Chapter 52
“How’s Caspian holding up?” Alaric asked, his worry evident. Since the boy left the hospital, Alaric had been anxious. Galatea was resting, so he used the brief moment of peace to call Cormac.
Cormac answered with a tired voice. “He’s been locked in his room for over half an hour. I’ve knocked several times, but no luck. I’m really worried—any stress could trigger his condition.”
Alaric glanced over at Galatea’s hospital bed, her condition still critical. He hesitated to leave, but the weight of concern for his son was too much. “Try talking to him. If that doesn’t work, call me. I’ll come back,” he instructed.
“Got it,” Cormac replied, ending the call.
He approached Caspian’s door and knocked gently. “Caspian, can you open up? If you need to vent, I’m right here. Don’t lock yourself away. Please, open up.”
Inside the room, Caspian sat slumped against the bed, hugging his knees to his chest on the floor. The time he spent swapping places with Harry had been the happiest of his life. He had a tender, loving mother and a sweet sister. He felt warmth he had never known before.
He had dreamed that once his father married their mother, they would live together as a family of five—full of warmth and happiness. He wouldn’t be so lonely anymore. He wouldn’t be sick. He would be a normal kid.
But losing that dream, so suddenly, was more than he could bear.
Meanwhile, Harry, now back in his own skin, entered their apartment. A wave of affection surged through him at the sight of Mia and Elisa.
“Mia, Elisa,” he called, his voice lighter than before.
“Back before midnight, Harry? That’s an improvement,” Elisa remarked, half-joking.
It felt like an eternity since Harry had seen Elisa. He pinched her cheek playfully. “Did you miss me, Elisa?”
Glancing at the clock, Elisa frowned. “We’ve been apart for just two and a half hours. Miss you? Get real, Harry. I’m your sister, not your girlfriend.”
Harry fell silent.
He had called her from his own phone, but she still mistook him for an impostor. A sister like her must be one of a kind.
“Harry,” Elisa suddenly leaned in closer, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. “Since Mom and our future stepdad are off on a trip, how about we go on a little adventure next weekend? You can splurge on a fancy dinner, and we can stay in a luxury hotel. I want to feel like a little princess for once.”
The suggestion irked Harry, but he swallowed his frustration. He couldn’t let Elisa know how he really felt.
“Elisa Storm,” he said, his tone more serious, “you know how hard Mom works to provide for us. You can’t always think about living it up. We can’t afford to travel. In fact, we should look for part-time gigs, maybe as youth models, to earn some extra cash. That way, we can help out Mom and ease her load.”
After the accident, it was clear that Galatea needed to focus on her recovery. She wouldn’t be able to work for a while, and that meant they had to contribute financially.
“Isn’t that child labor? Wouldn’t that be illegal?” Elisa asked, her face scrunched in confusion. “Besides, aren’t you loaded with cash now? Why drag me into working if you’re so well-off? Are you even my real brother?”
“Me, rich?” Harry was genuinely baffled. “Since when did I have money?”
“You won first place in the Global Math Competition, remember? There was a huge cash prize,” Elisa retorted, her irritation growing. “You used to be so generous, buying me all sorts of nice things. What happened? Did playing basketball switch your personality back?”
Harry blinked. What, a large cash prize? Did Caspian tell her that?
Caspian came from a wealthy family. Of course, he had money. But now that Harry was Harry again, he didn’t have a dime.
“Elisa, even if I had money, we can’t just blow it all. We should be frugal,” Harry tried to explain.
Before he could finish, Elisa grabbed his shoulder, her eyes pleading. “Harry, please, just stay the way you are now. Don’t revert to who you were before.”
“Do you like him more than your real brother?” Harry asked, the question slipping out before he could stop it.
“What do you mean?” Elisa was clearly puzzled, reaching up to touch his forehead. “You’re not feverish, are you? Aren’t you my brother?”
Realizing his mistake, Harry quickly corrected himself. “Okay, let me put it this way—do you prefer who I was before we went abroad or after?”
“Obviously, it’s who you became after!” Elisa answered without hesitation. “Before, you were argumentative and petty, always competing with me for attention. Being around you then made me feel like just an ordinary sister getting picked on. But after, I felt treasured, like a princess being coddled. Who wouldn’t prefer that?”
Harry’s heart sank. His mind raced as he processed Elisa’s words. Was that who she really thought of him as?
He fell silent, a bitter smile tugging at his lips—one filled with resignation and frustration.
“Elisa Storm,” he sighed, “we’ve grown up together for six years. I thought we were close.”
“What’s the matter?” Elisa asked, increasingly confused. “I honestly don’t get what you’re trying to say. It’s all over the place.”
“You don’t have to get everything,” Harry replied flatly. “But starting next weekend, we need to figure out how to make some money. Got it?”
“Why do we have to go out and make money?” Elisa huffed, crossing her arms.
“I’m your older brother, and what I say goes. Now go to bed. No more arguments!”
Fuming, Elisa puffed out her cheeks, fists clenched. “Harry, I’m starting to doubt that you’re even my real brother!”
“You’re welcome to get a DNA test, but right now, you need to go to sleep,” Harry replied, his voice sharp.
With a frustrated growl, Elisa stormed off to her room and slammed the door behind her.
Harry watched her go, irritated. Caspian, you’ve truly done it now. Not only have you charmed Mom, but now Elisa is entirely smitten with you. It’s driving me crazy!
After venting, Harry retreated to his room. It had been so long since he’d slept in his own bed, but now that he was back, the comfort was almost overwhelming.
For Caspian, returning to the Knight family mansion was like walking into hell. His mood had soured the entire day. As soon as he entered the house, Alaric rushed back from the hospital, his worry evident.
He found Caspian huddled on the floor, his shoulders slumped in despair. The sight of his son in such a state broke Alaric’s heart. The boy looked utterly miserable and helpless, more so than he ever had before.