Chapter 101
Alaric’s irritation was palpable. Since his argument with Galatea, the tension in the office had escalated. Everyone could sense his mood, and no one dared approach him. Even those in the higher ranks of the company were walking on eggshells, knowing better than to provoke him further.
As the evening stretched on, the frustration began to settle like a weight on his chest. He tossed the file he had been half-heartedly reading aside and reached for his phone. The screen lit up with a name he dreaded seeing.
Galatea’s number.
Alaric scowled, feeling a surge of anger rise within him. How dare she call him after everything that had happened? She had lied, manipulated, and broken his trust—again. But just as quickly as his anger surged, it was replaced by an aching, hollow feeling in his chest. Why couldn’t he just forget her?
He dropped the phone onto the couch with a huff, only to have it ring again. His fingers clenched involuntarily, and he reached for it, only to realize it wasn’t Galatea on the line. The caller ID read “Caspian,” and Alaric sighed in frustration.
“Hello, Caspian.”
“You’re not coming back tonight, right?” Caspian’s voice came through, casual but with an undertone of concern. Harry had already settled into the rhythm of their new family dynamic, but Alaric couldn’t help but feel the distance growing between them.
“I’m not coming back.” His voice was flat, almost mechanical. He didn’t want to go back to that house where Galatea still lingered in his thoughts, haunting him like a ghost. “Take good care of the kids. I’m sure they’ll manage fine without me. Don’t worry, I’ll stay out of your way. No jealousy here.”
Caspian’s lighthearted response came quickly. “Got it. Well, enjoy yourself, I guess. I won’t keep you.” He ended the call before Alaric could say more.
Staring at the phone in his hand, Alaric sighed deeply. The silence in the room seemed suffocating. He moved to the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out at the darkening city skyline, his thoughts on Galatea. He couldn’t help but wonder what she was doing right now, if she was lying in bed, thinking of him, or if she was moving on as easily as he wished he could.
Across the city, Galatea had just finished dinner with the kids. As they cleaned up, she dismissed them to their studies, a gentle smile on her face, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. The moment they left the room, she went to the study to check for messages about seeing a doctor, though she wasn’t entirely focused on that.
Elisa, ever the perceptive one, turned to Mia with concern. “What’s wrong with Mommy? She seems more upset than usual. It’s like she’s been boiled alive.”
Mia, trying to downplay it, responded, “Stellan said she had a bad dream. Let’s not worry about it.”
But Elisa wasn’t convinced. “I think Mommy and Daddy had a fight. Adults fight all the time, right?”
“Yeah, but they always make up,” Mia said, trying to steer the conversation away. “We don’t need to worry about it. Let’s just go study.”
Caspian, overhearing the conversation, looked at the study door, unsure of what was going on between his parents. He knew they were close to finally getting their marriage right, but something felt off. The unease gnawed at him.
Meanwhile, in the study, Galatea had shifted her focus from the doctor messages to something much more pressing. As the heir of the Storm family, her father had always groomed her for more than just medicine—he had ensured she understood business too. Now, in the wake of the tensions with Alaric, she was seriously considering her future. She couldn’t rely on him anymore, and that meant taking matters into her own hands.
She had a plan, albeit a difficult one. Starting small was the key. She would open a clinic, one step at a time, and expand when possible. But the road to getting it off the ground wasn’t easy. Money was a major obstacle. Without a steady income or collateral, most banks wouldn’t give her a loan.
But she had to try.
After an exhausting day of attempting to secure funds and finding no luck, Galatea found herself more dejected than she had been in a long time. She sighed, looking at the business card from the last bank officer. It was bittersweet. How had she reached a point where even her own resources felt out of reach?
Her mind wandered back to Alaric as she walked down the street, a feeling of hopelessness settling over her. She was determined to make things work on her own, but there was always this nagging thought of him lingering in the back of her mind.
Unbeknownst to her, Alaric was watching from a distance, his eyes focused on her every movement. His mind was still a whirlwind of confusion, anger, and regret. As much as he hated to admit it, he couldn’t stop thinking about her.
It was then that something caught his eye—a car, moving slowly behind her, following her every step.