Chapter 12
“Is this my mom?” Harry asked, his tone doubtful as he scrutinized Orion. The woman standing before him bore no resemblance to the mother he remembered. The man’s taste is seriously questionable, he thought, frowning.
“Yes, I’m your mom,” Orion replied, her voice laced with a touch of warmth. “I heard you hit your head, and I was so worried. How are you feeling now? Does it still hurt?” She stepped forward, attempting to touch his head, but Harry quickly dodged her hand.
“It doesn’t hurt anymore. Thanks for your concern, Mom,” he said, trying to mask the discomfort he felt.
Alaric, watching the interaction, smiled contentedly. The boy was finally showing some politeness toward Orion.
“If you’re not in pain, that’s great,” Orion said, her voice softening further. “My dear son, go and play. Call me if you need anything.”
“Okay!” Harry replied enthusiastically, his eyes already scanning the vast mansion. He was eager to explore his new surroundings, but first, he needed to make sense of what was happening.
As Liona guided Harry upstairs, Orion turned to Alaric with a look of cautious optimism. “I never imagined Caspian would accept me one day. I’ve even canceled all my appointments recently. Since he isn’t resisting me now, I suppose I can stay here, right?”
Alaric gave a silent nod, his tacit approval enough.
Orion’s face brightened, and she smiled. “That’s wonderful!”
“Kids are genuine; they reciprocate kindness,” Alaric said sternly, his expression hardening. “But the reverse is true as well. Caspian’s condition is on your conscience. You need to reflect on how you’ve treated him.”
Orion stiffened at his words. A surge of hatred flared up inside her, directed at both Caspian and Mrs. Marigold. Why on earth does Mrs. Marigold insist on keeping that brat around? she thought bitterly. But she didn’t dare voice her resentment—not yet. She needed Caspian to be useful to her plans.
“I understand,” Orion said quietly, lowering her head in a feigned display of remorse. “I’ve been reflecting on my failures as a mother. From now on, I’ll cherish him, even if it means setting aside my work just to be there for him.”
“Make sure you do,” Alaric replied, heading for the door. “I’m off to the office. Take good care of Caspian. If something happens to him again, I won’t let you off the hook!”
“Got it,” Orion said, escorting him to the door. “Don’t worry about work, Alaric. I’ll take care of Caspian.”
After watching Alaric drive away, Orion’s expression shifted. Her gaze turned cold as she glanced upstairs, plotting her next move.
Meanwhile, Harry had wandered around the villa, taking in the size of the place. It was huge—he’d need a good amount of time to explore it all. But as the hours passed, he realized something strange: his mom and Elisa hadn’t noticed how long he’d been gone.
During a bathroom break, he decided to take the opportunity to call Elisa, who was out shopping with their mother and Caspian.
“Hello?” Elisa answered, her voice distracted.
“Elisa, it’s me!” Harry said, excitedly. “I’ve got to tell you something shocking—but don’t freak out.”
Elisa glanced at Caspian, who was casually browsing clothes in the store, and sighed. Cutting him off, she said, “Let me guess—you found my brother’s smartwatch, right?”
Harry paused, bewildered. What does she mean? He hadn’t found anything.
“Well, if you found it, we’re grateful,” Elisa continued, “but don’t try impersonating my brother. Trying to scam us, huh? Well, too bad—we’re broke.”
Harry was utterly confused. A scam artist? How did I turn into a scam artist? He stared at the phone, trying to process what Elisa had just said. How could she not recognize his voice? Did she think he was someone else?
“All right, I’m busy. Just return my brother’s smartwatch, okay?” Elisa hung up without another word.
“Who was that?” Galatea asked, glancing over at Elisa with concern.
“Some scam artist,” Elisa muttered. “Tried to sound like Harry. It was pretty convincing, too.”
Caspian remained silent, a frown crossing his face. Could it really be Harry himself? he wondered.
Harry, still holding the phone, felt his heart sink. Scam artist? How could Elisa not recognize me?
The strange situation left him with more questions than answers. Caspian had left just before their mother returned home, and the Knight family had searched the neighborhood until they found him. Could it be that Caspian had returned home with his mom and impersonated himself? How could these parents be so incompetent? he thought bitterly. Couldn’t they tell their own son apart from an imposter?
But the real sting came from Elisa’s words. She really broke my heart, Harry thought. But what’s done is done.
When Harry stepped out of the bathroom and into the foyer, he found Orion lounging on the couch, her legs being massaged by a maid while she used a facial massager on her skin. Harry raised an eyebrow.
“Where’s Dad?” he asked.
“At the office,” Orion replied, dismissively. There was a subtle hint of disdain in her voice. “Your dad is a big shot in the business world, always busy. You don’t expect him to hang around the house all day, do you?”
Harry’s mind raced. Caspian’s mom really has two faces—one for when her husband is around, and another when he’s not. But I’m not Caspian. If this woman turns out to be bad news, I’ve got plenty of tricks up my sleeve to deal with her.
Meanwhile, the real Caspian was out shopping at the mall with Galatea and Elisa.
“Harry seems quieter than usual,” Galatea remarked, noticing the shift in his behavior.
“Yeah, it’s like he’s had a soul switch—he went from chatterbox to cool and aloof,” Elisa added.
Caspian smiled shyly and replied, “Nothing’s wrong. I just wanted to listen to Mom and Elisa. Mom, that dress you tried on earlier looked gorgeous on you. Why didn’t you buy it?”
“It was beautiful but too pricey,” Elisa quickly interjected. “Mom probably didn’t want to splurge.”
Caspian felt a pang in his heart. The words stung more than he expected. But he quickly refocused, spotting a bank across the street.
“Mom, you two go ahead and shop around. I need to use the restroom. It might take a while, so don’t wait for me,” he said, hurrying away.
Elisa gave him a curious look, but Caspian was already lost in his thoughts. “Harry still loves to wander off on his own,” she muttered, more to herself than to anyone else.