Chapter 118
Seraphine's POV
When I woke up, the first thing I felt was discomfort in my stomach.
Sunlight streamed through the window, warming the blankets.
As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw Heath sitting in a chair by the bed, holding some documents.
He was looking down at them carefully, his brow slightly furrowed, as if dealing with some tricky problem.
"Dad?" My voice came out hoarse.
Heath immediately put down the documents and stood up to examine my face.
He looked worried. "Seraphine, you're awake? How do you feel? Are you still uncomfortable? Should I call the doctor?"
Heath reached out to feel my forehead temperature, his movements a bit clumsy.
I was stunned, not expecting him to be here watching over me.
What Heath valued most were two things: first, the family's reputation, and second, company work.
He had never let anything interfere with work or skip going to the office.
Now he was actually here keeping me company, bringing work that needed handling to the hospital to deal with.
"I'm much better, just a bit weak." Looking at the bloodshot in his eyes, I suddenly had a guess. "Dad, have you been here the whole time without going back to rest?"
"Going one night without sleep doesn't matter to me. If I didn't watch you wake up, I wouldn't feel at ease." Heath sighed and held my hand. "This time I've wronged you, almost dragged you down with me."
His hand was warm and dry, with calluses.
This kind of physical contact had never happened between us as father and daughter before.
In the past, my relationship with Heath had been neither close nor distant.
As a daughter, I did what I was supposed to do—school, work, engagement—never causing trouble.
Heath had always provided financial support and arranged these things for me.
Our lives followed a set routine. We were like father and daughter programmed to function, without any opportunity to deepen our relationship.
But at this moment, seeing Heath looking guilty and staying up all night watching over me, something stirred in my heart, bringing up complicated emotions.
"It's okay. Like I said, this has nothing to do with you, Dad. Please don't keep thinking you dragged me into this."
Hearing this, Heath's expression didn't improve much.
He sighed somewhat sadly, sat down and said in a dazed voice, "Only after you were poisoned this time did I realize—my relationship with your mother is lukewarm, that sister of yours who just came home not long ago doesn't seem at all like a daughter raised by the Whitaker family. If you had died from the poisoning, who would I pass the company's burden to in the future? Who else could help me shoulder the company like you do?"
I stared at Heath in shock. "Dad."
Was I really this important in his mind?
Heath's words clearly showed he was viewing me as the Whitaker family heir.
I had staged the poisoning incident initially just to eliminate hidden threats in the family.
But seeing Heath's genuine fear and guilt, I suddenly felt that this master of the Whitaker family, who dominated the business world, was quite pitiful.
At home, he was being schemed against by his bedfellow, and even his only biological daughter was actually someone else's child.
Heath had worked hard his whole life, accumulating such a vast fortune, yet there wasn't a single person around him who truly shared his blood and could be completely trusted.
"Dad, we're father and daughter—we should naturally look out for each other!" I smiled, my tone taking on a more relaxed and gentle quality.
Heath seemed touched by this statement, his eyes actually reddening a bit.
He gripped my hand firmly. "Yes, from now on, this family will depend on us, father and daughter!"
Depend on us?
At least for now, having driven away several servants loyal to Amara, my status and safety in the Whitaker family were temporarily secured.
My physical recovery would take time, but the plan couldn't stop.
"Dad, about the new servants, I want to finalize this as soon as possible." I changed the subject to business. "Everyone at home is on edge right now, and we need to stabilize them."
Heath nodded. "You're thinking right. Do you have someone in mind?"
"I had Soren select a group of people with clean backgrounds and rich experience. I want them to come to the hospital today so I can meet them personally and set the rules."
Meeting at the hospital would show my commitment and also avoid Amara.
Heath was somewhat surprised by my urgency, but thinking about yesterday, he understood. "Alright, I'll leave it all to your arrangement."
In the afternoon, I contacted Soren.
A dozen middle-aged men and women entered my hospital room.
They were experienced—chefs, gardeners, and housekeepers—each one smiling warmly when they saw me.
I leaned back against the headboard, looking at their reasonably alert appearance, and smiled slightly.
"Everyone, thank you for coming today." I scanned them. "I'm sure Soren has told you about the Whitaker family's situation. I don't want yesterday's incident to happen a second time. So I'm not simply hiring you to work."
I paused, my gaze slowly sweeping over the slightly nervous and curious crowd. "What I want is absolute loyalty."
I picked up the employment contract I'd prepared on the bedside table, along with a confidential supplementary agreement.
"Sign this contract and you'll be my people. Your salary and benefits will be three times your current wages—I absolutely won't shortchange you."
As soon as I said this, the whole room filled with their excited voices.
I immediately raised my voice to quiet them. "Besides that, there will be monthly bonuses. Whether your family members want to further their education or get promoted, they can also use the Whitaker family's influence, as long as you do your jobs and promptly report any unusual activity to me."
The tactic of coercion and enticement is effective wherever it goes.
My purpose in recruiting them today was to have servants who completely obeyed me, infiltrating the Whitaker family's servant system.
"However," I changed my tone, my voice turning cold, "if anyone dares to play both sides or leak a single word of today's conversation..."
I didn't finish, but everyone unconsciously straightened their backs.
Soren had already dramatically described the fate of that gardener being taken away by the police.
The hospital room fell silent as everyone exchanged glances.
I calmly picked up the agreement and placed it in front of them. "Think it over. I'm not in a hurry."
As soon as I finished speaking, a steady and capable-looking middle-aged man suddenly stepped forward, picked up a pen, and signed his name on both the contract and supplementary agreement.
"Ms. Whitaker, my lips are sealed. From now on, I'll follow your instructions."
With someone taking the lead, the others came forward to sign one after another.
Watching the signed agreements being collected by Soren, I felt somewhat reassured.
I'd at least secured this territory at home.
At least from now on, even if Amara was at home, she wouldn't be able to do anything.
Soren had been watching from the side without interrupting.
Only after I finished did he comment, "Ms. Whitaker, the way you handle things is becoming more and more like Mr. Whitaker in his prime."
I smiled at him, but felt little emotion inside.
This was nothing.
The real difficulties were still ahead.
Amara and Orion definitely wouldn't let this go—who knew what they'd try to pull within the company.
Octavius would still help Quinlan compete against me.
I leaned back against the pillow, closed my eyes, feeling the faint discomfort in my stomach, mentally exhausted.
But my mind was exceptionally clear.
I believed I could smoothly resolve everyone who threatened the Whitaker family and me.
Just then, Soren suddenly cleared his throat.
"Ms. Whitaker, there's something I don't know if I should report to you."