Chapter 121
After hanging up the phone, Mrs. Marigold turned her sharp gaze onto Silas. He immediately lowered his head, afraid to meet her eyes, clearly aware that trouble was brewing.
“Tell me,” she demanded in a cold voice, “what happened while I was abroad?”
“Nothing,” Silas answered quickly, trying to sound calm, though he was visibly uneasy. “Everything is fine.”
Her eyes narrowed at his response. “Is that so?” she retorted, the anger in her voice rising. “If everything is fine, then why did Alaric have a falling out with Orion? And why did he hire a personal doctor under the guise of having her as his fiancée?”
Silas hesitated, weighing his words carefully. After a brief pause, he responded with a half-truth. “The issue between Mr. Alaric and Mrs. Orion is personal, and I truly don’t know the details. As for Dr. Galatea, she used to work at Serenity Heights Medical Center, where she was responsible for Mr. Alaric’s physical examination. Due to her exceptional medical skills, Mr. Alaric decided to hire her as his personal doctor.”
Mrs. Marigold’s eyes narrowed further, but she wasn’t satisfied. “I want every detail you know about Galatea.”
Before Silas could respond, there was a knock at the door, interrupting their tense exchange. Silas visibly relaxed at the interruption.
Ambrose entered the room, and upon seeing him, Silas stood up quickly and respectfully greeted him. “CEO Ambrose.”
Ambrose took a quick glance at Mrs. Marigold, who was seated at Alaric’s desk. He gave a polite smile, apologizing as he spoke. “I thought Mr. Alaric had returned from his business trip. Seems like I came at the wrong time.”
Silas was quick to make introductions. “This is Mrs. Marigold, the former director of Nexus Innovations and Mr. Alaric’s mother.”
Ambrose nodded and smiled as he extended his hand. “Mrs. Marigold, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Ambrose, director of Far East International. I’m overseeing Nexus Innovations’ entertainment city project.”
Mrs. Marigold reluctantly shook his hand, her mind clearly elsewhere. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Vale.” She paused, her tone a little clipped. “As far as I know, Far East International is primarily in the electronics business. What’s this about you suddenly getting involved in the construction industry? Those two things seem unrelated.”
Ambrose raised an eyebrow, his response measured. “They are indeed unrelated, but every company needs to diversify and seek new opportunities. Nexus Innovations, for example, is branching out into different areas. The entertainment city project is part of our own diversification effort.”
Mrs. Marigold, taken aback by his answer, forced a smile. “What exactly brought Mr. Vale here to see Alaric?”
“I’m here to deliver a progress report on the entertainment city project,” Ambrose explained, placing the documents on the desk. He stood up and, sensing that both were busy, politely added, “If you’re occupied, I’ll take my leave.”
Mrs. Marigold didn’t respond as Ambrose left, but Silas could see her deep in thought. After the door clicked shut, she turned back to him with renewed determination.
“Tell me everything you know about Galatea,” she ordered again, her voice colder than before.
Silas shifted uneasily. He briefly recounted Galatea’s age and her previous work experience, but when Mrs. Marigold asked about her family background, Silas hesitated.
“I’m afraid I don’t know much about her family, Mrs. Marigold,” he admitted.
“Not sure?” she questioned sharply, her eyes glinting with impatience.
“No, I truly don’t know,” Silas mumbled, unable to meet her gaze. He was afraid of what her next move might be.
Mrs. Marigold’s gaze hardened. “Where does she live?” she asked, her voice low and insistent.
Silas hesitated for a moment. He knew the consequences of not answering her directly. “She lives near the company,” he finally replied.
“Near the company?” Mrs. Marigold echoed, her voice rising with anger. “Isn’t that in a high-price area?”
“Yes,” Silas confirmed, his voice barely above a whisper.
Her anger flared. “How can an ordinary doctor afford to live there? Did Alaric buy her the house?”
“Yes,” Silas answered, his head now lowered in shame.
Mrs. Marigold slammed her hand onto the desk, the force of it making Silas flinch. “What a cunning woman!” she spat. “In such a short time, she’s already managed to charm Alaric into buying her a house. If this continues, all of our family’s wealth will end up in her hands!”
Silas stood there, silent and fearful, unable to argue.
“She’s seduced my son, and I want to see what kind of vixen she really is!” Mrs. Marigold seethed, her voice filled with venom. Without another word, she stormed out of the room.
Her anger was palpable, and Silas knew she was heading straight for Galatea. The thought of what might happen to the woman who had become such a thorn in Mrs. Marigold’s side made him nervous. If anything happened to Galatea, he knew Alaric would likely blame him for not stepping in sooner. But what could he do now? Alaric was still in the hospital, and if he told him what was going on, it might make everything worse. But if he did nothing, wasn’t he just as guilty?
As he wrestled with these thoughts, he couldn’t help but feel trapped. Whatever action he took, he was sure it would be the wrong one. But doing nothing was just as bad.
Meanwhile, Ambrose, who had overheard the entire conversation, stepped into a hidden corridor. His thoughts were clouded with anger. An old woman—Mrs. Marigold—was calling his loved one a “vixen.” That didn’t sit right with him.
He pressed the button for the elevator and descended to the underground garage. When he arrived, he saw Mrs. Marigold’s car pulling out. Without wasting a second, he got into his own car and followed her at a distance.
Soon, Mrs. Marigold’s car stopped in front of Galatea’s house. Ambrose watched as she stormed out of her vehicle and marched up to the building.
Inside, Auntie Lynn was cleaning when she heard the doorbell ring. She hurriedly placed her mop aside and went to answer the door.
“May I ask who you’re looking for?” Auntie Lynn began to ask, but Mrs. Marigold cut her off, her tone harsh and demanding.
“Does Galatea live here?” she barked.
“Yes, Dr. Galatea lives here, but she’s not at home right now,” Auntie Lynn replied cautiously.
Before Auntie Lynn could say anything further, Mrs. Marigold pushed past her and entered the house without permission.
Auntie Lynn was taken aback. “Who are you to Dr. Galatea?” she demanded, clearly upset by the woman’s rude behavior. “You can’t just barge in here!”
Mrs. Marigold’s eyes flashed with fury. “Where is she?” she demanded.
Auntie Lynn, now alarmed, realized the situation wasn’t good. She replied quickly, “I’m the new housekeeper here. I don’t know where Dr. Galatea is, and I don’t have the right to inquire about that.”
Mrs. Marigold looked around, noticing the luxurious décor in the house and the fact that Galatea had hired a housekeeper. This only fueled her suspicions. If Galatea has a housekeeper… doesn’t that make her seem like she’s treating herself like a Young Madam?
Auntie Lynn’s voice trembled as she added, “If you don’t leave soon, I’ll have to call the police.”
Before Mrs. Marigold could respond, her phone rang, cutting off the confrontation.