Never Mistake a Queen for a Lapdog novel Chapter 553

"Dad, please, just trust me this one time," Jude pleaded with Seymour.

"I told you to pull the money out!" Seymour's agitation triggered another coughing fit, leaving him gasping for air. When Jude tried to hand him a glass of water, he swatted it away. When Jude tried to pat his back, he screamed, "Get out!" Then, his vision went black, and he collapsed onto the bed.

The caregiver, seeing the situation spiral, immediately called for a doctor. After a frantic rush of medical intervention, Seymour slowly regained consciousness.

"Dad, are you feeling any better?" Jude asked, his eyes red with tears.

Too weak to shout anymore, Seymour turned his face away, making it clear he didn't want to see him. The doctor gently advised Jude, "The patient can't handle any more stress right now. It would be best for you to step out and let him rest."

"I understand," Jude whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

He spent the entire night keeping vigil outside the hospital room. The next morning, after the doctor had checked on Seymour, Jude hoped to go in, but the caregiver informed him that his father still refused to see him.

Standing at the doorway, Jude clenched his fists and spoke in a low, strained voice to the closed door. "Dad, can't you just believe in me this once? I promise I'll prove myself this time."

At almost the same moment, in Northcrest, another father and son were at odds. Henry Brooke was passionately trying to persuade his father, Sanford Brooke, to invest in PerseTech.

Sanford had reviewed PerseTech's due diligence report and found the risk factor to be quite high. "It's a promising project, but based on the documents they've disclosed, the technology isn't clearly defined," Sanford pointed out, voicing his skepticism.

Sanford raised a hand to stop him. "That's my final offer."

Though frustrated, Henry knew his father was a man of his word. He had no choice but to accept. With the approval secured, Henry immediately called Bianca to confirm his investment in PerseTech. Bianca was delighted. "Henry, welcome aboard. We can finally fight side by side."

Hearing her say the words "side by side," Henry's heart skipped a beat.

News of PerseTech's new investor quickly spread. Noreen was surprised to see the Brooke Group getting involved. She took another look at PerseTech's business plan but still found its practical application questionable. The core mechanics were vague, the technological implementation was immensely difficult, production costs were high, and industrialization would be slow. The entire supporting ecosystem was underdeveloped. While these weren't glaring issues, she felt someone with Seth's business acumen should have spotted them. Perhaps he was just rushing things, eager to marry the woman he loved. It was the only explanation she could think of, though she still didn't fully understand his logic.

Her phone rang. It was Seymour. His voice sounded as if it had aged ten years overnight. He asked about Jude, and Noreen told him the truth. When he learned that Jude had sold all his shares to make the investment, Seymour fell silent for a long time on the other end of the line.