Chapter 49
Walter rose to his feet, placing a hand over his heart in greeting. “It’s an honor to meet you, Grandmaster.”
Queenie, who had been absorbed in her phone, glanced up at Nash—and froze.
He… was way too young, wasn’t he? Could this really be Dr. Tanner’s grandmaster?
“Just call me Nash,” he said, his voice calm and indifferent. He didn’t even acknowledge Walter’s greeting. Instead, he seated himself, picked up his cutlery, and began eating without another glance at the room.
Having slept until noon, his stomach was empty and growling for food.
“Hey… my grandpa greeted you,” Queenie said, frowning in irritation at the casual dismissal.
Nash chewed a piece of fatty sausage and swallowed it, then reached for a few mouthfuls of mashed potatoes. The food here was much better than anything he could’ve made back on Tili Mountain.
Queenie’s anger bubbled over as she saw that Nash wasn’t giving her the attention she demanded. “You…”
“Queenie, don’t be rude,” Walter interjected sharply, his gaze hard. He didn’t want another confrontation like the one from yesterday with Kai. He could already feel the tension rising and wasn’t about to let Queenie repeat his grandson’s mistake.
Nash spared Queenie a brief, indifferent glance before turning back to Walter. “Let’s eat first. This meal’s on me,” he said calmly.
Brian, ever the gracious host, poured them all a glass of wine, which the restaurant owner had brought over. Walter picked up his glass, raising it in a silent toast.
“My grandson, Kai, offended you yesterday, Dr. Tanner,” Walter began, his tone sincere. “I hope you won’t take it to heart. Please accept my apology on his behalf.”
With that, Walter downed the wine in one swift gulp.
His humble attitude caught everyone off guard. The richest man in Jonford, apologizing so openly and bowing his head before a young man? It was practically unheard of.
Nash, however, didn’t join in the toast. He continued eating, seemingly unperturbed.
“Brat, my grandfather is apologizing to you!” Queenie snapped, unable to hold back any longer.
Her voice was sharp, the kind of complaint that came from someone used to being the center of attention. Her grandfather was Jonford’s wealthiest man! Even the governor showed him respect, yet here he was, apologizing to someone she didn’t even recognize—and the young man didn’t even acknowledge it.
“Shut up!” Walter barked, his tone sharp and commanding.
Queenie froze, her eyes widening in shock. This was the first time her grandfather had ever scolded her like this, and in front of so many people. She was used to being treated with care and indulgence, but today was different. The scolding stung far more than she could have anticipated.
Walter took a deep breath, calming himself before reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a check, carefully sliding it across the table toward Nash. “Dr. Calcraft,” he began, his voice steady. “This is one hundred million dollars. It’s the Watson family’s sincere apology. The cost of treating my wife is not included in this.”
A hundred million dollars.
The patrons in the restaurant stiffened, their eyes widening as they realized what had just happened.
A hundred million dollars!
It was an amount most of them could never hope to earn, no matter how many years they worked. Yet here it was, simply being handed over as an apology.
Who was this young man sitting before them?
Queenie, too, was stunned. She knew that her cousin Kai had crossed someone yesterday, but she hadn’t expected her grandfather to offer such an enormous sum of money to fix the situation.
To Walter, a hundred million dollars was a drop in the ocean—nothing more than a small price to pay for peace. But for Queenie, it was an astronomical sum, something that even her cousin’s entire yearly allowance couldn’t compare to.
Nash glanced briefly at the check, noting the large sum written on it. Without a word, he picked up his glass and drained it in one smooth motion, his expression unreadable.