Chapter 275 Reach Out to Grandpa
As Samantha listened to the soothing timbre of Aaron's voice, her small heart found a measure of peace.
"Daddy, I don't want to never see you again," she confessed, her voice trembling with fear.
"Don't worry, my little princess. I promise you will see me every day," Aaron assured her, his voice filled with a firm resolve.
He spent a few more moments comforting his daughter before finally ending the call. His deep-set eyes narrowed in contemplation, the gears of his mind turning.
Nora, he knew, was not one to act on impulse. She was cool, collected, a woman of thought rather than action. Her sudden decision to transfer the children's school was out of character. Was it truly an attempt to sever ties with him, or was there a hidden motive he was yet to uncover?
A sudden idea sparked in his mind. He summoned his assistant, Noe, into the room.
"Check with Kindergarten. I want to know if my mother pressured the school into asking Nora to start the withdrawal process for the kids," he ordered.
Noe, taken aback by the request, did not question his employer. He promptly contacted the school and soon returned with the answer.
"Mr. Gordon, it was indeed Mrs. Gordon who pressured the school. She had Dr. Smith arrange the withdrawal procedures," he reported.
Aaron's expression darkened at the news. "Go to the old house," he commanded, his voice barely above a whisper. He had a sinking feeling that Nora hadn't acted on her own accord. Even if she wanted to end their relationship, she wouldn't have gone to such lengths to separate him from his children. It seemed she had been coerced. Now, he needed to speak with his grandfather.
At the Gordon family's ancestral home, the patriarch, Jacob, sat heavily on the living room couch, sighing deeply. The results of the genetic test confirmed his worst fears. The three children he had grown so fond of bore no blood relation to the Gordon family.
Hope, he mused, was a dangerous thing. It was that Ebenezer boy who had ignited a spark of hope in him, only for it to be extinguished, leaving him more desolate than before. His anger simmered as he thought about his grandson's stubborn refusal to marry and provide him with great-grandchildren as delightful as Alex and Billy.
But the stubborn mule wouldn't listen, insisting on marrying that doctor. What was he to do?
If he didn't compromise, wouldn't he be waiting to hold a great-grandchild until he was in his coffin?
But if he agreed, he would still feel uneasy.
That doctor was of a common status and came with three children of unclear origin.
Wouldn't it be disgraceful if she married his grandson?
Jacob sighed heavily, extremely agitated.
The housekeeper's announcement of Aaron's arrival interrupted his brooding. He watched as Aaron entered, his brows furrowing in irritation.
"What are you doing here?" he grumbled.
Unfazed by his grandfather's frosty reception, Aaron spoke up. "Grandpa, I've come to tell you something."
"What is it?" Gordon asked, sipping his tea with a stern expression.
"The three children you are so fond of are being forced to change schools."
The news caught Jacob off guard, causing him to nearly choke on his tea. "What did you say? Are Alex and Billy being forced to change schools? What happened? Are those three children being bullied at school?"
His questions came in rapid succession, each one laced with a mixture of anger and concern. It was evident that he cared deeply for the children.
Aaron hoped his grandfather's emotions would continue to escalate. He nodded, "Something like that."
"Let's see who dares to bully them," Jacob growled, his protective instincts flaring.
Jacob forcefully set his teacup down on the coffee table, his voice echoing through the room. "Enough dilly-dallying, what exactly transpired?" he demanded.
Aaron turned to face him, a question in his eyes. "Do you intend to intervene?"
"Undoubtedly," Jacob declared, his voice resolute. "Such delightful children. Who could possibly torment them and still consider themselves human?"
Inwardly, Aaron couldn't help but consider his own daughter-in-law as the inhuman one. He wondered, would his father still feel human if he knew whose offspring they were?
"Why the silence? Speak up, what's the matter? Who has been tormenting them?" Jacob's voice grew more anxious, pressing Aaron for answers.
Aaron parted his lips, releasing two words into the tense air. "My mother."
Upon hearing this, Jacob was momentarily taken aback. It took him a moment to respond, his voice filled with disbelief. “Your mother? Why would a woman of her stature bully three innocent children? Does she bear a grudge against their parents?”
One couldn't deny the sharp instincts of a former business titan, honed on the commercial battlegrounds.
Aaron mentally grumbled but decided not to withhold any further information.
“Grandfather, those three children are fatherless, their only parent being a woman named Nora.”
Upon hearing Nora’s name, Jacob’s expression subtly shifted.
“What did you say? Their mother is Nora? The same Nora you’re adamant about marrying, the female physician?”
“Yes.” Aaron observed Jacob’s face, attempting to gauge his reaction.
Jacob began to breathe heavily, flinging his empty teacup across the room in a fit of anger.
“You sly fox, you knew about those children all along? And you concealed it from me!”
The teacup struck Aaron in the chest, but he made no move to dodge. He allowed it to roll off him and onto the plush imported wool carpet beneath them.
Locking eyes with Jacob, he issued a challenge. “So, grandfather, if those three children are Nora’s, you suddenly find them distasteful? You wouldn’t consider defending them, would you?”
Jacob found himself at a loss for words, his mind replaying the images of those three irresistibly adorable faces. His complexion fluctuated rapidly.
Could it be possible?
Could those endearing children belong to Nora?
Now that their own daughter-in-law was on the verge of expelling them from school, did he truly wish to intervene?
Observing Jacob’s troubled expression, Aaron knew he was wrestling with the decision.
His eyes glinted with understanding as he rose from the couch.
“I understand, grandfather. Since you no longer hold any affection for those children, I won’t ask for your assistance. They will be transferring to a school in Lindwood City come Monday. It’s likely you won’t see them again.”
With that, he turned as if to depart.
Jacob watched his tall figure, an impulse compelling him to call out, “Halt. You believe you can intimidate me?”
“I wouldn’t dare,” Aaron retorted.
Jacob managed to quell his turbulent emotions, his voice laced with irritation. “Children are children, their mother is their mother. I’ll contact the school tomorrow, have them revoke the expulsion.”
A subtle smile tugged at the corners of Aaron’s mouth.
He knew it. Jacob couldn’t bear to part with those three children.
“Grandfather, are you truly against me marrying Nora?”
Jacob shot him a glare. “She’s not suitable for you.”
“But if I were to marry her, those three children would become your great-grandchildren. They could visit you every day. Don’t you wish to see them daily?”
Jacob's eyes flickered with a hint of imagination, seemingly picturing the scene Aaron described. However, his expression quickly hardened again as he warned, "Don't attempt to manipulate me. As fond as I am of those three children, I don't approve of you marrying their mother."
There was a proper way to handle matters.
Despite his affection for the children, he believed their mother wasn't a suitable match for his grandson.
"Grandpa, is it because her background is so humble?" Aaron inquired.
"Yes."
Jacob didn't shy away from the harsh truth. "Aaron, this world is pragmatic, and you should be as well. Don't let love cloud your judgment."
A wry smile played on Aaron's lips. "Grandpa, you're so practical. So, if she were a wealthy heiress, you'd consent?"
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