Chapter 148: The Truth Revealed
Mrs. Marigold was frozen in place, her mind spinning as she stared at the DNA results in her hands. She had been certain that Caspian could never be part of the Knight family. But the paper in front of her painted a different picture—one she couldn’t accept.
“Same DNA test, but different results… There has to be an error in the data,” she muttered, trying to rationalize the impossible.
Joe, equally unsettled, struggled to understand the situation. “Could it be a data error?” he asked, but even he sounded uncertain.
Mrs. Marigold shook her head in disbelief. “Impossible. These are machine results—there can’t be any errors.”
“If it’s not a data error, then it must be due to human factors,” Joe suggested.
“Human factors?” Mrs. Marigold repeated the words as if they might provide an answer. Suddenly, she had an idea. “Rook, find the doctor who conducted the original DNA test! I need answers!”
“Right away,” Rook replied, immediately heading out to contact the hospital.
Mrs. Marigold’s gaze dropped back to the results. She couldn’t believe it. If this was true, it would mean she had been wrong all along. It would mean that the deaths of her other grandchildren, the two poor souls who had died shortly after birth, were indirectly her fault. The guilt was suffocating.
“Mrs. Marigold, I’ve contacted the hospital. They found the doctor who did the test, but he retired a few years ago and has since gone abroad. They don’t know which country he’s in,” Joe reported, after making some calls.
“Joe, confirm if these results are real—go quickly!” Mrs. Marigold was shaking with anxiety. Every second felt like an eternity as she waited for the truth. She prayed that Caspian was indeed her grandson, but the agony of what it would mean if he was only heightened her distress.
Mrs. Marigold could barely hold it together as thoughts of her lost grandchildren filled her mind. Stellan Storm had been carrying triplets—three precious grandchildren that should have been hers. Now, only Caspian remained.
“Caspian…” she whispered, the word cutting through her heart.
“Mrs. Marigold!” Joe called out, returning to the room, his face full of urgency. Mrs. Marigold looked at him, her body stiff with tension.
“I’ve asked the hospital to double-check,” Joe said, “and they confirmed the test was ordered specifically by Mr. Cormac. Multiple tests were conducted to ensure accuracy. The results are highly reliable, with no room for error. They assured me that if there was any issue, they would take full responsibility.”
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Marigold’s knees nearly buckled. She collapsed into Joe’s arms, nearly fainting from the shock.
“Are you okay?” Joe asked, worriedly supporting her.
Mrs. Marigold couldn’t speak for a long time. When she finally regained some composure, she looked at Joe with wide eyes and asked, “If these results are true… then the test from six years ago was fake?”
“Yes, Caspian is indeed the young master of the Knight family. He is your grandson,” Joe confirmed, his voice soft but steady.
As the truth hit her, Mrs. Marigold burst into an uncontrollable mixture of laughter and tears. Joe stood by, unsure of how to comfort her.
“I was wrong… I killed those two children…” Mrs. Marigold sobbed. “All these years, my true grandson has been right here, and I treated him like an outsider.”
“It’s not your fault, Mrs. Marigold,” Joe said gently. “You were deceived by the results from six years ago. If anyone is to blame, it’s Robert Williams. He’s the mastermind behind all of this. It’s Robert’s fault.”
“Yes, Robert!” Mrs. Marigold’s sorrow quickly transformed into rage. Her fists clenched, her body trembling with fury. “Find him, Joe! I don’t care where he’s gone, I want him found. He made me kill my own grandchildren. He made me blind to my real grandson. I want to kill him, Joe! I want to kill him right now!”
Joe nodded, keeping his voice calm. “We’ll find Robert. No matter where he is, we’ll bring him to justice. But you need to stay calm. Don’t let your anger control you.”
“I can’t calm down!” Mrs. Marigold cried out, her body wracked with sobs. “Stellan Storm… she was carrying triplets. I could’ve had three grandchildren. It was all supposed to be a cesarean section, and it’s all my fault! Why did I suddenly decide to do a DNA test when Stellan Storm was about to give birth? If I had just been more careful with the test… those poor children who died right after birth… It’s all my fault!”
Joe could only stand by, silent and helpless, as Mrs. Marigold’s grief consumed her.
After a long while, when Mrs. Marigold’s sobs began to quiet, Joe spoke gently. “Mrs. Marigold, I know it’s hard, but there’s nothing we can do to change the past. Regret won’t fix anything. But Caspian is still here. You still have him. He’s still your grandson.”
Mrs. Marigold looked up at him, her tear-streaked face filled with both pain and gratitude. “Thank goodness I kept Caspian. Thank goodness Alaric said he’s the lucky star of the Knight family. If I’d lost him, I don’t think I could live with myself.”
“Yes, Mrs. Marigold,” Joe agreed, nodding. “Caspian is still here.”
“Caspian… Caspian…” Mrs. Marigold repeated the name, her voice soft and filled with emotion. “I’m sorry, Caspian. I called you a bastard all these years.”
Joe sighed, trying to console her. “You were deceived, Mrs. Marigold. But instead of dwelling on the past, you need to focus on making it right with Caspian.”
“Yes, I must make it up to him. I’ve failed him for so long, but I can change that,” Mrs. Marigold said, determination replacing her earlier despair. She stood up abruptly. “I need to find Caspian.”
“Mrs. Marigold, slow down!” Joe shouted as she rushed toward the door. He hurried after her, but she was moving too quickly, and he couldn’t keep up.
Meanwhile, Alaric, who had left the old mansion, made a call to the villa to check on Caspian.
“Caspian is already asleep. Don’t worry, Mr. Alaric,” the servant assured him.
Harry, who had been lying in bed, resigned to whatever would come, had prepared himself for a storm that never came. With nothing else to do, he drifted off to sleep.
When the servant informed Alaric that Caspian had fallen asleep, he sighed in relief.
Later, on his way to the office, Alaric called Galatea, but after a few rings, she didn’t pick up. He tried again, but the line remained unanswered.