Chapter 40
The two little rascals froze, their movements of swapping clothes suddenly arrested by fear.
Rowan was the first to snap back to reality.
"Quick, hide! Wait till Dad leaves, and I'll sneak you out," he whispered.
Rowan dragged Griffin around the room, eventually settling on the closet as a hiding spot.
Rowan pulled Griffin hurriedly into the closet.
"You sure this is gonna work, bro?" Griffin asked, his voice tinged with doubt.
"Just stay put and keep quiet," Rowan instructed.
Griffin nodded vigorously.
Rowan shut the closet door, took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself, and then walked over to open the front door as if nothing was amiss.
Darian stood at the doorway, his expression stern. He heard a commotion inside.
The kid was up to something.
"Dad," Rowan said, nervously clenching his small hands, offering a smile that he hoped appeared casual.
"What's going on in here?" Darian entered the room, his gaze sweeping the area.
Rowan's heart raced, and his eyes inadvertently flicked to the closet.
"Nothing," he replied, trying to sound nonchalant.
Darian followed his son's glance with a sharp and searching look.
He noticed the closet door slightly ajar. It was caught by the edge of a piece of clothing.
Rowan was not a child who lied; his nervous demeanor and darting eyes were tell-tale signs of his unease.
Darian saw right through him; the boy was definitely hiding something.
Narrowing his dark eyes, Darian strode towards the closet and reached out to open it.
Rowan trembled all over. As Darian opened the door, he raised his hands to cover his eyes, not daring to witness what might unfold.
Inside, Griffin sensed someone approaching; he covered his mouth, closed his eyes, and even his breathing became lighter.
An eerie silence fell over the room.
Darian peered into the closet, his brows furrowing. He reached down to pick something up, his stern gaze then turning back to Rowan.
"Is this why you locked the door? Just to hide this?"
Rowan's guilt weighed heavy as he lowered his head, about to offer up some explanation.
With a sigh, Darian asked, "You like to sneak snacks in the closet?"
The kid paused, biting back whatever he was going to say. Snacks?
"Snacks?"
Lifting his gaze, Rowan saw a bag of chips in Darian's hand.
It clicked. This had Griffin's fingerprints all over it.
At least Griffin hadn't been the one caught. Rowan breathed a sigh of relief.
"Sorry, Daddy, I shouldn't have..."
"Shouldn't have what?" Darian tossed the bag into the trash. "Did I say you shouldn't?"
Rowan stared up at Darian with wide, cautious eyes.
Seeing that wary look, a twinge of remorse flickered through Darian. Was he too harsh before?
His strictness had pushed the boy away and fueled his rebellion. His sloppy piano playing, sloppy handwriting, and even his secretive snacking seemed to be a way for him to blow off steam.
But the kid was only five. Wasn't it normal for children to enjoy snacks?
Darian lifted his hand.
Rowan flinched instinctively.
Surely his dad wouldn't hit him just for finding snacks?
But the expected smack didn't come. Instead, Darian softly patted his head, his voice softening, "I'm not against you eating treats. If you’re going to eat them, do it openly. No need to sneak around."
Rowan looked up, finding it hard to believe in the gentleness of his father. He was momentarily taken aback.
Just then, a slight noise came from the closet.
Darian sharply turned his attention. "What was that?"
Rowan quickly grabbed Darian's hand. "It's nothing, Daddy."
"Sir," the voice of a servant came from the doorway with a gentle knock, "Ms. Sandra says her leg is hurting; she's asking for you."
Darian frowned slightly, "Get the family doctor."
"But Ms. Sandra asked for you specifically to come down."
Rowan seized the moment and hurriedly said to Darian, "Dad, you better get going. Grandma must be waiting."
Darian nodded and handed the piece of calligraphy paper to the youngster. "Next time, don't practice like this. If you don't feel like it, take a break."
Rowan glanced at the crooked letters, too embarrassed to admit that this was not his own work, but stiffly replied, "Okay."
As soon as Darian left, Rowan quickly shut the door and let Griffin out of the closet.
"It's safe now; Dad's gone."
Griffin peeked towards the door. "He didn't suspect anything, did he?"
"I don't think so."
"How am I supposed to leave now? There’s probably a lot of people downstairs," Griffin fretted.
