Chapter 158: Echoes of the Past
When Cormac arrived at Lingyun Winery, Alaric was already seated in his usual spot, his gaze distant. “Are you breaking up again?” Cormac asked teasingly as he sat down across from Alaric.
“Shut up. Galatea and I are great. We’ll never break up, not even until the day you die,” Alaric shot back, his voice firm, but there was a trace of amusement in his words.
“Are you trying to curse me? Don’t bring your bad luck onto me for no reason.” Cormac grinned, half-exasperated. “If everything is fine with you and Galatea, and you’re not at the company, why did you drag me out here? You’re being weird today.”
“Galatea’s busy, and there’s nothing urgent at the company right now,” Alaric explained casually as he poured Cormac a glass of wine. “I just wanted to chat with you.”
Cormac narrowed his eyes skeptically. “Yeah, right. You’re acting like a man with a hidden agenda.”
“Alright, let’s chat then,” Cormac raised his glass and took a sip. “What do you want to talk about?”
Alaric didn’t hesitate. “Found a new girlfriend already?”
Cormac almost choked on his drink. A few drops landed on Alaric, who wiped his clothes with a tissue in disdain.
“Alaric, are you okay?” Cormac asked, incredulous. “Since you’ve fallen in love, you’ve really changed. You’re concerned about this stuff now?”
“Answer me, yes or no,” Alaric pressed, ignoring Cormac’s teasing.
“No. I’m not as popular with women as you are, remember? I’ve been single all these years,” Cormac said, bitterness creeping into his voice.
Alaric swirled his wine, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Single for so many years after a breakup? Funny how you still can’t let go. By the way, what was the name of your last girlfriend?”
At the mention of his past relationship, Cormac’s expression shifted, becoming serious. “Why are you bringing her up?”
“I remember her surname was Blaire,” Alaric said, probing further.
“Rowena Blaire,” Cormac answered flatly, his tone distant.
“Yeah, Rowena Blaire,” Alaric chuckled. “After all this time, you still can’t forget her?”
“Who said I can’t forget her? I just haven’t found the right person yet,” Cormac muttered, taking another sip of his drink, trying to hide the vulnerability in his words.
“Don’t lie to yourself,” Alaric said, his voice soft but firm. “We’ve known each other forever. I know you better than anyone.”
Cormac gave a bitter laugh. “Yeah, thanks for knowing me so well. Bringing up my past heartaches is definitely your specialty.”
Alaric’s expression softened. “I didn’t mean to stir things up. It’s just like friends talking about the past. If you can mention it without flinching, it means you’ve truly moved on. But since it still bothers you, it’s clear you haven’t let go of her. So, if that’s the case, why don’t you go find Rowena? Do you know where she is?”
“I can’t find her,” Cormac said quietly, his eyes darkening. “The world’s too big. Besides, after all these years, Rowena’s probably got a kid now, and she might be leading a life of her own.”
“What if Rowena’s still single?” Alaric pressed.
“If she’s single like me, it still wouldn’t be possible,” Cormac replied, shaking his head. “The Nash family hurt her so badly. She won’t ever come back to me.”
Cormac leaned back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling as his mind wandered back to the past. “When everything went down, I was in the military, so I didn’t know the full extent of what was happening. I just knew you went abroad after the breakup, and things with Griffon got really tense.”
His voice turned colder as he spoke about Griffon. “Griffon and I had a fallout. I never imagined he could be so selfish, so heartless. He was always controlling and suspicious of everyone, full of malicious intent.”
Cormac’s words hung in the air, heavy with years of unspoken pain. He took a deep breath and continued, his voice slightly strained. “Rowena… she was a bright, lively girl. I fell for her at a school reunion when she sang on stage. It took me a long time to win her over, but I did.”
“Rowena came from a humble background. She always felt inferior to me, and it took me a while to help her see her worth. She dreamed of going to the best music school and becoming a famous singer. She excelled in school, winning competitions, and had no problem applying to international schools. Her future was so bright, but then Griffon found out about us just before her entrance exams.”
“Griffon… he couldn’t stand it. He was convinced Rowena was just using me to climb the social ladder, that she was only after the Nash family’s entertainment connections. So he went behind my back to meet her. The things he said to her—those hurtful words shattered her. She wanted to break up, but I begged her to let me protect her. She reluctantly agreed.”
Cormac’s fists clenched, the old anger surfacing again. “I had a huge argument with Griffon. He pretended to agree with me, and I let my guard down. But he was still scheming. He kept me busy and went to see Rowena, feeding her lies. As a media mogul, Griffon could easily stir up a scandal.”
“Within a night, the campus was abuzz with rumors. Rowena was accused of seducing me for money, and she became the target of cruel online harassment. She couldn’t take the pressure, failed her exams, and nearly ended her life. It was a miracle she was saved.”
“I’ll never forgive myself for the pain I caused her. I thought I could give her happiness, but in the end, I only brought her misery. Rowena begged me to let her go while she was in the hospital, crying, and her parents begged me too. I had no choice but to let her go.”
Cormac paused, his eyes moist but steely. “I never wanted to hurt her. I thought I could protect her, but instead, I destroyed her. The psychological scars are still there. They can only heal if she stays away from me. I’ll never forgive Griffon for what he did, but what can I do? He’s my father, and he still doesn’t think he’s wrong.”
Alaric absorbed his words in silence, the weight of Cormac’s pain sinking in. But Cormac wasn’t finished.
“You know,” he added, a wry smile tugging at his lips, “I think Mrs. Marigold is a lot like Griffon in this regard.”
Alaric frowned, his mind racing. “What are you talking about?”
“I met Mrs. Marigold at the hospital last time,” Cormac continued. “I casually mentioned you marrying Galatea, and Mrs. Marigold said that Galatea was just climbing the social ladder, seducing you to get ahead. It was exactly like Griffon’s thinking. So, if you really care about Galatea, you need to protect her—don’t let her end up like Rowena.”
Alaric’s gaze hardened as he absorbed Cormac’s words. He hadn’t expected this connection, but the warning was clear. He had to protect Galatea, no matter what.