Chapter 205: The Breaking Point
Galatea was visibly tense, her patience wearing thin. She hadn’t expected Alaric’s reaction to be so flippant. How could he tease her at a time like this?
“Alaric, can you be serious for a moment? I’m not joking with you,” Galatea said, her tone sharp.
Alaric immediately wiped the smile off his face, sensing the gravity of the situation. “I know you’re not joking,” he replied, his voice now more sober.
“Then why the teasing?” Galatea’s frustration was clear. She had just told him her ex-husband was coming to see her, and this was how he responded?
Alaric raised an eyebrow, his lips curling slightly. “What kind of reaction should I have? Should I be threatened?”
“Yes.” Galatea caught herself and quickly corrected, “Not threatened. You don’t need to feel that way, but you shouldn’t be so indifferent either. That man is my husband—at least, if the marriage agreement from seven years ago is real.”
“It should be real.” Alaric couldn’t resist teasing her, though he knew the truth. “So legally, he’s still your husband.”
Galatea shot him a bewildered look. “If you know that, then why are you still…”
Before she could finish, Alaric seemed to have a sudden realization. “Well. Legally, you’re still married to him, so I guess I’m not your lover, am I?”
Galatea’s face turned red with embarrassment and frustration. “Alaric!” she exclaimed, barely able to contain her irritation.
Alaric was pushing all the wrong buttons tonight. She had tried to talk seriously with him so they could prepare for the potential confrontation with her ex-husband, but instead, he was making light of everything. Galatea was this close to being driven mad by him.
“You really are drunk!” she said, exasperated. “Since you’ve been drinking, I’m going to treat your words as drunken ramblings. Stop talking and go to sleep. And starting tomorrow, you’re quitting drinking. If you dare take another sip, I’ll increase your medication,” she threatened, lying down and turning her back to him. She closed her eyes, trying to shut out the frustration.
Alaric couldn’t help but chuckle at her reaction. Galatea was just too cute when she was annoyed. But underneath the laughter, there was a heavy weight on his heart.
Today had been exhausting for him—he was drowning in the truth, in all the chaos and heartbreak it had brought. Part of him wished he could wake up from this nightmare, that it would all be just a bad dream. No murder, no deceit, no schemes. He would take Galatea, Caspian, and Elisa back to the Knight manor, where his mother and Harry awaited, and they could all live happily ever after.
But that wasn’t reality. He couldn’t escape it. The damage had already been done, and no matter how many times he wished it away, he knew it wouldn’t change.
The night passed in restless silence. Galatea and Alaric both fell asleep quickly, their minds overwhelmed by the events of the day. However, the Nash family remained wide awake, consumed by their own turmoil.
After his conversation with Alaric, Cormac sat alone in the winery, unable to shake off the weight of the disturbing truth. Alaric’s words made sense, the pieces of the puzzle slowly coming together. Could it really be true? Had Griffon been behind it all?
His thoughts were clouded with rage and confusion, but Alaric’s logic, combined with Griffon’s strange behavior and Orion’s reaction, made him question everything. Maybe Alaric was right.
Determined to get to the bottom of it, Cormac rushed back to the hospital. He couldn’t rest until he had answers.
When Cormac arrived at the hospital, he didn’t waste any time. He ran through the halls and burst into the ward, where Griffon and Orion were sitting.
Griffon looked up in annoyance, already on edge. “What are you doing here? Didn’t I tell you to leave? Get out!”
“What do you think I’m doing?” Cormac’s voice was raw with fury as he grabbed Griffon by the collar, his hands shaking. “Did you plan Galatea’s car accident? Did you alter the DNA results six years ago for Alaric and Caspian? Was it you?”
The room went still. Orion’s legs nearly gave way beneath her. Could it be that Alaric had already told Cormac everything? Did he know?
Griffon exploded in anger. “What are you doing? Are you going to hit me now?” His voice was a low growl.
Cormac’s eyes burned with rage. “Answer me! Did you do it? What about the doctor who disappeared? What did you do to him?”
Griffon snapped. “You’re crazy!” He shoved Cormac aside, landing a punch to his face that sent him stumbling back, crashing to the floor.
Griffon sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. “Did Alaric tell you all this? Alaric’s framing me, and you believe him over me?”
As Cormac wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, Orion rushed to his side, helping him up. “Cormac, we’re still in the hospital, and Mom is unconscious. Calm down.”
But mention of Ravenna only fueled Cormac’s anger. He shoved Orion’s hand off and stood up, shaking with fury. “Why did Mom suddenly have a heart attack? Was it really because of something Galatea said? What could she have possibly said to make Mom so angry?”
Griffon’s eyes narrowed, his voice dripping with venom. “What do you think? Why is your mom in this state? If it wasn’t Galatea, was it me? Was it Orion? Did Alaric tell you all this? Fine, if you believe everything he says, then why are you asking me? If you think I did it, then call the police. Have them arrest me. Take me in for questioning!” With that, Griffon stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
The silence that followed was suffocating. Orion stood frozen, her heart racing. Was it true? Did Alaric really have all the answers? Did he have evidence?
Cormac’s gaze suddenly locked onto Orion, his eyes sharp with accusation. He stepped forward, grabbing her by the shoulders and forcing her to meet his eyes. “Orion, you knew everything, didn’t you?” His voice was tight with barely contained rage. “Did Alaric tell you everything? Did you two do those things?”
Orion looked away, unable to meet his gaze. Her silence confirmed his worst fear.
“Say something!” Cormac demanded, his voice rising in panic. “Did Griffon do all this? You knew from the beginning, didn’t you? You don’t think he was wrong?”
Orion’s lips quivered, but she stayed silent. Cormac’s anger reached a boiling point. He was shaking, his hands balled into fists at his sides.
“Orion,” he ground out through clenched teeth. “Do you realize what you’re doing? This is murder. And murder is punishable by death. Do you understand that?”
At the mention of death, Orion’s legs buckled, and she stumbled back, her voice trembling with fear. “Punishable by death? But Galatea didn’t die, did she? She’s still alive! Why should I be punished for something that didn’t happen? Cormac, don’t scare me. I don’t want to die.”
The tension in the room was thick, and with each passing second, the truth seemed to slip further out of reach. But one thing was clear: The walls were closing in on them all, and there was no escaping the consequences of their actions.