Chapter 165: The Tension Builds
“I think it’s the behavior of a bad woman to sow discord and speak ill of others behind their backs,” Harry shot back at Marigold, his words sharp. “Just like those evil mother-in-laws you see on TV—doing nothing all day except bullying the kind daughter-in-law. Not only that, but they try to manipulate their son and grandson too.”
“Grandma, your behavior is so low-level. I stopped watching those kinds of shows when I was three. Your method of causing trouble is just plain stupid. You can instigate your son, Alaric, all you want—that’s your right. But trying to manipulate me? You should know who gave birth to me.”
He paused, glaring at her. “I was born to my mom. Without her, there would be no me. You actually speak ill of her in front of me? Not only is that stupid, it’s also downright bad. This is what I think, Grandma. If you can learn to get along with my mom and treat her well, I’ll accept you.”
“But if you keep speaking ill of her and rejecting her, then I’ll have no choice. I’ll cut ties with you. From now on, I’m cutting ties with you, Marigold. Goodbye, evil mother-in-law and bad grandma.”
With those words, Harry grabbed his things and headed for the door. Marigold watched in disbelief as he tried to leave.
“Wait, Caspian!” Marigold called out, panicked. “Your injury isn’t healed yet. Where are you going?”
“I’m running away from home. I want to get away from you, bad grandma. I’m going to find my mom,” Harry replied, his voice resolute.
Marigold was furious, but she tried to reason with him. “Caspian, the world is huge. Where do you think you’ll find your mother? You really want to go looking for her?”
Harry crossed his arms, defiant. “My teacher always says you have to consider all the facts and not just listen to one side of the story. So, I’m going to find my mom and ask her what really happened. Maybe you’re lying. Maybe you bullied my mom and chased her away.”
“Caspian, where do you get these ideas?” Marigold’s voice shook with a mix of anger and confusion. “How can you not believe me?”
Harry’s gaze hardened. “You’ve been lying about so many things. If you still want me to think of you as my grandma, you need to apologize to my mom. And you have to promise never to speak ill of her again. If you can’t do that, I’ll change my last name. I’ll make sure the Knight family has no heirs.”
Marigold’s face turned pale at his words. “Change your last name? Do you even know what you’re saying? If you’re not a Knight, then what last name will you take?”
“Of course, I’ll take my mom’s last name. The Knight family isn’t some royal bloodline. Even if I carry the name Knight, it won’t make me live forever. I don’t care about that name!” Harry said defiantly.
Marigold was stunned. “This is no joke, Caspian. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Her traditional mindset was shaken to its core. The idea of losing her family’s bloodline was more than she could bear. If Harry really changed his last name, all her efforts to preserve the family legacy would be meaningless.
“Marigold, you need to apologize to my mom—right now!” Harry demanded again.
“I’m your grandmother. I’m the elder. I will not apologize to your mother,” Marigold retorted, her pride clashing with her desperation.
Seeing that Marigold wasn’t willing to back down, Harry turned to leave. Marigold, her anger boiling over, relented with a sigh. “Fine. I’ll apologize to your mother.”
Harry turned, his eyes sharp. “I’ll accept your apology on behalf of my mom, but this can’t happen again.”
Marigold stood silent, defeated by a child.
“Alright, I’m going to study now,” Harry said, dismissing her. “You can do whatever you want, but just don’t hang around me.”
Marigold, helpless in the face of Harry’s stubbornness, watched as he retreated. She didn’t understand it—he had never even met Stellan, yet he was so protective of her. If Stellan ever returned, Harry would probably run away with her in an instant. No way could Marigold let that happen.
As she left the hall, Harry called out, a sneer in his voice. “You still want to bully my mom? Don’t forget who her son is.”
Elsewhere, at the Nash Family
Galatea and Alaric were on their way to the Nash family’s residence. As they approached, Galatea turned to Alaric.
“Your relationship with the Nash family has soured. It’s going to be awkward when we see them again. How about you wait in the car?” she suggested, concerned.
“It’s because of the way things went with the Nash family that I want to go with you,” Alaric replied. “I can’t rest easy if you go alone. With everything that’s going on, Griffon might blame you. I won’t take that risk.”
Galatea gave him a knowing smile. “I’m just going to see Ravenna Nash for treatment. The Nash family should be grateful to me. If they hold any grudges because of you, that’s unreasonable.”
Alaric tapped her head playfully. “Don’t think people are all bad, and don’t think they’re all good either. Understand?”
“I understand!” Galatea replied with a grin as the car stopped in front of the Nash family’s yard. They both got out of the car.
Ravenna had been resting at home recently due to her illness, and Orion had canceled all her appointments. She knew Galatea was coming today, but she was surprised to see Alaric with her. The sight of them together made her uneasy, and she immediately noticed how close they were, deliberately showing that to Orion.
“Mr. Alaric is so busy, but you still find time to accompany your wife. It’s really admirable how you dote on Galatea,” Orion remarked, his tone laced with subtle sarcasm.
Alaric tightened his grip on Galatea’s waist, replying coldly, “My wife, Galatea, is kind. She just had a car accident, and her body hasn’t fully recovered. She needs to come for Ravenna’s chemotherapy, so I’m naturally concerned.”
Orion’s expression darkened, clearly displeased with Alaric’s response.
At that moment, Griffon emerged from the study. His demeanor had shifted, and although his words were the same, there was a noticeable difference in his tone.
“Alaric, you’re here too?” Griffon asked, his voice cold.
Alaric simply gave a slight smirk and motioned for Galatea to go upstairs first. “Go on ahead. We’ll talk later.”
Galatea nodded and walked upstairs alone, leaving the three men in the hall. Griffon turned to Orion. “You should go downstairs for now,” he suggested.
Orion hesitated but stayed put. “Just a moment. I have some questions for Ms. Orion, and I need to speak with her first.”
Alaric immediately spoke up. “I need to ask some questions too.”
Orion sensed the tension in the air. She looked between Griffon and Alaric, unsure of what was going on. Griffon, however, was growing increasingly displeased with the situation. He smiled, but it was clear he wasn’t happy.
“Alaric, what are you getting at?” Griffon asked, his voice growing colder.
Alaric didn’t hesitate. “We’ve talked before, but I have one more thing to clear up. When Caspian was still in the womb, we did a DNA test, and it showed that he wasn’t my biological son. Do you know about this, Griffon?”
At those words, Orion’s face immediately changed. Her nervousness was evident. Alaric’s sharp eyes noticed her discomfort, and he knew—his suspicions were confirmed.