Chapter 35
This was the second time Galatea had been in the passenger seat of Alaric’s car, and the weight of their earlier conversation about Ambrose Vale still lingered in the air. Galatea couldn’t shake the emotions stirred by the mention of Ambrose, but she did her best to mask them. Her gaze remained fixed on the world outside the window, pretending that the scenery could distract her.
Alaric glanced in the rearview mirror and caught a brief glimpse of her forlorn expression, something about it tugging at his heartstrings. He couldn’t understand why, but the sight of her sadness made him feel an unfamiliar sense of empathy.
Shaking off her gloom, Galatea stepped out of the car when they arrived at the school, a strange sense of eagerness bubbling up within her. She was curious about what Alaric’s son looked like. Could the boy resemble Harry so much that Alaric, in his delusion, might actually believe Harry was his own child?
“Are you sure your son is at this school?” Galatea asked, her patience wearing thin. She and Alaric had been waiting outside the school gates for a while, but despite the continuous stream of parents and children coming and going, there was still no sign of his son.
Galatea’s concern began to grow. Was Alaric delusional again? she wondered. Could it be that his son wasn’t even at this school?
Alaric checked his watch and, with a frown, dialed Caspian’s teacher. The response he received sent a chill down his spine.
“Caspian was picked up by his grandfather. Didn’t he inform you?” The teacher’s words were blunt.
“His grandfather?” Alaric echoed, his confusion mounting. Griffon?
“No, he didn’t,” Alaric replied, forcing calm into his voice. “But thank you for letting me know.”
He quickly ended the call and dialed Griffon’s number. When Griffon answered, his voice was hurried, laced with apology. “Alaric, I completely forgot to mention I’d be picking up Caspian today. Sorry about that—it was an oversight on my part. I meant to call but it slipped my mind.”
“It’s fine. But may I ask why you decided to pick him up so suddenly?” Alaric pressed, a lingering unease crawling through him.
“I just missed the boy,” Griffon explained. “We live close to the school, and it seemed a shame for him to board when he could be with family. Let’s have him stay over this weekend.”
Alaric’s stomach churned at the thought. If Caspian went to stay at the Nash family residence, Orion would likely be there. What if Caspian had another episode? The mere thought of it made his blood run cold.
“I understand you miss him, but you know about Caspian’s condition,” Alaric replied, his voice tight with concern. “He’s been doing better lately, and I’m worried that seeing Orion might trigger one of his episodes.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Griffon reassured him. “Orion’s away at a film shoot, and it’s just me and your aunt at home. We’ll take great care of him.”
Reluctantly, Alaric gave in. “Alright. Please take care of him.”
After the call ended, Griffon handed the phone to Harry, his voice warm. “Here, Caspian, tell your dad you’re staying at grandpa’s now.”
Harry, surprised to see an unfamiliar elderly gentleman picking him up today, realized it was Caspian’s granddad. He had no choice but to play along.
“Hi, Dad. I’m at Grandpa’s house now,” Harry said, trying to sound convincing. “Don’t worry, I’ll be good.”
Alaric’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. Caspian sounded so much more mature, almost as if he were trying to reassure him.
“With Caspian saying that, I guess you can stop worrying now, right?” Griffon added with a chuckle.
“Yes,” Alaric replied, his voice low, yet filled with lingering concern. “Please take care of him.”
Galatea understood now that Alaric’s son had indeed been picked up by Griffon, which meant there was no need to worry about him for the moment. But something about Griffon’s actions left her curious. Why didn’t Griffon reveal her real identity? she wondered. She couldn’t quite place his motives. After all, there was no real relationship between her and Alaric, so perhaps it didn’t matter.
“Get in the car!” Alaric’s voice broke into her thoughts, sharp and commanding. She looked up to find him already in the SUV, waiting for her.
Galatea had no choice but to follow. Once inside, the engine roared to life, and Alaric spoke, his tone casual yet pointed. “Since I can’t see my son, how about you take me to meet yours?”
Galatea froze, her surprise evident. “What? Meet my son?” she echoed, incredulous. “We aren’t even a couple. Why would you want to meet my son?”
Alaric’s lips twisted into a smirk, the edge of mockery in his voice. “What’s the matter? Getting cold feet?” He paused, his gaze flicking over to her. “Last time, you got caught out with my son at dinner. You made up a story about having a boy, but in reality, you only have a daughter, right?”
Galatea couldn’t help but laugh at his words, shaking her head in disbelief. “Alaric, you’re wasting your smarts! You should be an editor with that imagination of yours!”
He raised an eyebrow, his amusement evident. “Lost your nerve?”
Galatea gave him a sly grin. “How could I not dare? Today, I’ll have my son tell you himself who I was really dining with that day!”
“Fine,” Alaric said, a mix of skepticism and curiosity in his voice. “I’m all ears.”
Galatea’s words made Alaric even more doubtful of her intentions. Was she trying to climb the social ladder by using his son? Or was she the delusional one? His suspicions only deepened as he drove to her apartment, his mind racing with possibilities.
The moment they arrived, the arrival of Alaric’s car sparked a spectacle among the residents of the complex. Due to the narrow lanes, he parked at the curb and both of them got out.
Galatea immediately called Harry and Elisa’s phone, and Elisa answered after a few rings. “Hey, mom!” she greeted brightly.
“Elisa, you’re home, right?” Galatea asked, her voice smooth.
“Yeah,” Elisa replied.
“Good, I’ll be home soon.” Galatea hung up, and Elisa rushed to the window, spotting her mom and Alaric approaching the building. Her eyes widened.
“Harry, Harry! Come quick, look—mom’s bringing that jerk home!” Elisa called out urgently.
Caspian, who had been hiding, froze in fear at the sight of his dad. What is he doing here?! he thought, panicked. If Dad sees me now, I’m done for.
“Elisa, you can’t let on that I’m here,” Caspian whispered from his hiding spot, his voice urgent. “Not a word!”
“Understood,” Elisa said quickly, although she was utterly confused by her brother’s odd behavior.