Chapter 20: Attempt on Grandfather II (Athena)

Kill grandfather?! I looked at grandfather and saw that he was breathing. I looked back at Secretary Choi who looked very indignant at me. I also saw Seth coming into the room with Doctor Le and was confused at what was going on.

"Secretary Choi, can you not say such terrible things on New Year's morning?" I said in annoyance.

"You! You killed him!" Secretary Choi shouted loudly and this time we heard grandfather coughed and opened his eyes.

I went to pour him some water and helped him drink it while Doctor Le came in and checked his health.

"I don't know what you're talking about Secretary Choi. Grandfather is alive so I don't understand what you are shouting about." I replied while Secretary Choi was looking shocked and confused.

"Did you need something from grandfather, Secretary Choi?" Seth asked.

"I'm just here to wake Captain Zhang." He replied.

"Why? It's New Year's morning. Is there something urgent that you need to wake up this early?" I asked, pretending not to know what he did.

"Ah, no. I just normally wake him up this early." Secretary Choi laughed awkwardly before excusing himself and left the room.

"What's going on?" Grandfather asked.

He still sounded weak but it was way better than hours ago.

"I don't know. Secretary Choi suddenly shouted that I killed you and woke me up." I replied innocently.

"He did?" Grandfather asked suspiciously.

"Did he have another seizure?" Doctor Le asked.

"None that I know of. Though I did fall asleep around 4 am, I held grandfather's hand to make sure I'll wake up in case he has seizures again." I explained.

I felt bad for falling asleep. Doctor Le explained that the results on the test he ran in the hospital came out and that he was poisoned. Doctor Le gave grandfather something for the poison and asked grandfather to rest some more.

"Do you know where I got poisoned?" Grandfather asked.

Doctor Le looked at me before asking grandfather if he likes lighting incense to sleep to which grandfather answered that he does from time to time. Doctor Le asked him if he lit them last night and grandfather said he didn't remember.

"Was it the incense?" I asked.

"Yes, and no." Doctor Le answered.

"What do you mean doctor?" Seth asked.

"The incense is one half of the poison. The other half is that favorite food you had last night. You're lucky someone found you before that incense finished or it would lead to a heart attack. You're also lucky I couldn't find my keys or else Seth wouldn't be able to find me at home last night." Doctor Le explained as he sighed.

Seth looked shocked and I pretended that I looked shocked also.

"Uncle Zhang, I think you should report this to the authorities. This is an attempt on your life." Doctor Le suggested and I nodded in agreement.

Grandfather sighed and told Doctor Le he would think about it. Doctor Le gave us some instructions regarding grandfather's health. How he is very fragile at this moment and shouldn't be left alone.

Seth asked me to sleep but I couldn't just leave what happened especially since the culprit is still inside the house.

"Seth, do you remember your Uncle Dang? He's already a lieutenant. Go to him and tell him what happened here." Grandfather told Seth.

"Grandfather, I think it'll be better to send all the workers home. I'll tell them you're giving them vacation." I suggested it to grandfather and he agreed.

I went out and told the workers.

"Why does the Captain want to send us home?" Secretary Choi asked when I came to him and told him about the arrangements.

"Grandfather said you worked hard and deserve to take some time off. My family is here so grandfather won't be alone." I told him.

"Was grandfather sick? Why was Doctor Le here?" Secretary Choi probed again.

"Grandfather woke up a while ago with a bad hangover and complaining that he was not feeling well. We told him we'll call Doctor Le in the morning and Seth told me to watch over grandfather. That's why I was in grandfather's room this morning." I explained.

"Right. I'm sorry for shouting nonsense at you this morning," Secretary Choi apologized.

He even looked sincere about it. I wonder if he regretted trying to kill grandfather.

"No problem. We all care for grandfather. You must have been really tired these days, Secretary Choi. Please take this time to relax." I told him nicely before leaving.

I went to check Ashley and Brittany who were already preparing to cook breakfast. I left them to cook as I know they don't want me in the kitchen. I went to our room to look for the twins where Christine was watching them.

