Chapter 1841
After leaving the kindergarten, Raeleigh followed Santiago to the Richards family manor. It had been four years since she returned, so she was no longer familiar with the place.
Santiago went in, put Carsten down and asked the children to keep themselves entertained. He then looked at Raeleigh and said, "I came back this time because Mrs. Richards is dying. She has been unconscious for a while now. I came back to see her for the last time."
Raeleigh asked, "Mrs. Richards?"
"Yes. Jepherson hasn't been home these couple of days because he has gone to visit her. He didn't tell you about it because Mrs. Richards doesn't want to see you. While she was still herself, she did say that she would never let you into the family, and that she didn't want to see you ever again.
Jepherson went to take care of her but was worried about you. So, he asked me to come home to take a look and it was only then did I find out that Carsten is autistic. This is on your plate now." Raeleigh stared at him and asked, "Why did you bring me here then?"
"I live here."
Santiago turned around and walked back into the house. Raeleigh followed him in and saw that all the children had their own rooms, and they all lived in Green Jade Garden. The servants were carrying out their own tasks in an orderly manner as well. It seemed that nothing had changed. Raeleigh stood in the living room for a while before Santiago said, "I don't intend to leave this time. It's time for Shaney and the others to attend school."
Raeleigh looked at him. "What about you?"
"What about me?"
She stared at him for a while and asked again, "Are you going to stay like this forever?"
Santiago smiled and replied, "There's nothing wrong with being alone. Everything is predestined by fate, and our fate was destined to end with Forden. You don't owe me anything. As for your relationship with Jepherson, that's between you and him. I don't want to get involved.
Raeleigh, don't get stuck in the past. We need to learn to let go." "Alright." Raeleigh nodded.
Santiago took her into his arms. He lowered his head and whispered in her ear, "No matter how beautiful the spring breeze is, it will never compare to your smile. But what I want is a simple life. It took me five years to find my peace; don't make me waver again."
Then, he let her go. "I understand," she muttered.
"That's good."
Santiago went to turn on the TV and sat down to watch while Raeleigh stood motionless in the living room for a short while, still pondering about their earlier conversation. At some point, Carsten emerged and stood at Raeleigh's feet, staring up at her. Raeleigh squatted down and asked, "What's wrong?"
"I don't have my own room." Carsten had just started to recover, so he was clingy and needy.
Raeleigh smiled. "How about you go to my room?"
"Okay."
Raeleigh picked him up and walked towards the room she and Jepherson used to live in, then set him down after entering the room. Carsten was in high spirits as he quickly ran inside. Raeleigh was rendered speechless for a moment, having never seen him so happy. Mixed feelings surged within her chest as she watched Carsten running circles around the room. She suddenly realized how much she had forgotter in the past few years. Perhaps this child was the only thing she
remembered.
She had stopped doing business for a long time, and she had not gone back home for several years because of her children. She almost forgot how Novalie looked.
Her eyes followed Carsten as he bounced around. She never thought of herself as a heartless or unfeeling person, yet in the end, she still let many things and people slip through her memory.
Raeleigh continued quietly watching Carsten as he ran excitedly inside the room. Soon after, she held him in her arms and sat them down. She stared at Carsten's delicate face and saw that he was sweating rather profusely. Raeleigh wiped away at his sweat and asked, "When did you find out that you have an uncle?"
Carsten threw himself into her arms and said nothing. No matter how much Raeleigh kept asking him, he refused to speak. Raeleigh knew that she couldn't bombard him with complex questions because of his autism.
Raeleigh stopped talking and eventually fell asleep with Carsten in her arms.
When she woke up, Santiago was knocking on the door, asking her to go home as he was about to leave. Raeleigh knew that Marissa was probably dying.
She handed Carsten over to Santiago and returned home alone. After packing up her clothes, she went back to the Richards family manor. Meanwhile, Santiago hopped into his car and rushed to A city. Rayan had also gotten a call informing him of the matter, and he flew back straight from abroad.
Everyone else also made headway to A City.
Rossie, a mother of four children, frowned as she sat in the car. "How could this happen so suddenly?"
In truth, she initially had not want to send Marissa off for the final time. She felt nothing for her, had no relationship so to speak with her, and did not even like her all that much.
However, Rayan had personally called for Rossie. She was his daughter-in-law, so she had to respect his wishes.
She could not avoid them solely due to the relationship between the Richards family and the Whalen family.
Zorion sat behind the extended car. This time, he insisted on bringing the children with him even though Rossie did not want to.
She couldn't understand why he would want to bring their children to a funeral.
Though it appeared that Zorion headed the
Whalen family, everyone in Capital City knew that he loved his wife very much and would listen to whatever Rossie said. He would do as told even when she was in the wrong. Thus, Rossie was the true head of the Whalen family.
However, the public sentiment was that Rossie was evil.
Rumors had it that instead of helping her family when they looked to her for help, she had gone on to help those who hurt her family instead.
Although Rossie had a nasty reputation, everyone in Capital City was afraid of her.
She was as terrifying as a lioness. Over the past few years, she had grown to become the perfect example of a person one should avoid becoming.
"Her health might have been on the decline for more than a month now, but she kept everyone in the dark about it. We only heard of the news when she fell critically ill yesterday." While Zorion was talking, the Richards family's car drove by, and the driver immediately stated, "It's the Richards family's car."
"Jepherson has already left a while ago. Who is this?"
"I don't know."
"Stop him." Zorion looked outside. The driver ordered someone to stop the car but failed.
The driver turned to look at Zorion who bore a frown on his face. "Is Santiago back?"
Rossie looked over. "And we're on the same path?"
"He must have been back a long while ago. Why was there no news from the Richards family?"
Silence ensued.
Though Santiago's car was speeding, Zorion eventually caught up with it. When he did, Zorion rolled his window down and threw a phone at Santiago.
The phone crashed against the car with a bang. Santiago glanced to his side, his eyes narrowed. "Drive faster."
The driver stepped on the pedal, but that did nothing to stop Zorion from hurling more objects Santiago's way.
Carsten, who was nestled in Raeleigh's arms, moved into Santiago's instead as he stared wide-eyed outside. He had never met Zorion before, only Jacky.
Though it was relatively fun watching Zorion throwing things at the car, he was slightly startled by the noises.
Santiago quickly carried him over like a kitten and held him in his arms.
"Park the car in front of them and
stop Zorion." The driver did as told. He overtook Zorion's car and put the car in park, blocking Zorion's path Santiago then got out of the car with if he was about to murder someone
an iron pole in his hand, a car with
Raeleigh took a quick glance at them. The children were leaving with her in the car, and only Carsten had been brought away by Santiago. Raeleigh was worried, but the driver then pulled away so quickly that she could only helplessly look back.