Chapter 279
Alaric and Stellan, along with their three children, were driving home from the company. Stellan, clearly surprised, turned to Alaric and asked, “What did you do to persuade Cormac to come over?”
“I didn’t do anything,” Alaric replied, glancing at her. “This time, he came on his own, which surprised me too.”
“Cormac came on his own?” Stellan echoed, her tone filled with disbelief. “It must be for that girl named Aurora, right?”
“Yes,” Alaric nodded. “He mentioned that Aurora wants to learn a special skill, which requires a lot of money.”
Stellan couldn’t help but feel touched. “Cormac is really kind. In this regard, he’s just like Ravenna, completely different from Griffon. The Nash family has been through such a drastic change. Cormac went from being a wealthy young man to having nothing, yet he’s still helping a girl he doesn’t even know. Even though he’s struggling himself, he’s still willing to help her. That’s rare and admirable.”
Alaric agreed, though with a more practical tone. “That’s right. But don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”
“Daddy is right!” Elisa chimed in, looking up at her parents with a bright smile. “Good people will eventually get rich!”
Stellan couldn’t help but laugh, shaking her head. “You little money-grubber. All you think about is money.”
Elisa sighed dramatically. “Well, when I was poor, I always thought about how to get rich. Now that I suddenly have a rich dad and will inherit so much wealth, I feel like I have no goals to strive for.”
Alaric, ever the practical one, corrected her gently. “Elisa, that’s not true. Parents’ money is their money, and it has nothing to do with you. You’re just lucky to be born into a wealthy family—luckier than most kids. But whether you can make the most of this luck depends on you. Parents will grow old and can’t always make money for you. If you don’t work hard, the wealth won’t last. Understand?”
“I understand,” Elisa nodded, though it was clear she only half-understood the gravity of his words. Her mood quickly lightened as she added, “But if I end up poor when I grow up, Caspian will take care of me.”
Caspian, without missing a beat, turned to her with a grin. “Yes, my money is yours. I’ll work hard for you.”
Harry clapped his hands in delight, joining in with a teasing tone. “Daddy, Mommy, remember what they said! Don’t dismiss it just because they’re young. Caspian, you better stay single forever and take care of Elisa!”
“I’m willing to,” Caspian responded with a grin, earning a laugh from everyone.
Harry, clearly enjoying the playful banter, added, “I’m very willing to see that too. You two can rely on each other. When I grow up, I’ll work hard and make money for my future wife.”
Caspian shot him a sly glance. “That’s assuming you can even find a wife,” he teased. “It’ll be hard given your unlikable personality and your knack for saying annoying things.”
Harry shot back quickly, “You think you’re any better? Forget about finding a girlfriend, you’ll have a hard time finding friends!”
Caspian smirked. “I took after Daddy’s personality. If Daddy can marry someone like Mommy, why can’t I?”
Alaric froze at that, uncertain whether Caspian was complimenting him or insulting him. The awkward silence in the car was palpable.
“Stop it,” Stellan interjected, her voice playful but firm. “No more arguing. What do you want to eat?”
“Meat!” Elisa answered decisively, as always.
“Alright, let’s go eat meat then,” Alaric said with a chuckle, glad to shift the conversation to something more practical.
The family set off for dinner, while at the Knight mansion, Marigold was waiting impatiently.
After meeting with Cormac earlier, Marigold was seething with frustration. She was determined to have Alaric fire Cormac, no matter how Alaric felt about it. She checked the time, growing increasingly agitated. “It’s so late! Why aren’t they back yet? Are they usually this late?”
Liona, who had been quietly observing her, flinched at the anger in Marigold’s tone. “Usually not,” she replied nervously, her voice small.
Marigold huffed in irritation. “This is so inappropriate. Alaric used to have a strict routine, just working and resting. Since marrying Stellan, he’s lost all principles. His life has become a chaotic mess!”
After complaining for a while, Marigold checked the time again. Deciding she couldn’t wait any longer, she stood up abruptly. “I’ll just call Ambrose and remind him. This has gone on long enough.”
When Marigold’s call rang through, Ambrose was with Todd and Bill. The moment he saw her name on the caller ID, he immediately rejected the call.
“Busy with work now?” Todd said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “I heard after your casino project ended, a lot of developers approached you for cooperation.”
Ambrose smirked. “Just lucky. Once you acquire the jewelry company, the profits will far surpass anything I’ve done.”
Todd nodded, pleased with the flattery. “Glad that you know your place,” he said, before his expression turned serious. “Is Cormac you found reliable?”
“Don’t worry, Todd. He’s absolutely reliable,” Ambrose reassured him.
Todd leaned in closer, his voice cold. “Tell him I’m not a kind person. If he fails, Aurora will disappear from this world, and he won’t even find her body.”
Ambrose gave a sharp nod. “I’ve told him everything. He’ll give us a satisfactory outcome.”
“If you really get this done,” Todd added with a sly grin, “I’ll speak well of you to Dad.”
“Thank you, Todd,” Ambrose replied with a false sincerity.
Meanwhile, Marigold, who had been fuming with impatience, was furious after hearing the call ended abruptly. “How dare Ambrose hang up on me!” she muttered, ready to dial him back.
Joe, who had been observing her carefully, put a hand on her arm. “Mrs. Knight, since he screened your call, he won’t answer if you call again.”
Marigold’s face twisted in anger. “Ambrose is unreliable. He always talks big but does nothing! I’m too passive now. I raised Alaric with so much effort, and Stellan just swept him away. My three precious grandchildren come over every weekend, but they listen to Stellan. Except for Elisa, who talks to me a little, Caspian and Harry are cold to me. It’s like I’m their enemy. Who knows what bad things Stellan says about me in front of them? What a wretched woman! How did she survive childbirth? If she had died in childbirth, there wouldn’t be so many problems now.”
At the mention of childbirth, Joe’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “Mrs. Knight, you said that if this continues, they won’t divorce, and they’ll have another child?”
“Stellan has Alaric wrapped around her finger,” Marigold said bitterly. “They’re so intimate that pregnancy is just a matter of time.”
Joe, after a long pause, looked at her with a cold smile. “If it’s just a matter of time, won’t she have a chance to die in childbirth?”
Marigold froze for a moment, the idea hanging in the air like a dark cloud. Then, a twisted smile formed on her lips as she mulled over the suggestion.