Chapter 291
Seeing Aurora’s guilty expression, Cormac smiled affectionately and gently ruffled her hair. “No, they always like to argue. Come on, let’s go in and eat.”
He took Aurora’s hand and led her inside.
Once they were seated in the private room, the atmosphere lightened, and everyone, except for Caspian, was smiling. Elisa leaned in close to Caspian’s ear and whispered, “Caspian, don’t be upset. Harry’s probably wearing height-increasing shoes. You two are actually the same height.”
Despite Elisa speaking softly, Harry overheard her and shot her a disdainful look. “Don’t lie to comfort Caspian, Elisa. The fact is, I’m taller than him.”
With a smug grin, Harry turned to Aurora. “Aurora, these two always gang up on me. From now on, let’s hang out together. The big genius should be with the little genius.”
“I was the first-place winner in the global math competition. You don’t deserve to talk about being a genius in front of me!” Caspian shot back immediately, unable to let Harry have the last word.
“Oh, right. Did your brain grow at the expense of your stature?” Harry mocked, clearly enjoying the teasing.
“Rook Storm!” Caspian was fuming, ready to hit Harry. But before he could react, Harry quickly darted behind Alaric, yelling, “Daddy, Caspian wants to hit me!”
“Enough. It’s a miracle if you two don’t argue for a minute,” Alaric interjected firmly, raising a hand. “Sit down, and no more arguing.”
Harry immediately sat down, though Caspian remained quiet, still brooding.
Stellan, feeling a bit awkward, gave a sheepish smile and turned to Cormac and Aurora. “They argue like this every day. They can’t go a day without it.”
Aurora, smiling fondly, said, “That’s great. It shows they’re close.” But as soon as the words left her mouth, Caspian and Harry almost simultaneously chimed in, “We do not have a good relationship!”
Aurora giggled. “See, you two are in sync right now.”
Both Caspian and Harry were clearly reluctant to admit it, but the moment had passed, and the tension eased a little.
When the food arrived, everyone began eating. Aurora, almost in disbelief, looked around and said, “I never dreamed I would one day eat in such a fancy place. The food here is delicious. Thank you for the treat, Uncle Alaric and Sister Stellan.” Her sweet manners made it hard for anyone not to like her.
Since the Storm family went bankrupt, Stellan had been raising Elisa and Harry on her own, so she felt especially sympathetic toward Aurora’s situation.
Stellan’s voice softened as she spoke to Aurora. “Aurora, Alaric and I are good friends with Cormac. If he’s ever too busy with work to take care of you, you can always come to us, okay?”
Aurora’s heart swelled with gratitude. “Thank you,” she said with a smile. “My dad was right; there are more good people in this world. Thank you for liking me.”
Alaric and Stellan exchanged a glance, both touched by Aurora’s maturity and kindness. It was clear they genuinely liked this thoughtful little girl.
Halfway through the meal, Aurora politely excused herself. “Please excuse me for a moment, I’m going to the restroom.”
Cormac quickly asked, “Can you find it?”
“Yes, I saw it when we came in.” With that, Aurora slipped away.
When she returned from the restroom, she was surprised to find Alaric standing outside. She looked up at him, puzzled. “Alaric, are you going to the restroom too?”
“No,” Alaric replied gently. “I came to find you.”
“Find me?” Aurora asked, confused.
“Yes,” Alaric said, his voice soft. “Can I ask how you and Cormac met?”
Aurora looked up at him, a little surprised. How did they meet? She paused for a moment, then told Alaric the truth.
As she spoke, Alaric felt a chill run down his spine. Cormac had really considered suicide. The thought struck him like a heavy blow. He couldn’t imagine what would have happened if Aurora hadn’t been there to save Cormac. If he had jumped off the rooftop… how would Alaric have coped with that loss? The guilt would have haunted him forever.
“Thank you, Aurora. Thank you for saving him and saving me,” Alaric said with deep gratitude.
Aurora blinked, unsure. “Uncle Alaric, I didn’t know you before. How did I save you?”
Alaric ruffled her hair affectionately, his tone warm and sincere. “By saving him, you saved me.”
Aurora’s eyes softened with understanding, though her expression was still tinged with confusion. “Oh,” she murmured.
“Come on, let’s go back and continue eating.” Alaric took Aurora’s hand and led her back to the private room, a weight lifting from his shoulders.
Maybe everything happens for the best.
“Let’s have a drink to celebrate today,” Alaric said to Cormac with a smile. “I’ll have the driver take you home later.”
Stellan, who was always concerned about Alaric’s health, hesitated. She didn’t want him to drink, but seeing how happy he was, she didn’t want to spoil the mood. So, she said nothing and let him enjoy the moment.
Alaric and Cormac shared a few drinks, the conversation flowing easily between them. It felt like old times again. The atmosphere grew more lively, and Alaric, particularly, began to show signs of being slightly tipsy. When the meal was over, Alaric had the driver take Cormac and Aurora home. After seeing them off, the family of five got into their car.
Stellan drove, Alaric sat in the front passenger seat, and the three kids were in the back, all quiet now.
Not long after they left the restaurant, Alaric leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. Elisa, always sensitive to her father’s well-being, quickly turned to Stellan. “Mommy, what’s wrong with Daddy?”
Alaric had been unwell before, and Elisa had been particularly worried ever since.
“Shh,” Stellan gently reminded Elisa. “Your daddy drank a bit too much. Don’t make noise and let him sleep for a while.”
The three children nodded in unison, all falling into a peaceful silence as the car continued its journey.
When they arrived home, Stellan signaled for Caspian, Harry, and Elisa to get out of the car first. After they had exited, she turned her attention to Alaric, who was still leaning back in his seat, his eyes closed.
She called his name softly, “Alaric?”
“Hmmm?” Alaric responded lazily, blinking as he stirred.
“We’re home,” Stellan said gently. “It’s uncomfortable to sleep in the car. Let’s go to the bedroom.”
Alaric nodded, slowly getting out of the car, though he seemed a bit unsteady. Stellan was quick to support him. “I shouldn’t have let you drink. Your body can’t handle it.”
“I was happy. This is the last time, I promise I won’t drink again,” Alaric said with a sheepish grin.
Maybe it was because of the alcohol or just because he hadn’t drunk in a while, but Alaric’s head throbbed with a slight ache.
Stellan helped him to the bedroom and carefully laid him on the bed. She brought him warm water and a towel to wipe his face and hands.
Alaric smiled up at her, looking touched. “My Mrs. Knight is so good.”
“Stop joking,” Stellan said seriously, her brow furrowing slightly. “Alaric, I’m serious. Your body can’t be neglected anymore. Josep said that the special medicine is still very difficult to succeed, so we have to stick to the previous treatment.”
She continued, her tone firm, “A course of treatment is seven injections, one every four days, which takes about a month. That means you have to stop everything for a month and focus on treatment. If you stop halfway, we’ll have to start over.”
Alaric sighed, but he nodded. “Okay. I’ll arrange my work as soon as possible.”
Ambrose was now hospitalized, and Todd would behave for a while after the recent incident. At least, Alaric thought, this month should be peaceful.
But he was about to learn the hard truth: reality often doesn’t go as planned.