Chapter 116
Galatea had been preoccupied with her clinic lately, and the renovation was finally progressing smoothly without the disturbances from the thugs. There was an unsettling quiet in the air, though. Alaric hadn’t contacted her during this time, and the absence of his usual visits made her feel strangely uncomfortable. She couldn’t ignore the advice Cormac had given her, though.
“Nobody can change him except for you. He definitely cares about you, so stay strong during this cold war and don’t pay attention to him. Let him apologize first; this is your chance to teach him a lesson.”
Galatea found herself chuckling at the bluntness of Cormac’s words, but deep down, she knew he had a point. Alaric was controlling, domineering, and if she gave in to him, he’d likely continue to control every aspect of their relationship. This time, she made up her mind: if Alaric didn’t apologize first, she wouldn’t yield.
Just as she thought about calling him, her phone rang. Elisa’s name appeared on the screen.
“Hello, Elisa.”
“Mommy, what have you been busy with lately?” Elisa’s voice sounded a bit forlorn. “You don’t come back when we go to bed, and in the morning, we don’t even have time to talk before I go to school.”
Galatea felt a pang of guilt. “Mommy’s been working on the clinic, sweetie,” she explained. “But don’t worry, I’ll come home now.”
“I heard from Marcella, but did you really forget about us over your career? We miss you,” Elisa said, her voice tinged with sadness.
Galatea sighed, feeling guilty. “Alright, Mommy will come back now.”
Stanley’s renovation team had done an excellent job. Galatea was thoroughly impressed with their work, but her children needed her more at that moment.
“Stanley, I’m going home to my kids now. Just lock up when you’re done,” she said as she started gathering her things.
“Got it, Dr. Galatea. You go ahead!” Stanley responded cheerfully.
After changing, Galatea left the clinic and headed home. Meanwhile, Ambrose, who had been keeping an eye on her through his telescope, couldn’t help but notice she was leaving much earlier than usual. Normally, she would stay late into the night, but today, she was heading home early.
Why is she leaving so soon today? Ambrose wondered. The early departure left him with a nagging sense of discomfort. He usually spent hours watching her from his floor-to-ceiling window, but now, he would have to wait to see her again.
Stellan, I’ll definitely get Far East International as soon as possible. Then I can be with you every day. I won’t have to watch you secretly anymore… Ambrose thought, his desire to be closer to her growing stronger with every passing day.
At home, Elisa ran over to Galatea, wrapping her arms around her mother’s waist with a pout. “Mommy, I missed you so much!”
Galatea smiled warmly and ruffled her daughter’s hair. “When Mommy’s clinic finishes its renovations, I’ll take you to see it. You’ll love it!”
“Is Mommy going to be a big boss soon?” Elisa asked excitedly.
Galatea chuckled softly. “It’s just a small clinic, not a big company.”
Caspian, ever the optimist, chimed in. “From a small clinic to a big one, and then to a private hospital. By that time, won’t you be a big boss? I believe Mommy will be the director of a chain of private hospitals in just a few years!”
“Thanks for your kind words,” Galatea said with a smile, though her mind was still a bit preoccupied. “Where is Mia?”
“Marcella said she had a slight headache and went to sleep early,” Elisa explained.
Galatea’s face tightened with concern. Mia had always struggled with hypertension, so a headache meant her condition had likely flared up again. “Well, let’s not disturb her. Let’s go to the bedroom,” she said, leading the children to their room.
As they walked into the bedroom, Elisa spoke up. “Mommy, can we go to the ranch with Daddy again this weekend?”
Galatea softened at her daughter’s words. “Daddy and I have been busy lately, so we might not be able to go this weekend. Next time, okay?”
“Okay,” Elisa said reluctantly, though she clearly wasn’t happy about it.
The evening went by with Galatea spending quality time with her children. They played games and read together, staying up late until almost eleven before going to bed. Galatea, exhausted from her long days, fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.
The next morning, the alarm woke her with its usual jarring tone. She groggily opened her eyes and slowly got out of bed. The soft sounds of clanging cookware drifted from the kitchen, signaling that Mia was already up.
“Mia?” Galatea asked as she walked into the kitchen, concerned. “I thought you were unwell? Why are you up so early?”
Mia, wearing a slightly tired smile, replied, “I just felt a little dizzy yesterday. I took some medicine and slept it off. I’m fine now. You’ve been so busy lately, so let me do the cooking.”
Galatea gently pushed her aside. “Go lie down; I’ll take care of it.”
Mia shook her head. “No, I’m fine, really. You’ve been working so hard lately.”
Still, Galatea insisted. “You’re getting older—you can’t overexert yourself like this. I found a housekeeper online yesterday. She should be here in a couple of days, and she can handle the household chores and cooking from now on. You need to focus on your health.”
Mia hesitated. “But you’ve taken out so many loans lately, and the monthly repayments are heavy. You can’t spend money recklessly like this.”
Galatea was firm. “Mia, don’t worry about that. Once the clinic opens, we’ll be earning profits soon. Trust me, okay? After all, you’ve been with me since the Storm family went bankrupt. Now, it’s time for you to enjoy life.”
Mia’s eyes softened, and she smiled. “What have I done to deserve so much care from you?”
Galatea smiled back, her heart swelling with affection. “Don’t say that. In my heart, you’ve never been just a servant.”
“Okay, then I’ll listen to your arrangements,” Mia said, a grateful expression on her face.
As Galatea had arranged, the housekeeper arrived that day. She seemed friendly and competent, which left Galatea feeling reassured. With Mia and the new housekeeper now helping around the house, Galatea felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She returned to the clinic to continue overseeing the renovation.
Later that afternoon, Galatea received a message. She initially thought it was just another spam notification, but to her surprise, it was a reply to a post she had made earlier.
A while ago, she had posted a challenge: if anyone could identify the woman in the old painting she had, they would receive a five-thousand-dollar reward. Someone had responded.
“This old lady in the painting is Mrs. Marigold. I ran into her at the airport today by chance. She was with several bodyguards, coming out of the VIP channel. She seemed really impressive.”
The reply included a photo taken from a distance. Galatea zoomed in, her heart skipping a beat. The woman in the image was unmistakably Mrs. Marigold—dressed in a stunning cheongsam, surrounded by bodyguards, exuding an air of power and grace.
Galatea checked the time of the message. Did that mean Mrs. Marigold was at the airport right now?
Her mind raced. Could this be a coincidence, or was there more to Mrs. Marigold’s identity than she had thought?