Chapter 718 Half-Siblings
Sophia took Ruth and the three children to the Blackwood Manor. On the way, the three children clung to Sophia.
"Mommy, can't you take us with you?" Emma asked, unwilling to let go, leaning into Sophia's arms. Her voice trembled as if she almost cried.
Sophia's heart ached, but she really couldn't take the children this time.
She had to be immovable.
"Mommy has something very important to do. I'll be back once it's done. You all need to be good at the Blackwood Manor and cheer up Celeste and Ruth, okay?"
Emma couldn't hold back her tears, reluctantly agreeing while hugging Sophia's neck.
Sam also clung tightly to Sophia and asked, "What about Daddy?"
"Your daddy also has something very important to do. He'll be back once it's done."
Ethan, with a serious expression, suppressed his sadness and asked, "How long will it take?"
Sophia replied, "A week if it's quick, two weeks if it's slow."
Ethan nodded, "Don't worry, Mommy. I'll take good care of Emma and Sam. We'll wait for you and Daddy to come home."
He could sense that Sophia had been leaving early and coming back late recently, but he also keenly noticed that Sophia's mood was different from usual. Gabriel's business trip to Country M also seemed different from any previous trips.
Ethan had secretly checked; although the Lancaster Group's last crisis had been resolved, some risks still remained.
He didn't understand much about business yet, and with his current abilities, he couldn't help Gabriel much. All he could do was not let Gabriel and Sophia worry.
Sam immediately added, "I'll also take good care of Emma,Celeste, and Ruth."
Ruth felt a pang of heartache seeing her sensible children.
Sophia stayed with the children for lunch at the Blackwood Manor. Caroline came to pick up Sophia.
The children held back their tears, reluctantly watching Sophia leave.
In the car, Caroline said, "Nicholas has already spoken to Blake. You can go directly to him when you arrive."
Sophia replied, "Okay."
After a while, Caroline pursed her lips.
"Be careful."
Sophia said, "I will."
They parted ways at the airport terminal, and Sophia boarded the plane to Country M.
In the evening, Ruth called Gabriel.
"Sophie is already on the plane. Remember to pick her up."
Gabriel was surprised, "Why is she coming?"
Sophia hadn't mentioned going to Country M to him. They had even video chatted yesterday.
"Of course, she's coming to teach you a lesson, you jerk. You dared to hide your illness from the family," Ruth said angrily.
Gabriel's tone softened immediately, "Grandma, I just didn't want you all to worry."
"You make us worry even more without telling us."
"I was wrong."
Ruth snorted and asked, "What's the situation at the company now?"
Gabriel pondered for a moment and decided to be honest with Ruth.
"Harrison got injured?" Ruth was shocked.
"Yes, I arranged for a private jet to send him back. I still have some things to handle here."
Owen had to be dealt with; otherwise, not only would Gabriel be in constant danger in Country M, but the branch office there would also be under threat.
"Have you found out who did it?"
"Owen, but the person behind him is Jake."
"Jake?"
Ruth repeated the name, still suspecting that Jake was the child from back then. However, her investigators had found nothing.
Ruth fell silent, thinking. Gabriel waited for her response, but there was no sound for a long time.
"Grandma?"
Ruth sighed softly, "Gabriel, I originally planned to never tell you about this."
This time, Gabriel fell silent.
He had a bad feeling about this.
Gabriel had always looked up to his father as a role model, dreaming of becoming as great as him and finding a woman he loved to spend his life with, just like his father.
In his mind, his parents were deeply in love and never argued.
He grew up in a happy, loving family.
Until his parents' unexpected death, the Lancaster Group was on the brink of collapse, and he had to return home to take on the heavy responsibility.
Ruth slowly said, "You actually have a half-brother."
Gabriel's pupils dilated suddenly.
Gabriel thought in mind, 'Ruth must be joking, right?'
"I'm not joking." Even over the phone, Ruth seemed to hear Gabriel's thoughts. She continued heavily, "You can't entirely blame your father for this; he was also schemed by that woman."
"Afterward, that woman took the money and left, but a year later, she came back with a baby."
"Your father, having been schemed, naturally refused to acknowledge the child. The woman took another sum of money and left with the child."
"Years later, the woman came back with the child again. They came to the old house, and that's when I found out about it."
"That day, your mother happened to be out. Your father still didn't want to acknowledge the child and didn't give the woman any more money."
"Later, the woman passed away. I wanted to bring the child back and explain everything to your mother, but the child had already disappeared."
"Did my mom know about this?" Gabriel was a little confused. After hearing Ruth's story, this was the only question he could think of.
Ruth replied, "She didn't know at first, but later, somehow, she found out."
"So, my parents' car accident was related to this?"
Ruth paused for a couple of seconds, "Sort of, but not entirely."
At that time, Gabriel was abroad, unaware that his parents, who had never argued before, were fighting every day during that period.
They were even arguing in the car, which led to his father's mishandling and the car tumbling off a cliff on the highway.
"During that time, someone was whispering many provocative words in your mother's ear. Coupled with the existence of that child, your mother couldn't bear the betrayal of her husband."
Even though the betrayal wasn't intentional, it was still a betrayal, and there was an illegitimate child.
Ruth didn't want Gabriel to know about these sordid details, so she had never mentioned them.
She had later sent people to look for the child, but it was as if the child had just disappeared.
Over time, she gave up.
After Gabriel's parents' accident, Ruth had even less energy to deal with the child.
"So Jake is my half-brother?" Gabriel's voice was unnervingly calm.
"I tested him the first time I met him, but he didn't admit it. I wasn't entirely sure then, but now, I'm almost certain it's him."
"Gabriel, he must harbor resentment towards us."
Gabriel's head hurt, as if it were about to explode, and his stomach burned with pain.
"I understand, Grandma. I have things to do, so I'll hang up now."
Ruth still had more to say, but Gabriel had already hung up.
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