Chapter 94: The Unraveling Web
The photos Griffon showed Orion were damning, taken earlier that morning as Galatea had exited Alaric’s car with Caspian and Elisa. The sight of them together was enough to raise suspicions. Orion’s voice wavered with anxiety. “Did… Alaric already know?” she asked, her fingers gripping the edge of the table as if steadying herself.
“Not yet,” Griffon replied, his tone calm, though it was clear he was not as unbothered as he seemed.
Orion wasn’t convinced. “He’s already seen Galatea’s two children. Caspian looks exactly like Galatea’s son. How could Alaric not be suspicious?”
Griffon’s response was dismissive. “Even if Alaric finds out, what would he do?”
Orion’s eyes widened with fear. “Are you senile, Dad? If he finds out about our mess, it will be a huge problem. And that old witch—Alaric’s mother—will go crazy!” She shuddered at the thought of Mrs. Marigold’s wrath. “What if she tears me apart?”
Griffon’s gaze grew cold, his words deliberate. “She went crazy because of her own actions. Remember, with your engagement to Alaric, she went behind our backs and had a woman bear Alaric’s children. Whatever happens to her, she deserves it.”
Orion’s frustration bubbled over. “I don’t care what happens to that old witch. I’m afraid… I’m afraid they’ll find out about the doctor we bribed to alter the DNA results. If Alaric finds out, he won’t just let it go.”
It was then that Orion’s mind returned to the time when Alaric had been in a coma for two or three years. She had almost given up hope when the doctor had delivered the news that Alaric was showing signs of waking up. That news had filled her with elation, but it was quickly followed by another revelation: Mrs. Marigold had secretly found a woman to bear Alaric’s children. Not just one child, but triplets, about to be born.
“Dad, Mrs. Marigold went behind our backs and found a woman to have Alaric’s children. Those children are about to be born. What do we do?” Orion’s voice cracked as she pleaded for help.
Griffon had been angry when he first learned of the situation, but he was more concerned about his daughter’s welfare. He had tried to reassure her. “That old lady is desperate to secure the Knight family’s future. Orion, at this point, there’s nothing we can do. There are plenty of other good men in the world. Why obsess over Alaric?”
“I won’t!” Orion shouted, tears streaming down her face. “I’ve loved Alaric since I was a child! I won’t marry anyone else! If I had known he was going to wake up, I would’ve had his children myself. I don’t care! I’ve waited for him for so many years, and now that he’s awake, how can I let someone else be Mrs. Knight? I won’t. I’d rather die!”
At that moment, Orion was so desperate that she declared she would die if she couldn’t marry Alaric. Griffon had been forced to listen to her dramatic outburst, a headache building as he tried to find a way out of this mess.
“But as you said, that woman is about to give birth. What can you do?” Griffon muttered, his mind racing.
Orion’s voice trembled. “Dad, please help me. I know you have a solution. Get rid of that woman. Alaric is my husband. The position of Mrs. Knight belongs to me. Dad… if you don’t help me, I will really die in front of you!”
Griffon, though clearly irritated, finally relented. “Alright. Leave it to me.”
He had secretly persuaded Mrs. Marigold to have a DNA test done, just in case. He then bribed the doctor to alter the results. They believed that if Mrs. Marigold knew the child wasn’t from the Knight family, she would throw the pregnant woman out. But things didn’t go as planned.
“She’s dead?!” Orion exclaimed in shock when she heard the news. “That woman and the two children are dead?”
Griffon’s expression was cold. “Yes, but there’s still one child left,” he said flatly. “Life and death are predetermined. We can only blame that woman for having a short life.”
Orion’s stomach churned at the thought, but she was still fearful. “But… there’s still one child left, right? What if Mrs. Marigold decides to do another DNA test?”
Griffon was unfazed. “Don’t worry. I have a solution.”
With determination in his eyes, Griffon approached Mrs. Marigold, intending to settle things once and for all. He had been angered by her secretive actions, going behind their backs to find a woman for Alaric to have children with, especially while he was still engaged to Orion.
“I didn’t intend to hide it,” Mrs. Marigold explained when Griffon confronted her. “But the Knight family needs an heir. I tried to approach Orion first to have a child with Alaric, but her mother rejected it. I had no choice…”
Griffon was furious. “You were too impatient. That’s why you almost got deceived by that woman. Now that Alaric is awake, and Orion is still devoted to him, she will bear his children in the future. As for that illegitimate child, throw it in an orphanage.”
“I’m afraid that won’t work,” Mrs. Marigold replied, her tone unwavering. “As soon as that child was born, Alaric woke up. I feel there’s a connection. I consulted a master, and they said this child is our Knight family’s mascot. If we keep him, it will ensure Alaric’s health and the prosperity of the Knight family.”
Griffon scoffed. “Mrs. Marigold, this is the modern age. Your belief has no scientific basis. You can’t believe in that!”
“I’d rather believe it,” she countered firmly.
“Then you insist on keeping this illegitimate child? What about Orion?” Griffon asked, his patience running thin.
Mrs. Marigold paused, her fingers tapping the table as she considered. “What if we tell Alaric that Orion is the mother of this child? That way, Alaric would have no reason not to marry her.”
Griffon’s face turned red with fury. “You want Orion to be the mother of this child? Mrs. Marigold, you’ve seen Orion grow up. How could you even think of something like this?”
But to his shock, Orion immediately agreed. “I agree. Alaric will have to marry me in that way.”
The plan was set. Everything seemed to be going smoothly—until the unexpected happened. That woman and those two children didn’t die. They returned.
“Galatea turned out to be Stellan from back then. That bitch is so lucky!” Griffon muttered under his breath, anger seething in his voice.
Orion was equally shocked, her mind struggling to process the revelation. “That woman is truly lucky…”
Griffon couldn’t hide his frustration. “She survived the difficult childbirth and the recent car accident. Now she’s back with two children. It’s only a matter of time before it all gets exposed. Dad, what should we do?”
Griffon’s expression remained calm as ever. “No need to panic. I bribed that doctor. He’s retired and gone abroad. The Knight family won’t be able to find him, and they won’t trace us. If Alaric wants to blame anyone, he can only blame Mrs. Marigold. When that happens, they will turn against each other, and we can sit back and enjoy the show.”
“But Alaric isn’t that easy to fool,” Orion said, her voice faltering with doubt.
Before Griffon could respond, he heard footsteps coming from the stairs. Quickly, he signaled for Orion to be quiet. He put on his chameleon-like smile as he walked to meet Galatea, who was now leaving Mrs. Ravenna’s room.
“Have you finished checking?” Griffon asked, his tone smooth and polite. “Galatea, thank you so much.”