Chapter 30
Griffin clenched his teeth, realizing from her practiced ease that she must have often tormented his brother the same way.
Griffin scanned the servants around them; some were busily attending to their duties, oblivious to him.
Others caught sight of the scene but deliberately lowered their heads, feigning ignorance.
Griffin concluded that some of the servants were in Ophelia's pocket.
He was certain his brother must have confided in their father about the terrible woman's bullying.
But, most likely, his father had taken no stock in those words, enabling her brazen behavior.
When Ophelia noticed the frozen boy before her, she knew she'd frightened him anew.
What right did he have to challenge her?
She could trample his mother beneath her feet, and she could do the same to him forever.
"Learnt your lesson?" Ophelia asked, her voice dripping with threat.
Griffin's eyes shifted as he feigned acquiescence with a nod.
Finally, Ophelia released him. Griffin slipped off her lap, a facade of terror on his face as he stumbled backward.
Ophelia reveled in the child's fearful reaction.
She wanted him to be afraid, to obey her from this point forward.
Ophelia stood up gracefully and crouched down in front of Griffin, gently touching his head with a tender smile. "There you go, Rowan. Don't even think about trying to fight me because you simply can't."
Griffin scoffed inwardly. The witch was overconfident.
"Just do as I say, and I might make your life here a bit more comfortable. Otherwise..." Ophelia's demeanor changed, "I'll make sure you regret it, got it?"
Griffin nodded obediently, imitating Rowan's silent demeanor.
Pleased, Ophelia rose to her feet and patted his head like he was a good dog. "Such a good boy. Does your hand hurt? Come, let Auntie apply some ointment."
Ophelia certainly didn't want Darian to come back and see marks on his hand.
She fetched the ointment and, like a nurturing mother, took his hand and applied it gently, soothingly speaking, "Rowan, how could you be so careless? That must've hurt a lot. Listen to Auntie, I'll take care of you, and you'll feel better soon."
Griffin knew she was putting on a show for anyone watching.
A sly smile crossed Griffin's eyes; she could play her part, and he would let her—until the time was right for a counterattack.
...
Cecily took the little guy to check out a private school, which seemed impressive in both environment and faculty.
Cecily was efficient and made a decision on the spot.
When Aurelie heard Griffin had arrived, she ditched her classes and rushed to find Cecily.
The moment she laid eyes on the little one, Aurelie dashed forward with her arms outstretched. "Griffin, darling, I missed you so much!"
Rowan blinked, quickly stood up, and stepped out of Aurelie's grasp, taking Cecily's hand with a bewildered expression.
Aurelie stumbled, grasping at air, and asked with a heartbroken look, "Does Griffin not want to see his godmother?"
Rowan didn't know how to respond to this overly enthusiastic and strange lady.
Cecily was somewhat surprised at the kid's reaction; the little tyke was usually so chummy with Aurelie.
Why the distance today, could it be just because they hadn't seen each other in a while?
"What's up, Griffin? You used to be all over your godmother." She said.
Faced with Cecily's question, Rowan glanced at the visibly upset "strange lady." To keep his cover, he subtly reached for Aurelie's hand.
"Godmom, I'm sorry... I was just so excited earlier; I didn't quite catch on..." He apologized.
Relieved that the kid wasn't feeling estranged, Aurelie reassured, "It's all good; I thought my Griffin was upset with me."
Rowan tried out the title affectionately, "Never, Godmom."
"How about a hug then?" Aurelie prompted, opening her arms.
Rowan cast a questioning look at Cecily. He was not particularly keen on getting too close, but remembering Griffin's warm demeanor, he played along and hugged Aurelie to maintain his guise.
Aurelie couldn't stop grinning from ear to ear.
"By the way, Cecily, have you found a school for Griffin yet?" She asked.
Cecily nodded, "Found one; he starts day after tomorrow."
"You'll probably be caught up with work and all, so how about we take turns dropping off Griffin?" Aurelie offered.
Cecily had thought about the drop-off dilemma; Aurelie's suggestion was sound, but Cecily didn't want to impose too often.
"You're the CEO. You have a lot on your plate than me. I was thinking of hiring a nanny for Griffin; it'll be more convenient."
Aurelie agreed without objection, "Leave finding a nanny to me."
"Thanks. It's almost dinner time, so stick around to eat. I've bought plenty, and I'll be cooking tonight."
Cecily was about to carry the grocery bags into the kitchen when Aurelie and Rowan blocked her, one on each side.
Cecily blinked in confusion, "What's up?"
Aurelie snatched the bags from her, "You shan't be getting your hands wet, remember? I got this."
Raising an eyebrow, Cecily couldn't help but chuckle, "You sure about that?"
Aurelie paused with an awkward chuckle, "Heh, let's just order some delivery; it's more convenient."
In the end, the three of them decided to order takeout.
Darian arrived home from work to find Ophelia greeting him with a smile. "Darian, you're back."
She tenderly took his suit jacket as he removed it, handing it to the maid before naturally slipping her arm through his.
"I made your favorite dish tonight, come and try it," she coaxed.
Darian pulled his arm back with a cold expression, "Didn't I tell you to keep your distance?"
Ophelia hesitated, then smiled again, "Darian, I know you're just speaking out of anger. I really realize my mistake. Can you forgive me, please? It won't happen again."
She looked up at Darian with a mix of hope and innocence, a look hard to resist.
Frowning, Darian pulled out a chair and sat down, rubbing his forehead, "What happened to the flowers outside?"
He had noticed the drastic change, The flower bed that was intact when he left had been leveled.
Upon mentioning the garden, Ophelia bit her lip, forcing a smile. "I... grew tired of them, so I had them removed."
As soon as Ophelia finished speaking, Thalia Mitchell, the maid who seemed to be cleaning nearby, couldn't keep silent.
"That's not true, sir."
Thalia, full of righteous indignation, spoke up for Ophelia, "Sir, it was the young master who ordered the flowers be removed. Ms. Ophelia was crying over it for a while. She held back her tears when she saw you come home; she didn't want you to worry, sir. She claimed to dislike them just to prevent you from scolding the young master..."
"Thalia!" Ophelia interrupted her, biting her lower lip as her face became the picture of suppressed hurt.
"No, really, I had them removed because I didn't like them anymore."
But Thalia continued, "Ms. Ophelia, you're just too kind. The young master went too far, and you still think to cover for him. Look at your arm, he's scratched you all up. Sir, you need to see this."
Thalia gripped Ophelia's hand with a sympathetic tug, drawing her towards Darian.
Darian glanced over dismissively as a frown creased his forehead.
Ophelia quickly withdrew her hand, awkwardly hiding it behind her back as she eked out a faint smile.
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