Rowan's watch started ringing—it was a call from their mom.
Cecily came home to find no sign of anyone around.
Rowan handed his watch to Griffin, who answered eagerly, "Hi, Mommy!"
"Griffin, you're unfamiliar with this place; where did you run off to again?"
Griffin's mind raced, and he quickly responded, "Mommy, you guys weren't back yet, and I was bored, so I went out to have some fun. I'll be back soon, don't worry."
Cecily could only laugh in exasperation, wondering what to do with such a quick-footed son.
"Where are you? I'll come get you."
"No need, I can make it back on my own. Don't worry, Mom, I have to go now."
With that, Griffin hurriedly hung up before Cecily could ask more questions.
"Did she buy it?"
"She probably did."
"I'll go downstairs and check the situation."
Rowan scoped out the scene and returned to the room a few minutes later. "Follow me."
"Yeah."
The two kids crouched low and quickly descended the stairs. In the living room, Darian and Ophelia were engrossed in watching the family doctor attend to Sandra, not noticing their stealthy escape.
Seizing the moment, Rowan pulled Griffin toward the backyard where there was a back gate.
Unlatching it, he turned to Griffin and asked, "Can you make it back by yourself?"
Griffin nodded, "Don't worry, bro, I got this."
"Alright, then head home. We'll catch up later," Rowan said.
"Sure thing, see ya, Rowan," Griffin replied, waving goodbye.
Rowan nodded and watched Griffin's hurried departure as a tinge of sadness flashed in his eyes.
If his mom and dad were together, maybe they wouldn't have to keep parting ways with such trepidation.
Rowan sighed heavily and closed the gate behind him.
Returning to the living room, Rowan found several pairs of eyes upon him.
He didn't catch what they said, but he saw his dad storm off upstairs, furious.
His "grandmother" glared at him sharply.
Rowan knew that aside from his dad, no one in the house liked him, so he had no expectations of warm treatment from his grandmother.
As if unfazed, he followed his dad upstairs.
...
When Griffin got home, he was greeted by his mom standing at the door wielding a ruler, while his godmother was frantically signaling to him with her eyes.
Griffin sprinted toward Cecily with a big grin, "Mommy, I'm back! I've missed you so much!"
But Cecily was unimpressed with Griffin's charm and pointed to the floor, "Stand right there."
Griffin instantly switched to pleading, his cute face trying to win her over, "Mommy, I know I messed up. I won't wander off again, okay? Please don't be mad."
"You call that just wandering off?" Cecily tapped the ruler against her palm.
"Yup, I do," Griffin put on his most pitiful look, "But look, I came back, right? And I didn't go far."
Griffin looked helplessly towards Aurelie, silently begging for rescue.
Aurelie grabbed Cecily's hand, and together, they coaxed her back inside.
"Let's not be mad; he's home safe," Aurelie soothed. "Besides, our Griffin's so clever, any troublemaker would think twice before crossing him."
Cecily stood with her arms crossed, watching the two of them.
It was always the same routine: one would plead, the other would come to their aid, and together they'd effortlessly wiggle their way out of trouble.
Cecily, despite her threats, never had the heart to lay a hand on him in the end. Sighing, she resigned herself to the fact that she was raising a high-maintenance "boss."
...
As night fell, Darian sat silently in his study with his eyes closed tight. His handsome face was creased with pain.
The anxious therapist standing before him cast a pleading glance at Declan.
Declan heaved a resigned sigh and stood up from the sofa, "Mr. Darian, maybe I should call your ex-wife to come treat you. This clearly isn't working."
Darian hadn't rested for days. Cecily managed to treat him just enough for an hour's sleep the night before last, before Ophelia jolted him awake. After two more days, his body was hitting its limits. He could hardly hold on tonight.
Darian's brow furrowed as he requested, "Get me some more sleeping pills."
"You can't keep taking those. Your body's built up a resistance, and no increase in dosage will help. Plus, Mr. Darian, medicine always comes with side effects," Declan advised earnestly.
Darian's frown remained. His eyes were bloodshot, and his gaze was unfathomable and heavy.
"Got it."
He stood up, his tall frame striding out.
"Mr. Darian, where are you going?"
"To get cured."
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