Chapter 153 - 30%
Days passed in the hospital and Lina was beginning to recover. She rested in the hospital for two more weeks for physical therapy. By a miracle, she didn't suffer any internal injuries. However, she did need to warm up her body to begin moving regularly again.
On the last day of the treatment, Lawrence, her grandfather, finally forced his way into the hospital room.
"Bah! Out of my way," Lawrence grumbled, waving his cane at the foolish bodyguards.
The DeHaven bodyguards were already detained by the Yangs, but Lawrence still made a big deal. He even whacked one of them on the head and another on the leg. The man was old, but still packed a mean hit. They had buckled and groaned in pain, not expecting such a harsh beating.
"Grandfather," Lina muttered.
Lawrence paused. She never used this desolate tone with him before.
"Are you still loopy from the coma? Where are your happy greetings?" Lawrence asked her in a gruff voice. He walked into the room, without much support from his cane.
"I remembered what you did to me," Lina slowly said.
Lawrence paused. "So you've finally remembered."
Lina blinked. "You're not even going to deny it?"
Lawrence shook his head. He wore a soft and understanding expression. It looked weird on his face filled with scowl lines.
"I knew you were going to remember it one day. The same brain treatment happened generations ago, to a woman who married into our family. But her therapy was a lot more difficult. The treatment wasn't perfect," Lawerence said.
Lawrence shamelessly walked into the room. He kept an eye out for the guard dog.
"It's where I got the idea from," Lawrence softly said. "Alas, nothing is ever perfect and you did recover your childhood memories. I do hope… the foolish nonsense that earned you a ticket to the asylum is forgotten?"
Lina's lips parted in disbelief. She didn't know if she should be furious or befuddled. Why was he this calm? He was caught red-handed for sending a little girl to a mental institute!
"I was only a child, grandfather!" Lina exclaimed, throwing her hands up in disbelief. "How can you just stand there like it was a minor thing?"
This man. Did he not feel remorse anymore?
No. He did.
Lina saw it in his eyes. She saw it in the way his hands trembled before clenching his cane. He was holding back his emotions. He did not want her to see his anxiety.
"I do not want to burden you with my guilt," Lawrence softly told her. "You mean much more to me than you think. Though, you are my least favorite granddaughter."
"I am your only granddaughter," Lina deadpanned.
"Then you should know how little I like you," Lawrence noted.
This man was growing senile.
Lina knew he was teasing her. "Because of your father's actions, I get horrific headaches whenever I think of the past! The treatment also did not work."
Lawrence let out a defeated sigh. "Well, I should've burned that institution to the ground when I had the chance. Now, I just want a refund."
Lawrence approached a chair by her bedside. With the dent of the large butt, it was no doubt the guard dog's seat.
"May I?" Lawrence mused.
"No."
"Fine."
Lawrence sat down anyway. He even made a grand show of getting himself comfortable. She pressed her lips together in irritation.
"I will apologize to you, Lina, for the pain I've caused. How about I make it up to you?" Lawrence offered.
Lina was stunned that the proud and prideful Lawrence was even offering an apology. She was even more astonished that he was willing to pay for his mistakes. She took a good look at her grandfather.
Lawrence, in all his glory, was growing old. Where was her tall and strong grandfather? Where was the man that'd lift her into the air, swing her around, hear her laughter and then chuckle alongside it? Despite his large size, she felt he was a weak man. Maybe it was his shoulders. Maybe it was the cane he used to hit people. She did not know what it was.
Suddenly, the scary man from her youth was nowhere in sight. Replacing him was a senior citizen.
"You're joining the Race of Heirs. I've yet to announce it in your two and half weeks of coma," Lawrence slowly said.
"But you don't have that many shares in the company," Lawrence mused. "Well, maybe you have 0.5% from my 18th birthday gift to you."
Lina still remembered that day. Her relatives were there. They were all stunned that the only daughter of the Yang family even got shares. It was known that Rina, his own wife, possessed as little as 0.25%. Lawrence didn't want her to get too powerful and run off with the shares.
"One of your leading cousins has as much as 2%. As you know, the Yang possesses 30% of the shares, and it's divided heavily amongst us, for there are many shareholders in the company, but they're too divided to go against us," Lawrence stated.
"I'm listening," Lina said.
Lina was an opportunist. She was hurt by her father and grandfather's behavior, for they had caused her great headaches. Literally. But she needed the shares. If his way of redemption was through giving her shares worth millions, if not, billions, then she'd take the chances. Afterall, this gift could be worth more than she could possibly get.
"Your uncle William possesses 10% with no kids, I possess 7%, your second uncle has a meager 4% but his first son has 3% and his second has 1%. Then, your father only has 1%, Milo possesses 0.25% and my wife has 0.25% whilst you have 0.5%, with the remaining 3% divided amongst relatives that don't share the Yang surname," Lawrence pointed out.
"That's a lot of numbers to process, it feels like I'm listening to a textbook," Lina mused.
Lawrence's gaze twinkled with amusement. "Not to mention the shares your guard dog of a husband has."
"How much does he have?" Lina curiously asked.
"You should ask the hound yourself," Lawrence snorted.
Lina was curious. She'd decided to ask Kaden once he returned to the hospital room. He mentioned something important had come up, kissed her on the forehead, and then rushed out the room. She wondered what the pressing matter was.
"And if you're following along, that's 30% of shares in total," Lawrence stated. "Your oldest cousin has 3%, but your Second Uncle, has 4%, and including your relatives' 3% support towards him…"
"I need at least 10% to win," Lina muttered.
"Exactly," Lawrence said. "It's a good thing your tuition didn't go to waste."
Lina suppressed the urge to laugh at his words. "Luckily our relatives are greedy for power, they support him on the surface, but they've joined hands to elect someone in their group."
"Exactly," Lawrence noted.
Lawrence gazed at her. "Make sure you sign a prenup with that hound, so the Yang fortune stays with us and the Dehaven fortune stays with him."
"We already did," Lina muttered.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Hmph," Lawrence grunted. "Regardless, you'll need more than 3% to be in second place."
"And…?"
"And I'm only giving you 1.5% so you have 2%," Lawrence mused.
Lina blinked. 1.5%. It sounded small, but it was worth at least a hundred million, perhaps, a few billion? She swallowed hard. Her grandfather must've realized the worth of this.
"You can probably get more support from your father and Milo, but good luck convincing the rest," Lawrence stated.
Lawrence took a good look at his endearing granddaughter. She didn't need luck. She already had a trump card in her hand, but did not know it. This foolish girl.
"I'll work hard to get everyone's support. Thank you for the apology gift," Lina stated.
Lina was already doing the math in her head. Now, she owned 2%. With Linden and Milo, her side had a grand total of 3.25%. It wasn't much, but it was a good start to her oldest cousin who had a grand total of 5% on his side.
Lina knew the difference was drastic. She shifted her eyes to the medical equipment beside her, specifically the monitors. She read the logo in her mind. Medeor Corporation. Why did that sound so familiar?
"I must warn you, as much as Kaden possesses, he can't transfer it to you even if you get married," Lawrence said. "As powerful as he is, he can't go against every DeHaven member who forbade the plan."
Lina wondered if she should tell her grandfather about what the Second King of Ritan did to get the throne. A massacre of his own family members…… But she kept her mouth shut and nodded.