set in. The garden was silent, save for the faint rustling of leaves.
Panic gripped him as he realized Alexander wasn't moving. He looked around quickly, ensuring no one had seen what happened.
Forcing himself to stay calm, Joel descended the stairs, crouching beside Alexander.
The man's eyes were closed, his body limp and blood was flowing from his head slowly to the ground.
Joel stood slowly, his mind racing. This wasn't part of the plan. But now, he had no choice. He would have to spin this as another accident—just like before.
Joel's chest heaved as he stared at Alexander's lifeless body sprawled at the bottom of the staircase. Panic surged through him, but his mind worked quickly, formulating a plan.
He pulled out his phone and dialed the security guards stationed at the mansion.
"Get to the garden terrace immediately!" Joel barked into the phone, injecting urgency into his voice. "Something's happened to Mr. Andersons! He's fallen—he's hurt!"
Within moments, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the garden. Two guards appeared, their eyes widening at the sight of Alexander lying motionless.
"Sir, what happened?" one of the guards asked, rushing to Alexander's side.
Joel ran a hand through his hair, his face a mask of shock and confusion. "I—I don't know," he stammered, his voice trembling just enough to sound genuine. "I came out for some air, and I found him like this. I have no idea what happened!"
The guards exchanged uncertain glances before checking Alexander.
" We need to take him to the hospital.."
As they carried his body off the floor Joel got his phone again and rung Lucy.
Lucy was still shopping when she got the shocking news that her phone and the groceries she was carrying fell from her arms.
" Lucy, What's wrong ?" Ketra asked.
____
Canary was from getting the report of the research but he was disappointed after finding that everything was just fine.
' I knew my dad was misjudging Uncle Joel. There's no way Uncle Joel would do anything bad to affect the company.'
Canary thought and looked up at Micheal.
" The records show that all is well. We shouldn't worry bout that issue anymore." Canary said.
" Okay Sir, I shall tell them not to do anymore research." Micheal said and left the office.
Canary was done keeping the records when his phone bizzed and on picking it was his mother's voice note.
" Canary, Something happened to your father. You need to get to the hospital right now !" Lucy spoke from the call.
Canary didnt waste a minute he got up immediately and left.
——-
Arriving at the hospital, Lucy rushed to the reception desk. "Alexander Andersons—he was brought in a short while ago. Where is he?"
The nurse checked her records and gestured toward the elevators.
"He's in the emergency ward on the second floor. The doctors are with him now."
Lucy hurried to the ward, her heart pounding. She found Joel pacing in the waiting area, his face a mixture of worry and tension.
"Joel!" Lucy called out, her voice trembling. "What happened?"
Joel turned to her, his expression grave. "Lucy, I… I found him in the garden. It looks like he lost control of his wheelchair and fell down the stairs. He's hurt, but the doctors are with him now."
Lucy's knees nearly buckled, but Joel caught her, guiding her to a seat. "He's strong, Lucy," Joel said softly. "He'll pull through this."
As they waited, Lucy silently prayed, her mind racing with fear and unanswered questions.
She was waiting impatiently when she saw Canary walking toward her, his expression tense.
"Mom!" Canary called out, his voice filled with worry. He reached her side and knelt down, gripping her hands. "I came as soon as I heard. How's Dad?"
Lucy shook her head, her eyes brimming with tears. "He's in with the doctors. They haven't told us anything yet."
Canary turned to Joel, who was leaning against the wall, arms crossed. "What happened?"
Joel's face was somber, his tone measured. "I found him in the garden. It looks like his wheelchair went out of control near the stairs. He fell—hard."
Canary's eyes narrowed slightly, scanning Joel's face, but he said nothing. Instead, he focused back on Lucy.
"Mom, he's going to be okay. Dad's strong."
Lucy nodded, though her expression was far from confident. "I just don't understand how this happened. He's always so careful."
Before Canary could respond, a doctor emerged from the emergency ward. All three of them stood up at once, their hearts pounding.
"Mrs. Andersons?" the doctor asked, looking at Lucy.
"Yes," she said quickly, stepping forward. "How is my husband?" She asked.