Chapter 221

Two Days Later, at the Jewell Group.

Nobody had expected Horatio to suddenly lose the ability to walk. He had been in a meeting, but as soon as it ended and he stood up, his legs gave out beneath him.

“Mr. Jewell! Are you alright?”

“Someone get help! Mr. Jewell just fell!”

A few employees who hadn’t yet left the room rushed toward him to help him up. But Horatio could feel it – his legs were completely numb, just like before. All of a sudden, he couldn’t feel anything in his legs. His upper body was fine, but his legs… they had lost all strength.

“Mr. Jewell, what happened… to your legs?” one of the employees asked, still holding onto him, glancing down.

Horatio had been fully conscious when he fell, and everyone in the room had seen it. There was no mistaking it – something was wrong with his legs.

Everyone at the company knew about his crippled legs. Years ago, Horatio had struggled with the severe leg condition, leaving him wheelchair-bound for a long time. It had nearly broken him. His frustration, his anger–those were memories no one had forgotten.

But then, miraculously, his adoptive sister Lisette had helped him recover. The entire office had marveled at her skill. She was already a force to be reckoned with in the company, and apparently, she had medical expertise too. It was no secret that the Jewell family favored Lisette over their biological daughter Calliope.

But Horatio’s legs had been fine for years. So why was this happening again?

This wasn’t the first time his legs had given out recently. Those who had been paying attention knew something was off. They suspected Horatio’s legs would be a problem once more, that he was about to end up back in that wheelchair for good?

The thought made the room tense.

Horatio exerted himself, but no matter how many efforts he made, he couldn’t move his legs an inch, his forehead drenched with cold sweat, his heart sinking.

The cold dread in his gut deepened. He could feel their eyes on him as if they were watching something amusing. They probably thought this was hilarious, that he was about to become a burden in the wheelchair again.

“Mr. Jewell?”

One of the employees hesitated before speaking cautiously again, “Can you walk? Should we take you back to your office? Maybe we should call Ms. Jewell to come and check on you?”

Horatio’s mind snapped back to the present.

“Lisette. Yes. Get Lisette. Help me to my office!”

He had wanted to stand, to walk on his own, but it was useless. He had no choice but to let them assist him. With their help, he made it back to his office. Not long after, Monty and Lisette arrived.

“Horatio! What happened?” Monty had every reason to be worried after learning of the incident. The Jewell family’s business rested on Horatio’s shoulders. Their younger brothers, Valerian and Ulysses, weren’t cut out for leadership.

If something happened to Horatio, if he truly lost his mobility again… it would be a disaster.

“My legs…” Horatio said grimly. “It’s happening more often… I can’t stand up.”

He looked at his legs, feeling an all-too-familiar sense of dread creeping in.

Before, the episodes had been brief. A few minutes of weakness, then he’d recover.

But now? The episodes were lasting longer. Sooner or later, he’d probably be like before.