Chapter 598: Still Waters Run Deep
On the other end of the line, Raymond was losing it. "You guys always call me to dig this up, dig that up. You called, Ethan called, and even Brandon called. Do I owe you guys something? I ain't making a cent from this, but I still gotta bail you out?"
Over at the Patrick family crib, Mr. Patrick was fuming, tapping his cane on the table. "You sure you wanna head to Muskow? This your call?"
Henry nodded, strolling over to give Mr. Patrick a shoulder rub. "Gramps, you're getting up there in age. Don't stress over stuff you don't need to. Leave it to us. Chill out, and I'll swing by often."
Mr. Patrick's face was tight. Honestly, he regretted calling Ian back.
Henry used to be a good boy, but everything flipped when Jasmine came into the picture. He blew off Mr. Patrick's orders to mess with the Douglas family and bring Justin back. Mr. Patrick thought Henry was slacking, so he called Ian back to whip him into shape, which just made things worse.
Henry himself had asked to go to Muskow.
But anyone with half a brain could see Ian wasn't just some dude. He had something on Henry.
"Spill it, what's Ian got on you?" Mr. Patrick asked.
Mr. Patrick never liked Ian, which is why Ian was always overseas, supposedly getting better, but really just being ignored.
Mr. Patrick wanted to use Ian to light a fire under Henry, but it backfired.
"Nothing." Henry grinned. "He's got nothing on me."
Henry used to think he had no weak spots.
"You're not a kid anymore. Time to tie the knot. If you don't like who I've picked, find someone yourself." Mr. Patrick sighed, giving in. He just wanted to see Henry settle down. "I shouldn't have stopped you and..."
He trailed off, sighing.
He actually liked Jasmine. Just thought she wasn't a good match for Henry back then. Now, he regretted it. In love, there was no such thing as "good enough." If they were happy, parents should back off.
Henry was right; they were grown-ups with their own lives.
Henry stayed quiet, a bit of sadness in his eyes.
"Let Justin visit me more. I like that kid." Mr. Patrick almost begged.
As Mr. Patrick got older and sicker, he found comfort in having Justin around, especially since the doc said he didn't have much time left.
Whether Henry got hitched or not, at least there was a kid. Even though someone else was raising Justin, Ethan seemed to be doing a good job.
Henry opened his mouth but didn't say anything.
He and Ian had a deal. Mr. Patrick really liked Justin. Otherwise, with his smarts, he would've figured out Justin wasn't his great-grandson. He was fooling himself, believing Justin was part of the Patrick clan.
"This trip to Muskow, why didn't you bring anyone? Not even Ben?" Mr. Patrick asked.
Henry shook his head, smiling lightly. "Not bringing him. He's got better things to do."
"You." Mr. Patrick sighed. "Is Ian using Jasmine to mess with you?"
Henry froze for a sec, staying silent.
"He just got back and suddenly wants to shift focus to new energy. On the surface, it looks fine, but if you dig deeper, it's sketchy." Mr. Patrick snorted, still sharp. "Howard said SHC and the Douglas family always team up. If we don't take down Raymond Group, old businesses won't survive. I can't call the shots now; Ian's got all the power. Can you protect who you need to?"
Henry looked at Mr. Patrick and grinned. The old man was sharp, knew the score better than anyone.
"Even if I can't protect her, I gotta try. Besides, she's tougher than you think. She's got Ethan and the whole Cunningham clan backing her. Anyone messing with her is making a dumb move. Ian ain't that dumb."
Ian was just using Justin's identity to make threats; he wouldn't actually hurt Jasmine.
Henry knew that even if Mr. Patrick found out Justin wasn't his real great-grandson, he wouldn't go after Jasmine like before.
So he just wanted to bounce. No regrets.
"Don't underestimate Ian. Still waters run deep," Mr. Patrick snorted. "Alright, go get some sleep."
Outside the door, Larry walked in. "Ian's here to see you."
Mr. