Chapter 46 His True Identity
Jennifer grabbed Juniper's hand, "Mom, let's go home."
It was then Juniper remembered to ask, "Jennifer, how did you meet that man?"
"When I was in the hospital, my godmother slipped a magazine into the care package she brought me, and there he was on the cover! I got bored alone in my room, sneaked out, and bumped into him."
"Why was he at the hospital?"
"His dad was sick; he was there to visit him."
"What else did you guys talk about?"
Clutching her strawberry cone, Jennifer's eyes flitted around as she thought for a moment and said, "Not much else, I just told him my name, and he said it was pretty!"
Juniper breathed a sigh of relief, "Jennifer, can you promise Mom to keep your distance from that man for now?"
"Why?"
"Look, we don't really know who he is, whether he's good or bad, Mom is just worried about you."
This was all too sudden.
Juniper was at a loss for what to do next, so for the time being, she decided to lay low with Jennifer, avoiding Magnus.
Jennifer felt a bit dejected, yet she believed her mother was right.
The little girl nodded her petite chin, “Alright then... but he really is nice!”
Juniper paused, surprised.
She looked at Jennifer, momentarily perplexed.
Jennifer had only just met Magnus a month ago, but she had taken such a liking to him.
William had also been kind to Jennifer once, yet she never seemed to favor him as much.
Could it be because of blood ties?
Perhaps it was because they were blood relatives that they hit it off so well upon their first meeting.
...
Today was the day Paul was discharged from the hospital.
At the medical center, Joseph took care of the discharge formalities.
Magnus was there, packing Paul's belongings for him.
Paul said, feeling a bit awkward, “You’re so busy, and you've come to pick me up yourself. I'm fine now, I could have gone home by myself!”
“It wasn't a minor operation, and you’ll still need to take it easy even when you get home. Why don’t you just stay at my place for a while?”
“Staying at your place? I wouldn't feel at home there. Such a big house all to myself, no neighbors around—I’d be bored to tears. I’d prefer going back out to the countryside. The place you built for me down there is like a mansion; it has everything I need and is very convenient. And with the weather heating up, I need to go check on my garden. If I don’t water it soon, I reckon the plants will start wilting…”
Magnus was far from reassured. “I’ll have Joseph find you a housekeeper; just take it easy for a while and let them handle things.”
“No, I don’t want strangers at my house, it makes me uncomfortable! Magnus, I’m really fine, fit as a fiddle now, I don’t need any housekeeper!”
“Well, I can’t let you go back to the countryside alone. Stay at my place for a couple of weeks until you’ve fully recovered, and then if you want to go back, we’ll talk.”
“Magnus…”
“That's settled then.”
Paul wanted to say more, but Magnus shut him down firmly.
Magnus carried an air of authority that brooked no argument; what he said was final, and Paul didn’t dare object further.
“By the way, have you visited Mrs. Brown recently?”
Mrs. Brown, that was Magnus’s birth mother, Ava.
Back in the day, the Browns had fallen on hard times, and Benjamin Brown passed away suddenly from a heart attack.
Ava Brown, wife of Benjamin Brown, had just given birth when she suffered a tremendous shock that led to her mental instability. Over the years, her grip on reality often slipped into episodes of delirium.
At that time, Alexander Beaumont was in business with the Browns, and their chauffeur, Paul, had frequently been given a hand by Benjamin Brown.
Paul, a man of compassion and kindness, couldn't bear the thought of sending the newborn to an orphanage. So he took the child into his own care and raised him.
And that child was Magnus.
It wasn't until Magnus turned eighteen that Joseph told him the truth.
The mention of Ava caused a shadow to pass over Magnus's eyes.
"I'll drop you home, then I'm going to see her."
"Alright, give my regards to Mrs. Brown for me."
Driving his black Maybach to the outskirts of Imperial Capital, Magnus headed to a sanatorium. He brought a fruit basket and white roses.
The room was empty upon his arrival—Ava was nowhere to be found.
Magnus was about to set the items down and search the facility when he saw a nurse assisting Ava back into her room.
Ava was visibly upset. "I'm not lying! I really saw my enemy! Her husband killed mine! You have to kick her out—her whole family is wicked!"
The nurse tried to calm her, coaxing, "I understand, I'll chase that bad woman away soon, don't worry. You won't see her here again."
"That's good, that's very good," Ava said, seemingly relieved.
Looking up, the nurse caught sight of Magnus standing at the door and greeted him with a smile, "Magnus, you’re here! Your mother must have mistaken someone for another, she's a bit worked up. Stay and talk to her, it’ll soothe her."
Upon seeing Magnus, Ava clutched at the sleeve of his shirt. "Benjamin, you've come to see me. How long has it been since your last visit? Have you been very busy?"
The nurse sighed softly.
Such profound illness, she thought. Just moments ago, she was mourning her husband's death, and now she mistook her son for her spouse.
"Magnus, since you're here, I’ll leave you to spend some time with her," said the nurse, making her exit.
Magnus nodded slightly.
Once the nurse left, he took his mother's hand and guided her back to her bed.
Seeing the white roses at her bedside brought a smile to Ava's face.
She cradled the bouquet of white roses in her arms. "White roses again—you remembered I like them. That's sweet. Even after all these years together, you still remember."
Magnus reached out, tenderly stroking her hair as one might do with a child. "As long as you're happy," he murmured affectionately.
Benjamin Brown used to bring Ava white roses after work, bringing blooms to their home.
Then Benjamin was gone.
Feeling pity for Ava and her son, Paul had sent her to a mental health facility.
Magnus, still a young boy, saw Paul scrimp and save on a meager salary to keep paying for Ava's care at the home.
When Magnus later learned his true origins, he started earning his own money. He had considered moving Ava to a better facility several times, but she was accustomed to this place, and a sudden change in environment could easily stress her out.
And so, Ava stayed in that same nursing home.
Magnus had spent the whole afternoon by Ava's side.
When it was time to leave, dusk was already settling.
He was about to get into his car when a voice called out, "Magnus?"
He turned to see Lyra Callahan sitting in her wheelchair—Juniper's mother.
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