Chapter 203: The Unraveling Truth
Just thirty minutes before Cormac called Alaric, Griffon stormed back into the hospital room, his face dark with fury.
“Dad, what’s wrong?” Orion asked, her voice shaking as she noticed his grim expression. “Did something happen?”
Griffon’s silence was suffocating. His glare, focused on Cormac, only deepened his anger.
“You!” Griffon snapped, his voice thick with rage. “I told you not to get involved with Alaric. But you wouldn’t listen! Are you trying to destroy the Nash family? Is that what you want?”
Griffon was furious, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. If it hadn’t been for Cormac inviting Alaric and Galatea over, Ravenna’s mutterings would have never reached him, and Alaric wouldn’t have started investigating the accident involving Galatea.
Cormac was taken aback. His confusion quickly turned to frustration. “What are you talking about? How could I ruin the Nash family? What’s really going on?”
As realization dawned, Cormac’s voice became sharper. “Why are you so afraid of Alaric? Did you do something wrong?”
Griffon’s face contorted with rage. “You fool! The Nash family will be destroyed because of you! It’s only a matter of time!”
“Dad, what exactly happened?” Orion’s voice trembled, now fully aware that something was terribly wrong. Her mind raced. Had they been exposed? What does Alaric know?
Griffon’s temper flared, his voice rising. “What does Alaric know? He knows everything! Everything that happened six years ago!”
Orion looked terrified, her anxiety spiraling. “What exactly did you do?” Her voice quivered, and she couldn’t hold back the fear.
Cormac felt a knot in his stomach tighten as the pieces began to click together. He couldn’t help but wonder what Griffon and Orion had been hiding from him. “What did you do? What are you afraid Alaric might find out?” Cormac demanded, his patience wearing thin.
Griffon’s anger boiled over. He shoved Cormac toward the door. “Get out! I don’t have a son like you!”
Griffon’s outburst was deafening. Cormac, trying to hold his ground, finally gave in and left the hospital, his mind racing. The more he thought about it, the more he suspected that Griffon and Orion were hiding something crucial. But what?
He repeatedly tried calling Alaric, but his calls went unanswered, which only deepened his anxiety. What exactly was going on? he wondered.
Finally, his phone rang. It was Alaric returning his call. Cormac quickly answered.
“Where are you now?” Cormac demanded, his voice sharp.
Alaric didn’t waste time with pleasantries. “I’ll tell you where I am,” he said shortly, giving Cormac his location before hanging up. Without hesitation, Cormac jumped into his car and drove over to meet him.
At the winery where they’d met before, Cormac arrived to find Alaric already there, seated with a glass of wine in front of him. Although Alaric had never been one to drink, the glass was half-empty.
“Why are you drinking?” Cormac asked, his voice tinged with concern. “Aren’t you in treatment? Something’s wrong.”
Alaric, his expression dark, didn’t respond immediately. He was only too aware of the weight of the situation. He wasn’t drinking because he wanted to; it was a desperate attempt to numb the suffocating truth that had emerged.
“I didn’t want to drink,” Alaric finally muttered. “But sometimes… the truth is so hard to swallow.”
Cormac’s anxiety grew. What’s going on? “Why were you calling me? What’s happening?”
Alaric downed another glass of wine before speaking. His gaze fixed on Cormac. “Do you know what Ravenna has been saying?”
“Ravenna?” Cormac was momentarily confused. “What do you mean?”
Alaric’s eyes were cold, a slight frown creasing his brow. “She’s been repeating over and over again, ‘I’m sorry, Galatea.’”
Cormac froze, his mind struggling to comprehend. “What? My mom has been saying that? Why would she apologize to Galatea? What’s going on?”
Alaric’s voice was steady, but there was an edge to it. “Ravenna didn’t harm Galatea… but Griffon did.”
Cormac recoiled, shocked into silence. His mind scrambled to process Alaric’s words. “What are you talking about?” he whispered. “Griffon… he wouldn’t…”
Alaric leaned forward, his eyes never leaving Cormac’s. “Galatea’s car accident wasn’t an accident. Griffon orchestrated it. He wanted her dead.”
The words hit Cormac like a blow. His voice came out hoarse, barely above a whisper. “No… you’re mistaken. Griffon wouldn’t—he couldn’t have done something like that. It doesn’t make sense. He… he had no reason to harm Galatea.”
Alaric sighed, a bitter smile curling on his lips. “I know it’s hard to believe. I wish I were wrong. But I’ve met with the man who was responsible—Jason Gray. He confessed everything. And once I heard it, I couldn’t ignore it.”
“No. This can’t be true!” Cormac nearly shouted, his hands clenched into fists. “Why would Griffon do that? What did Galatea ever do to him?”
“Six years ago,” Alaric’s voice dropped, heavy with truth, “Griffon tampered with the DNA results. He needed to cover up the truth, but when Galatea survived the crash, he saw her as a threat. He thought if she lived, she might expose everything. That’s why he wanted her gone.”
Cormac’s mind reeled, trying to piece together the truth. “Six years ago…” he murmured. “So, it’s all connected?”
Alaric nodded grimly. “Yes. The tampered DNA results, the car accident, everything. Griffon thought he could get away with it all. He didn’t expect Galatea to survive, and he certainly didn’t expect her to end up with me.”
The weight of the revelation crushed Cormac. He felt like the ground had been pulled from beneath him. “But… why? Why would he risk it all for this? The Nash family—”
“Griffon doesn’t care about the Nash family’s reputation,” Alaric interrupted sharply. “He’s too smart for that. He wanted to keep his secrets buried. If anyone found out about the DNA tampering, it would ruin everything. And he feared that Galatea, surviving the crash, would expose him.”
Alaric paused, then added, “Do you know why Ravenna’s condition worsened? You know she was heartbroken, right? But now… now do you understand why?”
Cormac stared at Alaric, his mind spinning. His mother, Griffon, the DNA results, the car accident—everything was unraveling. He felt like he was drowning in a sea of lies.
“What have I just heard?” Cormac whispered to himself, struggling to grasp the gravity of what was being revealed.