Chapter 54 Matthew Scorned by Grandpa
As they toured the house, which actually didn't take long, Hannah mostly wanted to play on the swing in the backyard garden, with Matthew accompanying her. Grandpa, hearing that Quentin could play chess, pulled his great-grandson away to keep him company in a game.
Seeing that both children were happily engaged, Madison went upstairs to the room at Grandpa’s house, where she and Matthew had stayed before. The room was clean—by Carter’s standards, it seemed he hadn't stayed there in a while.
She pulled out a book from the shelf, Somerset Maugham’s "The Razor's Edge." Over the years, looking after the kids, designing, drawing, and earning money, she’d never really had the leisure to just sit and read to her heart's content. She got so absorbed in the book that she dozed off in the recliner after reading one-third of it.
When Matthew entered the room, he saw Madison lying there, still clutching the book, sound asleep. He gently covered her with a blanket and walked out. As he came downstairs, Hannah called out loudly, "Dad, where's Mom?"
"Shush... Mom's asleep. Let's go find Great-grandpa and your brother."
"It's just turning dark, and Mom is sleeping?"
Just then, Sylvia approached Matthew to ask if he was ready for dinner. Thinking of the peacefully sleeping woman upstairs, he replied, "Let's wait a bit longer."
Matthew escorted Hannah to the study room, where Quentin and WilTristan were deeply engrossed in a game of chess. Upon closer observation of the chessboard, Matthew noted that Quentin's skills were impressive. Even Grandpa, a seasoned chess player, had to remain attentive to avoid falling into traps.
"Great Grandpa, you and my brother, who's winning?" Hannah asked, her curiosity piqued. She had always known her brother to be a formidable chess player, and it seemed like Great Grandpa was quite skilled, too. She wondered who had won.
"Hahaha! Quentin is very talented. Right now, Quentin and I are tied at three games each. It's a draw," WilTristan replied with a beaming smile. Quentin was showing potential that rivaled even Matthew's.
"So, whoever wins this game will be the winner. I want to watch," Hannah declared, moving a little stool beside her to sit on, and Matthew also took a seat.
Quentin, with an audience now present, played with even more determination.
*
Madison woke up to find herself unexpectedly asleep, a blanket carefully placed over her. She thought it was likely that Sylvia had covered her after seeing her asleep while tidying up.
Noticing the darkness outside, Madison got up, returned the book to the shelf, and descended the stairs. Not finding anyone around, she walked to the kitchen, where Sylvia was busy preparing dinner. "Madison, you must be hungry. Matthew suggested dinner be ready later than usual today," Sylvia informed.
"It's no problem, Sylvia. Where is everyone?"
"They're probably all in WilTristan's study room. You might want to go take a look."
"All right, I'll go check on them."
Madison approached the study room door and found four individuals—big and small—sitting quietly inside, with even the usually chatty Hannah sitting silently, watching her brother and great-grandpa play chess intently. Madison entered softly, standing behind Hannah, and when Matthew noticed Madison, he thought she would have slept longer.
After a little while, Quentin's elated voice filled the room, "Great Grandpa, you've lost."
"Hahaha, Quentin is impressive. He even defeated great Grandpa," WilTristan said. Although he'd lost the game, his spirits were incredibly high.
"Wow, Quentin, you're amazing," cheered Hannah, clapping her hands in applause for her brother.
Matthew stood up and walked over to Quentin, patting his son's head affectionately, "Son, great job."
"Let's go out to eat then." Madison walked out of the study room, holding Hannah's hand with a smile, not expecting Quentin even to beat great Grandpa at the game.
Everyone was in high spirits, the dinner table brimming with laughter and chatter. The two kids were quite the entertainers, keeping everyone amused all day long. Carter and Sylvia were particularly moved by the lively scene at Grandpa’s house, which hadn't been this vibrant in a long while.
After dinner, WilTristan called Matthew into the study room first.
Seated behind his desk with an imposing air reminiscent of his younger days on the battlefield, he said, "Now that Madison is back and the kids are grown up, I want you to clean up all your messy affairs and focus on building a good life with Madison."
"I understand," Matthew responded, a reply meant as much for his grandfather as for himself. He needed to deal with the matter involving Brianna promptly.
Understanding his grandson's tendency to shoulder problems alone, WilTristan sighed, resigned to say no more, "You can go now."
After Matthew left, WilTristan summoned Madison into the study room. His demeanor was completely different from when he spoke to Matthew, kind and gentle. "Madison, you must have had hard times these past few years, raising the two children on your own and educating them so well."
"Grandpa, I'm sorry for leaving without saying goodbye back then," Madison admitted. Her only regret is how she left her grandfather.
"Why would I blame you? I know it's Matthew’s fault. If it wasn't for him asking for the divorce, I know you would never have brought it up."
Madison remained standing, silent.
"All right, I called you here to reassure you. Always know that I am on your side. If that boy doesn’t learn to appreciate what he has, I might just cut ties with him, hmph."
"Grandpa, please don't be angry. Matters of the heart can't be forced. As long as I can be with the children, that's all I need. I respect Matthew's decisions concerning everything else."
The grandfather could see Madison still had feelings for Matthew, and this time, it seemed the boy wasn’t keen on a separation either. It was now up to him to seize the opportunity.
"Of course, the child definitely can't be without Mom."
"Thank you, Grandpa." With WilTristan's words, Madison felt somewhat reassured.
*
After Matthew left, he went straight to his room, stepped out onto the balcony, pulled out his cell phone, and called Victor, "Victor, any news yet?"
Victor, receiving Matthew's call, hurriedly relayed the information he had found.
"Matthew, it's confirmed that the three kidnappers who committed suicide in prison were taken out by “K.” We found out previously that their contact was Brianna, and it looks like Brianna indeed has connections with “K”’s criminal syndicate."
"Good, keep someone on it, and you go to Paris. Check out her situation there over these past few years, and vet the people around her thoroughly."
"Will do."
After hanging up, Matthew stepped out of his room and encountered WilTristan at the doorstep. Madison had already taken the two kids to the guest room and was helping them with their nightly routines.
"Madison isn't in there?" WilTristan glanced into the room and asked.
"No, she might have taken Quentin and Hannah to rest."
"Hmph!" With a roll of his eyes and a snort, WilTristan strode off with his head held high, leaving Matthew standing at the door, touching his nose, wondering how he had managed to annoy his grandpa again.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
