Chapter 127
Griffon turned to Harry, who was still eating and not paying them much attention. “Mrs. Marigold, can we talk for a moment?” he asked, leading her upstairs.
They didn’t want Harry to hear their conversation. Harry barely acknowledged their departure; he didn’t care about listening anyway. Instead, he immediately pulled out his phone and sent a quick message to Caspian.
Harry: [Enemies, Mommy and your evil grandmother are definitely enemies! Protect our Mommy!]
Caspian, on the other end, read the message with growing concern. He could sense there was history between Mrs. Marigold and Galatea—something he needed to understand. He wasn’t sure what exactly it was, but he would get to the bottom of it.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Marigold and Griffon had entered the study on the second floor and closed the door behind them. Mrs. Marigold wasted no time speaking up. “I just found out about Mrs. Nash. How is she doing now?” she asked, her voice almost sounding concerned.
Griffon, however, kept his response direct and unemotional. “Up and down. Let nature take its course,” he said flatly. “It’s kind that you care, but I think too many visitors might make her anxious.”
Mrs. Marigold nodded but didn’t push the topic. She had other matters on her mind. “I came here today mainly to talk about the children. Initially, we said Caspian was Alaric and Orion’s child so they could get married. But now that they’ve separated, there’s no need for this lie anymore. After all, Orion is an unmarried woman, and having a son so much older wouldn’t look good for her reputation.”
Griffon paused for a moment before responding, his voice controlled. “Why not? She’s a public figure. She should clear the air through the media. It’s simple enough. Everyone has been saying that Caspian is Alaric and Orion’s son, even though neither of them has publicly acknowledged it. A public clarification would be easy.”
Mrs. Marigold scoffed. “Clarifying it may be simple for Orion, but wouldn’t that be humiliating for us? You know how the media loves to dig into celebrity scandals. If she clarifies that Caspian isn’t her biological son, they’ll go straight after his real mother. If it comes out that Caspian is illegitimate, our Knight family will become the laughingstock.”
Griffon looked at her, frustrated. “Mrs. Marigold, you can’t keep being so selfish. Even when Alaric and Orion were engaged, you went behind our backs to find other women to bear children for Alaric. We kept quiet. You insisted on keeping that illegitimate child, and now Orion had to take over the mess you created. The Nash family has done enough for your family. Now that Alaric and Orion have broken up, we can’t keep dragging Orion down like this.”
Griffon’s words struck a nerve. Mrs. Marigold’s face twisted in irritation, but Griffon was unrelenting. “I can’t agree to this anymore. You need to clarify this with Alaric soon, or if Orion does it, it will cause even more trouble. If the truth comes out that way, you’ll find yourself in a very difficult position.”
Mrs. Marigold didn’t argue. She understood the consequences, but she couldn’t shake her fear of Alaric’s reaction. “I know Alaric… He has always believed that Caspian was Orion’s child, the one she gave birth to while he was unconscious. If I suddenly tell him otherwise, I fear he won’t be able to accept it. Give me some time.”
Griffon didn’t have much sympathy. “Mrs. Marigold, I understand you’re afraid of Alaric resenting you, but this lie is no longer beneficial. Alaric may not blame you, but this has gone on for too long.”
Mrs. Marigold, her face softening with guilt, nodded reluctantly. “You’re right. We can’t keep this up.”
Griffon’s patience was wearing thin. “I hope you take care of this matter as soon as possible. My family has more than enough trouble already. Orion was betrayed, and my wife is dying from cancer. I’m exhausted. Please, Mrs. Marigold, for the sake of everyone involved, clarify this with Alaric before it’s too late.”
After hearing this, Mrs. Marigold cursed silently under her breath but smiled nonetheless. “I understand,” she said, her tone a little too sweet.
Griffon, clearly done with the conversation, nodded stiffly. “Good. You can handle it now. I need to get back to my wife.”
As Griffon turned to leave the study, Mrs. Marigold stayed behind, her thoughts clouded with concern over the impending confrontation with her son.
Back in the villa, Harry had finished his meal and was still feeling uneasy about the situation. He had caught a glimpse of Griffon on his way downstairs, and for a moment, he had considered calling him “grandfather” politely. But when Griffon shot him a disgusted look and left without a word, Harry couldn’t help but wonder, Is this really what a grandfather is like?
Bastard! he thought, but to his surprise, he overheard Mrs. Marigold muttering the same word. “Bastard,” she hissed, though it was muffled and low enough that he wasn’t completely sure she was referring to him.
Curious, Harry approached her. “Grandma, what did you just say?” he asked, his voice sharp. “Did you say ‘Bastard’? Who were you talking about? Me? Are you confused, Grandma? I’m your grandson. If you call me a bastard, aren’t you calling yourself one, too?”
Mrs. Marigold, enraged, raised her hand to strike him, but Harry was quick on his feet and dodged the blow. He turned to her with a grin. “Grandma, why are you hitting people? Child abuse is against the law, you know. You’re already so old. Wouldn’t it be embarrassing if you were arrested?”
Fuming with rage, Mrs. Marigold pointed at him in fury but didn’t attempt to strike again. Instead, she stormed off, muttering curses under her breath.
Harry, satisfied with himself, made a face at her retreating figure. Turning to Aunt Lindsay, he asked, “Aunt Lindsay, did I do something wrong when I was younger? Why does my grandmother dislike me so much?”
Aunt Lindsay sighed, her voice laced with sympathy. “We don’t know, Harry. But, to be honest, we do feel sorry for you. Your grandmother’s behavior isn’t right.”
Harry furrowed his brow. “So, I didn’t do anything wrong, right?”
Aunt Lindsay smiled softly. “No, young master Caspian. You’ve never done anything wrong.”
Feeling reassured, Harry decided to drop the matter. But as he pulled out his phone, he had one more thing to do. He called Alaric.
When Alaric answered, the worry in his voice was immediate. “Hello, Caspian. What’s wrong? You sound upset.”
“What’s wrong, Dad?” Harry’s voice trembled slightly with concern. “I don’t know what’s going on, but something’s really off with Grandma, and I need to talk to you.”
Alaric’s tone grew more anxious. “What happened? Tell me everything.”