Chapter 131
Although Mrs. Marigold remained silent on the other end of the phone, Alaric could hear the subtle tension in her breathing. It was clear that she was struggling to find the right words, and he decided to press on.
“Do you really have no reason?” he asked again, his voice sharp but calm.
The silence stretched on for several seconds, and he could practically hear the wheels turning in her head. He was amused by her hesitation. He knew she was caught off guard, and it only confirmed his suspicions that something wasn’t quite right.
“Hmph,” Alaric chuckled, finally breaking the tension. “If you were to tell me that Caspian wasn’t Orion’s son but had a different birth mother, I might believe it. But saying he’s not my son? That’s absolutely impossible.”
Mrs. Marigold’s confusion was clear even through the phone. “Didn’t you refuse to do a paternity test with the boy?” she asked, her voice tentative. “How can you be so sure he’s your biological son? What if he isn’t?”
Alaric’s answer was firm, his confidence unshaken. “A psychological connection between father and son is enough. No need for any tests.”
Her reaction to that statement told him everything he needed to know. She was rattled.
“Mom,” Alaric continued, his voice lowering with intensity, “I was asleep for three years. When I woke up, I had a son. You told me that Orion gave birth to him, and I never questioned it. But now, why are you doubting it? What exactly did you hide from me about that time?”
The weight of his words left her speechless, and Alaric’s frustration grew.
“Caspian’s birth wasn’t my decision,” he went on, his voice a little softer now. “He was there when I woke up. I believe that if he wasn’t the Knight family’s heir, you wouldn’t have kept him. You must have had a reason, something unavoidable. But since you kept him and raised him under your roof, surely, you must have some feelings for him. Doesn’t he mean anything to you?”
Mrs. Marigold was left completely tongue-tied. She wasn’t heartless, and if Caspian had just been a child growing up by her side, maybe she would have grown to love him. But every time she saw him, all she could think of was that damn Stellan—and the hatred she still carried for her.
Alaric’s voice hardened. “Mom, Caspian is my biological son. You don’t have to doubt it. If you really don’t like him, I won’t force you to. But if you ever speak ill of him again, if you ever hurt him with your words, I swear I’ll never forgive you.”
Without waiting for her response, he ended the call.
Mrs. Marigold was left in stunned silence. Her mind raced as she struggled to understand why Alaric was so certain. Was there really a psychological bond between father and son? Was that truly enough to bind them, even when the DNA test clearly said otherwise?
Her mind kept spiraling as the puzzle pieces began to fall into place. The DNA test that she had so carefully hidden from Alaric—the one that had clearly shown Caspian wasn’t his son—flashed in her thoughts. If Alaric had been so sure, then why had she been so certain that the test result would disprove it all? Could she have been wrong all along?
“Rook!” she suddenly called out, her voice frantic. “Rook!”
Even after all these years, Rook was still by her side, though his movements were slower and his memory wasn’t as sharp as it used to be.
“What’s the matter, Mrs. Marigold?” Rook asked, a hint of concern in his voice.
“Is the DNA test report from Alaric and Caspian still available?” she asked, her voice low but urgent.
Rook seemed to pause for a moment. “Didn’t you tear it up when you saw it? I remember you were really angry back then.”
Mrs. Marigold frowned as she tried to recall. “Did I? Maybe I did,” she muttered, feeling the weight of her emotions clouding her thoughts.
Rook nodded slowly, though his tone was filled with confusion. “You did. You were furious about it.”
Mrs. Marigold thought for a moment before asking him, “Do you think Caspian looks like Alaric?”
Rook didn’t hesitate. “Yes, they look alike. Very much so.”
Her mind whirred with the implications of that answer. They looked alike, but how could that be? The science didn’t match up with what she had been told. There was no way a mistake could have happened with the test—it was all machine-driven, after all.
“Do you think DNA tests can be wrong?” she asked, her voice tinged with desperation.
Rook sounded puzzled. “How could they be wrong? It’s all machine testing. It’s reliable. What’s going on, Mrs. Marigold? Why are you asking about this now?”
Mrs. Marigold’s frustration only grew. “I called Caspian a bastard, and that brat actually went and complained to Alaric. Now Alaric is angry at me.”
Rook’s response was surprisingly gentle. “You can’t blame him for that. Caspian’s been raised by Young Master Alaric for years, so they have a bond, a similar temperament. Caspian and Alaric are both cold, antisocial—very much alike. Young Master Alaric has always relied on Caspian, and now he’s being told that Caspian isn’t his biological son. If that’s true, Alaric wouldn’t be able to handle it.”
Mrs. Marigold sat back in her chair, lost in thought. She knew Rook was right. Alaric wouldn’t just accept that kind of information. He might have trusted her for years, but that trust was built on lies, and once that foundation cracked, everything else would come crumbling down.
“How could I have been so hasty?” she muttered bitterly. “If I had known Alaric would wake up, I wouldn’t have gone through so much trouble to find a woman to give him an heir.”
Rook’s voice softened with understanding. “It’s not your fault, Mrs. Marigold. You didn’t know if Alaric would ever wake up. And you were thinking about the Knight family’s succession, too.”
Mrs. Marigold clenched her fists, her face twisted with regret. “The result was just too impatient. I let my emotions get the better of me and trusted that woman too easily. I was fooled by that bitch.”
Rook hesitated for a moment, but then he spoke again, carefully. “Say what you want, Mrs. Marigold, but… I think Ms. Stellan was obedient. When she was at her wit’s end and agreed to have a child for Mr. Alaric, she was just repaying her debts. But I can’t understand why she would lie to you about the baby.”
Mrs. Marigold’s eyes narrowed as she recalled everything she knew about Stellan. “Who knows? Maybe she got pregnant with someone else’s child and took the opportunity to deceive me when I asked her to have Alaric’s heir,” she said bitterly.
Rook shook his head slowly. “But didn’t you have her checked thoroughly before the artificial insemination? If she was already pregnant, it would’ve been detected.”
Mrs. Marigold froze. Rook was right. She had chosen Stellan specifically because she was healthy, well-educated, and from a good background. She’d even had Stellan undergo a full medical exam to ensure she was fit to carry Alaric’s heir. If Stellan had been pregnant with someone else’s child, the tests would have caught it.
“I handled the procedure carefully every step of the way,” she muttered, her frustration building again. “I don’t know where the problem lies. The test results were clear. How could I have been so wrong?”
Rook offered a suggestion, trying to offer her a path forward. “Should we have Caspian and Young Master Alaric repeat the paternity test?”
Mrs. Marigold’s eyes widened. “Is it really necessary? Can the machine results be wrong?”
Rook replied calmly, “It’s not necessary, but since you’ve already torn up the original test results, you’ll have no proof now. If you want to convince Young Master Alaric, you’ll need another test. Without that, he won’t believe you.”
She stared at Rook for a long moment, then nodded slowly. “Yes, you’re right. Let’s do it.”
And so, with a new determination in her heart, Mrs. Marigold made her decision. This was the only way to get to the truth—and hopefully, keep everything from unraveling completely.