Chapter 172: Rumors and Resilience
Galatea’s mind buzzed as she stared at the news headline on Silas’s phone, her eyes wide with disbelief. “When was this released?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“I hadn’t seen it before I went to bed, so it must’ve been after midnight,” Silas replied, clearly just as shocked.
Released after midnight… Yesterday had been the first day she treated Alaric. The only people who knew about it were herself, Alaric, and Silas. So how had this news spread so quickly?
“Young Madam, how should we handle this? Should we tell Mr. Alaric?” Silas asked, his voice tinged with concern.
Galatea shook her head. “No, Alaric is unwell right now. He probably hasn’t had time to check his phone. If he doesn’t see it, he won’t know about it.”
She took a deep breath, then spoke decisively. “Immediately issue a clarification statement. Identify the first account that posted this news. If necessary, take legal action.”
“Understood. I’ll handle it right away,” Silas said, nodding before stepping out.
Galatea stared at the screen one last time. The article was so detailed, as if someone had insider knowledge. She couldn’t help but wonder: where had these “insiders” come from?
Although she intended to keep this from Alaric, in the age of social media, news traveled fast. It would be nearly impossible for him not to find out soon.
As if on cue, her phone buzzed with a call from Marigold. Galatea hesitated before answering, knowing this would be a difficult conversation.
“Hello, Mom.”
“Alaric! Where are you now? Are you at the hospital?” Marigold’s voice was frantic, filled with worry.
Confused, Alaric replied, “I’m at the office. What’s going on?”
Marigold didn’t hesitate. “Why are you asking what’s wrong? It’s all over the trending topics! They’re saying you’re seriously ill and undergoing secret treatment. I nearly had a heart attack when I saw the news—I thought you’d had a relapse!”
Alaric was stunned. The report was more dramatic than he could have imagined. He’d just begun his treatment the day before, and now this?
“Mom, I’m fine,” Alaric said quickly, trying to reassure her. “The news is just exaggerating, trying to get clicks. You don’t need to worry. I’m working now. We can talk later.”
After hanging up, Alaric opened the article on his phone. It painted a picture of him on his deathbed in the ICU. Ridiculous, he thought bitterly.
At that moment, Galatea walked in, carrying breakfast. She saw Alaric engrossed in his phone and immediately put the tray down. Without thinking, she snatched the phone out of his hands.
“I told you to rest, not to play with your phone!” Galatea scolded, trying to lock the phone, but she saw that he was reading the news.
“You already know?” Alaric asked, his tone casual.
Galatea stared at him, half-expecting him to be angry or frustrated. But instead, he seemed unusually calm.
“Yes,” she answered, her voice more worried than she wanted to admit.
Alaric glanced at the breakfast tray she’d prepared. “What’s for breakfast today? I’m a bit hungry.”
Galatea was taken aback by his calmness. He didn’t seem angry, or even upset, by the news. “It’s something light—vegetarian and mushroom cream soup.”
“Ah, that sounds good,” Alaric said, shifting to sit up. “Feed me.”
Galatea blinked, caught off guard by his request. But she nodded and sat down beside the bed, spooning him the soup. “Did you make this?”
“Yes,” she replied, though she was still reeling from the whole situation.
“It tastes really good,” Alaric said, savoring the soup.
Galatea frowned, not sure how to feel. The soup was always the same, but the way Alaric responded seemed oddly detached.
Just then, Silas knocked on the door and entered, looking anxious.
“Mr. Alaric, there are reporters outside the building. They’re demanding confirmation of the news,” Silas reported.
Galatea rushed to the window, and sure enough, a crowd of reporters had gathered, eager for any scrap of information.
Alaric’s expression darkened, but he didn’t seem overly bothered. “Get rid of them. I don’t want to be disturbed while I’m eating,” he ordered, his voice sharp.
“Understood,” Silas said, before quickly exiting to handle the situation.
Galatea returned to the bed, resuming her task of feeding Alaric, but the tension between them lingered.
“After all this, don’t you think you should respond to the rumors?” she asked once they were finished eating.
Alaric shook his head, unbothered. “There’s no need. The best way to dispel rumors like this is to appear healthy in public later. This is just the media trying to create a sensation, or it could be someone with malicious intent spreading lies. I won’t respond. Let them think it’s true for now, and the situation will calm down after the hype dies down.”
Galatea frowned, but Alaric continued, his tone confident. “It doesn’t really matter to me. What’s more important is that we’ll see who genuinely cares and who’s just fanning the flames. As for me, I know I’ll get better. Once that happens, the rumors will fall apart. Ignoring it is the best way to show disdain for those behind the gossip.”
Galatea felt conflicted. She had already asked Silas to issue a clarification earlier that morning, not wanting Alaric to worry. She hadn’t intended to go against his wishes.
“Did I ruin your plan?” she asked, pulling out her phone to call Silas.
Alaric stopped her gently, his expression softening. “No, you did well. By sending out the clarification without my appearance, the media will think it must be true. You came up with that idea, didn’t you? Galatea, you’re so clever. You thought of things I didn’t even consider. You’re amazing.”
Galatea felt a flush of warmth rise to her cheeks at his praise. “I just thought it would be better to handle it quickly.”
Alaric reached for her hand, squeezing it gently. “If you hadn’t seen the news, I might have panicked. I might not survive the next relapse. But with you here, I feel so much more at ease.”
Galatea was taken aback by the raw honesty in his words. She hadn’t expected him to express such dependence, but hearing it made her heart swell.
“Don’t worry,” she said softly, “I will cure you. I won’t let you down.”
With a sigh, Galatea added, “If I had known you’d be so indifferent about the news, I wouldn’t have been so nervous trying to hide it from you. I guess I underestimated how you’d handle the situation.”
Alaric chuckled, clearly amused. “My Galatea always has a broad perspective.”
Galatea rolled her eyes, not wanting to indulge him in any more of his sweet talk. Still, despite her teasing, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief. Since Alaric didn’t seem to care much about the news, she decided to let it go. The clarification had already been sent out, and it was already trending. Silas had handled the reporters, and things would likely settle down soon.
Meanwhile, with CEO Ambrose
“CEO Ambrose, Alaric hasn’t made an appearance, and he just issued the clarification,” Denny reported, his voice filled with a hint of concern. “It looks like Alaric really can’t get out of bed.”
Ambrose leaned back in his chair, a contemplative look crossing his face.
“So, it’s true. Alaric is hiding his condition… but not for long,” he murmured to himself.