Chapter 228: Legal Ties and Family Tensions
“Mrs. Knight’s calling…” Stellan began, but Alaric was already hanging up the phone.
“Not going to answer?” Stellan asked, raising an eyebrow.
“No need,” Alaric replied, his tone cool. “Once we get the marriage certificate and the kids are out of school, we’ll take them back.”
Just as Stellan was about to speak, Alaric’s phone rang again. This time, it was Marigold. With a swift motion, he turned it off.
He thought that would bring some peace, but then Stellan’s phone rang—Marigold again.
Stellan’s irritation was evident as she saw the caller ID. Ignoring Marigold now would only escalate things. She sighed. “You should answer it.”
Reluctantly, Alaric grabbed Stellan’s phone and answered, his voice flat. “Hello, Mom.”
Marigold’s shrill voice blasted through the phone. “Alaric, do you still remember you have a mother?!” She was already furious from his earlier rejection, and the fact that he answered Stellan’s phone instead only fueled her rage. “They say a man forgets his mother once he gets a wife, but Stellan isn’t even married to you yet, and you’re already ignoring me? Do you want me dead?”
Her voice was so loud that even without the speakerphone, Stellan could hear every word clearly, which she had anticipated.
Alaric, attempting to remain calm, replied, “I was busy.”
“Busy with what?” Marigold screamed. “Getting cozy with Stellan?” Her tone dripped with disdain. “If you still consider me your mother, come to the Knight manor right now!”
Before Alaric could offer an excuse, Marigold hung up, her anger radiating through the call.
Alaric’s mood soured immediately. Stellan took her phone back, glancing at him with concern. “Alaric, getting the marriage certificate can wait. You should go home. Mrs. Knight has a weak heart. If she gets too upset, even if we get married, it won’t be a happy life.”
Alaric sighed deeply. “Cormac was right. My mom and Griffon are two peas in a pod. They’re exactly the same.”
Stellan’s voice softened. “How can you talk about your mom like that? You should go back.”
Alaric, his expression unreadable, turned to her. “Go with me.”
Stellan hesitated. “Aren’t you worried we’ll end up fighting if you take me back now?”
“It’s inevitable,” Alaric replied, his voice heavy with resignation. “You two are destined to be family. You can’t avoid it.”
Stellan, her nerves mounting, reluctantly agreed. “Alright then.”
“Don’t be afraid. I’m here,” Alaric reassured her as he took her hand.
She nodded, still trying to calm her racing heart. However, after a few moments, she realized they weren’t heading toward the Knight manor. She furrowed her brows. “Where are we going?”
“County Clerk’s Office,” Alaric answered nonchalantly.
Stellan’s confusion deepened. “Didn’t we agree to postpone getting married and go see your mom first?”
Alaric shrugged, his eyes glinting mischievously. “I never agreed to that. If there’s gonna be a storm, might as well make it a big one.”
Stellan frowned, still unsure. “Aren’t you worried about upsetting your mom too much?”
Alaric just smiled, his foot pressing harder on the accelerator. “Not really.”
Thanks to Alaric’s prior arrangements, the marriage process went smoothly and efficiently. Stellan hardly had time to process the rapid changes before she found herself holding the marriage certificate. She stared at it, blinking as if trying to convince herself it was real.
“Stop staring at it,” Alaric teased, taking the certificate from her hand. “You’ll wear it out.”
Stellan smiled, still in disbelief. “It’s my first time seeing it. Of course, I want to take in the moment.”
Looking at him, she asked with a hint of wonder, “So, I’m officially your wife now?”
“Yep,” Alaric confirmed with a grin. “And I’m your husband. Take care of me, honey.”
Stellan laughed, feeling a rush of happiness she hadn’t expected.
Alaric noticed the light in her eyes, teasing her further. “You said getting married could wait, but now you look so happy.”
“Stop it,” Stellan said, her voice tinged with affection. “It’s a strange feeling. We’ve been together, but now I feel more secure.”
Seeing her smile, Alaric couldn’t help but feel a surge of joy as well. He was even happier because he had finally succeeded in marrying her.
“And this,” Alaric said, handing her a small stack of papers.
Stellan glanced at the documents, her curiosity piqued. “The kids really have three different last names?”
“You thought I was joking?” Alaric asked, his tone serious but playful. “Regardless of their last name, they’re our kids.”
“That’s true,” Stellan agreed, carefully tucking the birth certificates away. “Our kids.”
As the car rolled to a stop in the Knight manor’s yard, Stellan’s heart began to race. The nerves she had been trying to suppress now bubbled to the surface. She took a deep breath as Alaric got out first, offering her his hand to help her out of the car.
As they walked into the manor, Stellan’s nerves flared, her heart thudding in her chest. Marigold had likely expected them to come, but seeing them holding hands—Alaric’s hand firmly grasping hers—still seemed to set her off. Her fury was palpable the moment they entered the hall.
“Mom,” Alaric greeted, his voice even but strained.
“Marigold,” Stellan added quietly, but Marigold’s response was a sharp, biting one.
“Don’t call me that,” she snapped. “I haven’t acknowledged you as my son’s wife.”
Alaric, unmoved, met his mother’s glare with a calm determination. “Whether you acknowledge it or not, it’s a legal fact.” He pulled out the marriage certificate and held it up. “I don’t care if that certificate from seven years ago was real or not, but this one is. Stellan is now my legal wife, and as her husband, I have a duty to protect her.”
The sight of the marriage certificate caused Marigold’s fury to boil over. She trembled with rage, her face flushed red. “Alaric, do you really think I’m dead? How dare you go behind my back and do this!”
Her voice was shrill, like a banshee, and Alaric could feel the storm she was about to unleash. The tension in the room grew thick, and Stellan, though she had braced herself, couldn’t help but feel the weight of it all.