With a knowing smile, Corrine responded, “I get it.”
In the room sat the man who cherished her above all, who couldn’t bear to see her in distress, always wishing to give her the best things in the world. At her side, Waldo gently pulled on Corrine’s wrist, hinting that she should hold back.
Turning to him, Corrine’s face wore a puzzled expression until Waldo subtly lifted an eyebrow, silently advising her to gauge the situation.
Then, raising his voice, he called out, “Corrine, your grandfather is still seething. Maybe it’s best we return another day, so we don’t catch an earful.”
No sooner had he finished than the sound of a cane thumping on the floor resounded.
It was Carl himself, coming out in person.
Carl, the head of the Ford family, was a lively man in his seventies with snowy white hair and a face etched with deep lines, yet his eyes still sparkled with the energy of his youth.
With deliberate severity, Carl grunted dismissively, “No one is leaving today!”
Waldo and Corrine shared a knowing glance before Waldo teased, “We’d be happy to stay, but it seems you’d rather we didn’t, eh?”
“You little rascal, always with a smart reply!” Carl said with a mix of annoyance and affection, lifting his cane as if to playfully threaten Waldo
Rushing to intervene, Corrine clasped Carl’s arm.
“Grandpa, blame me. Please calm down.”
“I thought you’d erased us from your heart after being away for three years,” Carl let out a heavy sigh, his head tipping to one side as he fought the tears threatening to escape.
Corrine, overcome by the weight of his words, found tears streaming down her face.
She recalled how fiercely Carl had objected when she chose to marry Bruce, pointing out Bruce’s irresponsibility and the clear differences between their families. Back then, Corrine held a firm belief that love would triumph over any hurdle, a notion now proven bitterly naive.
She deeply regretted leaving her family for a love that was never returned. Sniffling heavily, she managed to say, “Grandpa, I’m sorry. You were right all along.”
“Corrine, I never held it against you,” Carl responded tenderly, caressing her hair.
“I’ve always told you that Bruce and his family weren’t worthy of you. You were stubborn, choosing him over your own family. It turns out, my concerns were valid. Not one of them is worth your time. You’re just like your mother; sometimes you need to see things for yourself to truly understand.”
Embracing Carl, Corrine settled into his arms as she had when she was a little girl.
“Grandpa, I realize my mistake. I won’t make the same errors again.”
With a gentle pat, Carl reassured her.
“The most important thing is you’re home now.”
After calming down, Corrine brightened and suggested, “Grandpa, what would you like for lunch? Shall I make something special for you?”
“I want steak,” Waldo chimed in without hesitation.
“Ever thought of cooking it yourself?” Carl’s glare was ice-cold as he taunted, “You’re nearly forty, Waldo, and still without a wife. It’s embarrassing how you just live off of us.”
Softening his tone as he addressed Corrine, Carl suggested, “What if we prepare your favorite fried chicken for lunch instead?”
A surge of nostalgia hit Waldo, making him feel like an outsider all over again. At the lunch table, the men from the Ford family made sure Corrine’s plate was never empty.
“Eat up, you’re looking too slender,” Carl said.
Corrine, showing concern, stood and served Carl some soup.
“You should eat as well, Grandpa.”
Carl tasted the soup and reveled in its flavor, proclaiming it the finest he’d ever had.
After the meal, Carl beckoned Jayden to the study for a serious talk.
Once they were alone, Carl didn’t waste time.
“Your opinion on the Ashton family?”
Corrine was well-protected and cherished under Carl’s roof, and the mere mention of her troubles with the Ashton family was enough to stir Carl’s anger. He fiercely valued his granddaughter’s well-being above all
“What are you suggesting we do?” Jayden was momentarily unsure of Carl’s intentions.
With a dismissive snort, Carl retorted, “Do I really need to explain how to handle them?”
Jayden couldn’t recall the last time Carl exuded such a commanding aura. He hesitated for a brief moment and then offered a faint smile.
“I understand.”
Carl’s grip tightened around his cane as he spoke with unwavering authority.
“I don’t care what means you employ-just make sure Corrine gets even with the Ashton family for every wrong they’ve done to her.”
“That won’t be a challenge,” Jayden replied without hesitation.
Carl’s eyes narrowed, and he nodded, a glimmer of satisfaction in his expression.
“Is there anything else on your mind?”
Recognizing the unspoken signal to wrap up, Jayden pressed his lips together. Instead of leaving, he recounted everything he had witnessed earlier that day.
Carl listened intently, but when Jayden finished, a shadow flickered across his face, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.
“You’re telling me they’ve already met?”
Jayden’s gaze was steady, his dark eyes fixed firmly on Carl.
“I’m afraid it’s more than that,” he said, his tone measured.
“I spoke to the doctor at the hospital. He told me that Corrine didn’t return to her ward last night.” Those words seemed to hang in the air like a storm cloud, casting an eerie stillness over the study.
The meaning behind a night spent away from the hospital was far from trivial. Carl said nothing, his thumb absently brushing over the gemstone set on the top of his cane.
The silence stretched thin until, at last, he exhaled deeply.
“We’ll wait and see how things develop.”
Jayden’s jaw tightened.
“Actually, we could-“
“What?” Carl interrupted sharply, his voice laced with frustration.
“That’s a fire the Ford family can’t afford to play with. We can’t risk openly opposing that man.”
Jayden clenched his teeth, his hand balling into a tight fist at his side.
“No matter what, I won’t let him take Corrine away so easily!”
Without waiting for a response, Jayden spun on his heel and stormed out, the door closing with a resolute thud.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.