Chapter 193: Galatea, Do You Believe in Fate?
Caspian was momentarily speechless in front of Elisa. He couldn’t help but laugh and feel a little exasperated. He had been so serious, trying to explain everything to her, but Elisa seemed to think he was just making things up.
“Elisa, I’m serious. I’m not lying to you. I’m Caspian, not Harry.”
Elisa stared at him blankly, as if he were talking nonsense. “Wake up, you are Harry.”
“I am Caspian,” he insisted, his patience thinning.
“You are Harry,” she replied firmly.
“No, I am Caspian.”
“You are Harry!” Elisa shot back.
At this point, Caspian gave up. “Fine, I’m Harry.”
Elisa looked at him smugly, as if she had won some great victory. “See? I told you, you still want to fool me. I’m not that easy to trick.”
Caspian felt both defeated and amused by her confidence. “Elisa,” he began seriously, “when you grow up, make sure you find a boyfriend like me—someone who can completely accept you, love you, and appreciate your cuteness and innocence. Don’t worry about your intelligence.”
Elisa narrowed her eyes. “Don’t think I can’t tell. You’re calling me stupid. You’re the stupid one for making up such nonsense. Only a fool would believe that.”
After Elisa finished speaking, Caspian could only smile bitterly. Despite the ridiculousness of the conversation, his affection for her deepened. “Elisa, you’re adorable. Can I be your brother for life?”
He treated Elisa like his own sister, spoiling her and cherishing every moment with her. He couldn’t bear the thought of a future without her.
Elisa’s response was swift and firm. She punched him lightly on the arm and retorted, “You are my brother from the start. If you don’t want to be my brother for life, are you planning to sever our sibling bond halfway?”
Caspian smiled, a warmth spreading through him. The embarrassment from earlier seemed to melt away. “Yes, that’s right. You’re absolutely right, Elisa.”
Elisa rolled her eyes. “I think you went out to play basketball, got hit in the head, and now you’re talking nonsense. It’s late. Go wash up and sleep. I don’t want to hear your crazy talk anymore.”
With that, Elisa left the study, and Caspian followed her out. As they made their way back to his bedroom, he glanced toward Nexus Innovations. His father, Alaric, should be there with Galatea now. If Galatea found out about the truth, how would she react? She knew Harry was her biological son, so she wouldn’t blame him. But would she be angry with him? Would she ignore him? The thought kept him awake, his mind spinning with worries about her potential reaction.
Meanwhile, Galatea was still in the dining room, preparing the cream of mushroom soup. Her mind was far from focused; distracted by Marigold’s actions, she moved slowly, trying to collect her thoughts. Alaric had noticed that Galatea had been in the kitchen for over half an hour and still hadn’t returned.
At that moment, his phone rang. It was Silas.
“Hello, did you find out?” Alaric asked eagerly, his heart racing.
“I found out, Mr. Alaric. The medical record for Stellan Storm confirms it. He died during childbirth seven years ago, and two children died with him,” Silas reported.
Alaric’s heart sank, but it also gave him clarity. This is it. This confirms everything.
But even as he learned the truth about Stellan’s death, Alaric couldn’t understand why the medical record listed Stellan as deceased. Galatea must have narrowly escaped death, and he finally understood why she had always feared childbirth and why Marigold had avoided seeing her. It was all connected. It was because of this tragic history.
Suddenly, a loud cry from the kitchen broke his thoughts. Alaric rushed out of bed, hurrying to the kitchen. Inside, he found Galatea standing in shock, her hand burned from spilling the soup. His heart twisted as he saw the injury.
“Why so careless? Does it hurt?” Alaric asked, his voice full of concern.
Galatea shook her head. “It’s nothing.”
Alaric’s eyes softened. “You’ve been working hard, but you’re distracted. Just let me call the chef to handle this. You shouldn’t be cooking with your hand burned.”
He dialed the chef, then led Galatea back to the living room. “What’s going on, Galatea? You seem so out of it tonight.”
Galatea hesitated, the weight of her worries pressing down on her. She wanted to confide in him, to share the truth about her son, but then Marigold’s warning echoed in her mind.
“If you dare tell anyone about this, you will never see your son again.”
Galatea bit her lip. She couldn’t risk it. So, she shook her head. “It’s nothing. I’m just tired and worried about you.”
Alaric looked at her, his gaze searching. “Really?”
“Really,” Galatea smiled faintly, trying to reassure him. “Can’t I deceive you just a little bit?”
But as she said it, her thoughts wandered. Last time, you were bedridden for two days after a shot, but this time… She looked at him with some surprise. His reaction is stronger than before. Normally, he couldn’t even get out of bed, but now he seems fine.
Alaric smiled at her, his voice warm. “I’m in a good mood.”
“A good mood?” Galatea raised an eyebrow, puzzled.
“Yes. Don’t you want to know why?”
Galatea, however, was distracted by her own thoughts and didn’t pursue the topic. “Is it good news at work? I don’t really understand all that, but congratulations.”
Alaric chuckled. He was content to let her think it was work-related news. He was actually happy that Elisa’s intelligence seemed to have come from Galatea. Thank goodness Caspian and Harry inherited my intelligence, or the situation would be much worse.
Later, when the chef finished preparing dinner, Alaric was in high spirits, despite just having received a shot. Galatea, ever considerate, brought dinner to his bedside and fed him with care.
Alaric felt a deep sense of contentment. Not only was Galatea kind and attentive, but he also realized just how lucky he was to have her in his life.
“Galatea, do you believe in fate?” he asked suddenly, his voice quiet yet filled with a strange emotion.
Galatea looked at him, bewildered. “Aren’t you reading financial magazines anymore? Now you’re spouting romance novel lines?”
Alaric laughed softly, unbothered by her teasing. “I’m serious. Don’t you think it’s amazing? That kind of destined encounter, where people meet, separate, and then, years later, no matter how many people come and go in their lives, they still find their way back to each other, fall in love, and stay together?”
Galatea shook her head, trying to hold back a smile. “What you’re saying is so cheesy. Shut up and eat!”
Alaric, though, simply smiled at her, feeling both amused and deeply moved. He wanted to tell her everything, to share the truth, but Galatea wasn’t letting him speak. Still, as he looked at her, feeding him with such care, he couldn’t help but wonder: If Galatea ever found out she had given birth to my child… how would she react?
Just as these thoughts crossed his mind, his phone rang again. Galatea glanced down at the screen, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw the name.
It was one word—“Mom!”