I sat down and fed the twins while I asked Christine to see if the boys were already done with their morning exercise and if they're done, tell them to plow the snow outside.

After doing my motherly duties, I've brought the twins with me to grandfather's room so Seth can go to the police officer that grandfather knows.

"Are you sure you're going to be fine here by yourself?" Seth asked.

"Yes, it's not like you're going to be gone for a whole day and Secretary Choi has already left. I'll be fine here." I said.

"I'll tell Ashley to change with you once she's done with her breakfast so you can rest also. I'll warn the older children about the attack on grandfather's life so they'll be vigilant too." Seth said before he left.

I let the twins down on grandfather's floor and let them play by themselves.

"Task Completed. Reward: Truth Serum." The system notified me.

It looks like grandfather is now safe but we will be safer if we can send Secretary Choi to prison. The question is how. How am I supposed to send him to prison? Grandfather is already suspicious of Secretary Choi but there's no evidence that he did it. We don't even know why he did it.

I sighed when I realized that there are many unanswered questions. I'm worried that Secretary Choi would not stop and try again or maybe this time aim at another member of our family. I wonder why he needed to kill grandfather for his child, what would his child gain from grandfather's death? Did his son die because of grandfather? Is this revenge? But why wait all these years? I'm sure he has had opportunities before. Why now?

I wonder how I can find the answers to my question. Should I get a detective skill? What will I do with it after I get the answers to my questions? Right, there's the truth serum, it says on its description that with just one drop the target person won't be able to lie for one hour.

Should I use it on Secretary Choi? But I just sent him on vacation. I guess I'll have to find another perfect timing for it.

A few hours later, Seth came back with Lieutenant Dang and two other people. They must be the detectives. He took our accounts of how it happened. I told him that I was making tea for Seth when I had a really bad feeling. I went back to our room and told Seth about it. We checked the children and they were okay so we also went to check on grandfather.

It was then we saw him having a seizure. I'm not good with smoke so I put off the incense from the burner and opened the windows to let the smell out. Seth said he's going to call Doctor Le. I also told him that I was the one who told Doctor Le to check the incense, after all that was the only thing in the room that looked unusual.

"Why did you think it was unusual?" Lieutenant asked curiously.

"I don't think grandfather lights up incense to sleep." I replied.

"But he does. Or is it also because you had some bad feelings regarding the incense?" Lieutenant commented suspiciously.

"Are you trying to say that I did all this?" I asked in disbelief.

"You tell me." He retorted.

"Why would I want to kill grandfather?" I asked him.

"I don't know. Maybe so that your family can inherit his wealth?" Lieutenant suggested.

"Uncle Dang, I think that's too much. My wife didn't do it." Seth said in my defense.

"I'm sorry but she is the only one that sounds suspicious to me." Uncle Dang said.

"Really? You don't find Secretary Choi, the person who lit up the incense suspicious?" I asked with utter disbelief.

"How do you know that it was him who lit up the incense? Uncle Zhang didn't see the one who lit up the incense." Lieutenant stated.

"Who else would light it up? It was Secretary Choi who brought grandfather back to his room." I replied, annoyed at how he thinks I did this.

"Did you see him? Is there anyone who can testify to that?" He asked.

"Then is there anyone who can testify I'm the one who lit up the incense? I haven't even stepped in grandfather's room before I asked Seth to check on grandfather." I asked in a challenging tone.

"That's true. She was busy with the children the whole night." Grandfather chimed in.

"Uncle Zhang, do you also think it's Sam?" Lieutenant asked ridiculously.

"Sam?" I asked curiously.

"Uncle Dang, and Secretary Choi are both under Grandfather's command back in the army. They're brothers in arms." Seth whispered to me.

"Then isn't he too biased to investigate this case?" I asked doubtfully.

"Don't worry, little girl. I won't be biased. You just really sound the most suspicious right now. An attempt on Uncle Zhang's life the night you came here and you suddenly knew that Uncle Zhang was in danger and luckily removed the one that caused it." Lieutenant said.

"So you're telling me that it's my fault because I was lucky enough to find grandfather seizing and lucky enough to remove the incense that could have killed him." I said sarcastically.