Chapter 220: Revelations and Uncertainty
Marigold barely had time to respond before Cormac hung up, leaving her fuming in silence.
“Bankrupt and still a jerk,” she muttered bitterly, tossing her phone aside in frustration.
Cormac, on the other hand, took a deep, sorrowful breath. In just a few days, he had truly seen people for what they were. When the Nash family had been thriving, friends had flocked to him, always finding reasons to be near. But now that the family was on the brink of ruin, everyone had turned their backs on him. Even Marigold, who had watched him grow up, seemed afraid to be associated with the Nash name. It felt like a cruel betrayal.
The sound of Cormac’s call had woken Harry from his sleep. He stretched, rubbed his eyes, and blinked, still groggy.
“Cormac, why are you up so early?” Harry mumbled, checking the time—it was barely past five.
Cormac, his face set in a grim expression, replied, “I let you crash here last night, but now you need to call your dad to come get you.”
Without another word, Cormac strode out of the bedroom, his footsteps quick and heavy. Harry rushed after him.
“Cormac, where are you going?” he asked, trying to keep up.
Cormac snapped back, “None of your business. Caspian, I’ve already told you, someone’s coming to take the house soon. If you don’t leave and get caught up in it, that’s on you!” He quickened his pace, leaving Harry standing behind, helpless.
“Cormac!” Harry called out, his voice breaking with a mix of confusion and concern. But by then, Cormac was already out of earshot.
Harry stood there, lost in thought. He really liked Cormac, and this sudden change in his behavior was baffling. Had there been a fight with Alaric? Why was Cormac acting this way?
With no other choice, Harry dialed Alaric’s number. Despite the early hour, both Alaric and Galatea were already awake.
Galatea had barely slept, too excited for the day ahead. She’d spent the entire night tossing and turning, eagerly checking the time, counting down the hours until she could see Caspian.
“Up so early?” Alaric remarked, looking at the clock and then at his wife, who was already sitting up in bed, wide-eyed.
“I can’t sleep, Alaric!” Galatea replied, impatience seeping into her voice. “Hurry, let’s go to Cormac’s and get Caspian back. It’s already daylight; if we drive over now, they’ll be awake.”
Alaric gave her a pointed look. “You want to see Caspian?”
Galatea nodded eagerly. “Of course, I want to see my son! I came back to find him!”
Alaric paused, then asked with a teasing glint in his eye, “Let me ask you again. You want to see Caspian, not Harry, right?”
Galatea snapped, clearly frustrated. “Alaric, are you nuts? I can see Harry anytime! But I want to see Caspian right now!”
Alaric just smiled, unbothered by her agitation. “Alright, wait here. I’ll bring Caspian to you.”
Before she could protest, Alaric had already left the room. Galatea sat there, stunned. Was he going to get Caspian himself? Why couldn’t she go with him?
Alaric had hoped to let Caspian sleep in, but Galatea’s impatience pushed him to wake the boy.
When Alaric explained the situation to Caspian, the boy’s face paled slightly, and he looked uncertain. “Dad, if I tell Mom the truth, will she be mad at me?” he asked nervously. He had never meant to deceive his mother, but now that the truth was coming out, he worried about her reaction.
Alaric gave him a reassuring smile. “She won’t be mad. If she knows you’ve been by her side all along, she’ll be overjoyed.”
He gave Caspian a gentle pat on the shoulder. “You need to be the one to explain things to her. Don’t worry, she won’t blame you or Harry.”
“Okay,” Caspian nodded, trying to find the courage he needed.
When Alaric brought Caspian into the bedroom where Galatea was waiting, she was livid.
“Alaric, are you messing with me?” she demanded, her voice sharp. “I asked you to bring Caspian from Cormac’s, and you bring me Harry?”
Alaric didn’t flinch. He simply nodded toward Caspian, who stepped forward with a nervous sigh.
“Mom, I’m sorry,” Caspian said quietly. “I lied to you before. I’m not Harry. I’m Caspian.”
Galatea’s face twisted with disbelief. “Harry, is this some prank with your dad? Alaric, take me to Cormac’s and get Caspian now!”
Alaric gently but firmly repeated, “He really is Caspian, the real deal.”
Galatea froze. She looked from Alaric to Caspian, her mind struggling to catch up. Could it be true? She studied Caspian carefully. The resemblance to Harry was undeniable, but still, this felt like a cruel joke.
“Are you Caspian?” Galatea’s voice was small, incredulous.
Caspian, looking like he had done something wrong, nodded. “I really am Caspian.”
Galatea’s heart dropped. She couldn’t process this. Even though they were triplets, how could Harry and Caspian look so much alike?
Before Galatea could ask more, Alaric’s phone rang. It was Harry.
Alaric looked at Caspian. “You need to explain everything to your mom. I’m going to get Harry now.”
“Okay, Dad,” Caspian said, watching Alaric leave.
As Alaric drove toward Cormac’s villa, he felt an uneasy knot form in his stomach. Harry calling so early—asking him to come over—only added to his growing concerns. If even Harry couldn’t persuade Cormac to speak with him, then Alaric truly didn’t know how to resolve things.
When he reached Cormac’s villa, he found Harry standing by the door alone, looking disheveled and frustrated.
“Harry, why are you alone?” Alaric asked, getting out of the car quickly.
Harry looked up, his expression frustrated and a bit lost. “Cormac left a long time ago. He seemed really upset.”
He paused before asking, “Dad, did you fight with Cormac?”
Alaric sighed deeply. “No, Cormac’s just going through a tough time. Don’t blame him.”
Harry shook his head. “I’m not blaming him. I just… I feel bad. I couldn’t make him feel better.”
“Harry, you’ve done great,” Alaric said, lifting Harry into the car. “Let’s go home first.”
As they drove away, Harry’s curiosity grew. “Dad, where are we going?” he asked, noticing they weren’t headed toward the Knight mansion.
“We’re going to see your mom, Caspian, and Elisa,” Alaric replied.
Harry’s eyes widened. “So… the secret’s out? Caspian and I don’t have to pretend anymore?”