𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺

(✿1✿)

This chapter is dedicated to my Lovely wattpad aunt Omah_nwodo Thank u so much ❤️.. your support to Wattpadians is lovely.. Thank you 💙

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✧ Harry's POV ✧

I pushed through the heavy glass door, the smell of antiseptic filling my lungs like a punch to the guts.
An awful reminder of why I hated hospitals, the never-ending gloominess that seemed to affect both the patients and workers in it always made my chest constrict with sadness.

And that sadness was what I felt striding through the wide passage until I stopped before the receptionist.

I held my breath for a moment, maintaining my cool and the whirring sound my brain made whenever it was overthinking. I was overthinking and paranoid.

Is he really that sick?

Or is it one of his lame jokes at making me fly long hours down to visit?

Deep down, I wished and hoped it was the latter, that it was a fluke and with time It'd pass. I drummed my nervous fingers on the counter and cleared my throat to alert the petite nurse who seemed so engaged with the large touchscreen desktop before her.

"Hi," she squeaked like she was caught doing something wrong. I brushed that thought off and focused on the matter at hand. "How May I help you sir?" She added when I didn't respond.

I took a deep breath, "Hello,"' I muttered trying to put on my best Superman act but deep down I was a mess of nerves. "I'm here to see...um, Jacob Osborn" I said.

I noticed her eyes grow even bigger at the mention of my father's name. Yes, who wouldn't recognize the name of the country's most prominent businessman? I'm sure by now she would've picked the pieces that I was his son.

"Room 214," She smiled softly gesturing to the hall downwards.

"Thank you," I muttered and made to leave when a thought came to me.

"H-how bad is it?" My words came out in utter whispers like I was scared of mentioning it in the first place. Surprisingly the cute nurse heard me and the pitiful smile she offered made my heart sink deeper, lodging in my belly like some fibroid. I suddenly felt lightheaded as I went in search of room 214.

Nothing could prepare me for what I saw next, I mean nothing!
My father, Jacob Osborn. A man who used to be Virile with energy and power, who could climb a hill in a heartbeat and outrun even the youngest of his friends during any outdoor exercise, lay helpless in bed with tubes of different sizes connected either to his nostrils or his hand. He was a sack of bones, his skin paler than a dead body, he was a dead man living.

My eyes stung with hot tears, I stood by the door in shock, my breath heavy like I was asthmatic. And the most annoying part of being here was the constant beeping of the machine surrounding him. It ticked me off!

"Dad?" I whispered at first hoping it would stir him awake. I wanted to make sure he was still in there even if the machine indicated so. "It's me, Harry," I continued, as I stepped closer and got a proper look at his face. My hand went to his frail ones and they felt colder than ice. I panicked as I felt how cold he was.

"Dad!" I shook him again and again my heart pounding voraciously in my chest, every sound disappearing as my anxiety spiked. "Dad!" I yelled louder and he jerked his eyes open and then slowly turned toward me.

I huffed a breath of relief and sat on the chair next to him.

"Ha-rry, It's that you?" His voice was shaky and dry, the stench from him made me want to puke but I held myself.

"Dad, I'm here now," I forced a smile and held his hands which was a great mistake because they were as rough as sandpaper. His skin was swollen, red, and discolored.

"I... Don't have much time left," he admitted while struggling to keep his heavy eyes open.

"What do you mean Dad? I mean you're going to be fine right? You have the money to get the best medical treatment for this illness right?" I said as tears threatened to fall from my eyes.

"You don't understand, Do you?" He shook his head rattling the headboard. "My time is due, Now listen carefully," He replied, His voice weak but urgent.

"Son, I'm proud of you." He began his eyes sunken but determined "OSCORP is a big deal, it's a big company and most of all, it's my legacy, my inheritance. Therefore requires a hardworking and competent person to manage it. I want you to promise me you'll do that... that you'll never let me down as the CEO of OSCORP,"

I knew I would take over OSCORP one day but I never knew today would be that day. "I don't know how to run that type of company, I'm not prepared."

Dad grunted with an awful eye roll, "You think I was prepared when my dad passed it to me? Harry, you didn't go to Harvard to study business for nothing and besides My secretary will be there to guide you if you need any assistance, she's a very dedicated person, and I trust her to help you out." He assured.

"That's not all," Dad continued when I thought he was done and needed to rest. I let him.

"What else dad? I asked curious about his next sentence.

His eyes dropped as his voice became nearly audible. "The disease Harry... It's Hereditary," he chuckled like he had just cracked the funniest joke of the century. "I don't wish for it son, to have you die of the same illness as me. Oh, that would be terrible for the company yeah?"

I clenched my teeth in utter disappointment, this man only had one interest at heart... his company. OSCORP. He didn't care that I may die of the same illness because I'm his son but because no one would be left to run his company!
"No," I whispered, shaking my head in denial. "No, No. I'm not gonna die like you," I retorted with bitterness, I ran my hands through my hair as my frustration grew. "That you have it doesn't mean I will Dad, come off it!!"

"It's what the doctor said, you should get tested Ha-rry,"

Fuck!

The room seemed to spin, The machines blurring into a cacophony. I felt like I was slowly running mad.
Dad reached for my hands, "I'm so sorry Son, But the future of the company is in your hands now, Don't let me down."
I didn't catch those last words as I was so in my thoughts thinking of my chances of being lucky and not ending up like a zombie just like Dad did. I was too young for such a burden, I haven't even enjoyed my life yet, there were a ton of things I was yet to do, and not even some hereditary shit could take that from me.

I decided I wouldn't let this tiny fear Dad's words put in me grow, I had a lot already on my plate and I hoped to heaven that he would recover and come back to the office so I could finally have my freedom. Only, I was pulled out of my thoughts when the sound of the monitor grew, an uneven rhythm signaling that danger threw me up from my sitting position.

When I looked at him, he had an ugly smile on his face, if I thought his skin was pale at first now it was pallid with death, that thought alone sent a wave of fear and tension over me, my mind revealing with the weight of the revelation. My future, My legacy, My sickness, My life hanging in the balance

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That's it for This Chapter guys❤️💓💖♥️🖤

So guys I wanna dedicate this chapter to my classmates that gave me ideas and supported this book 🥺😘.. Thanks Danielle, Tayo, Qudus, Bolaji, Great, Mary, Maya , mide ❤️❤️💖... Ohh and faithful.. 😊😎.. Thanks guys for your contributions ... Your ideas were helpful.. really.. Thank You 🖤

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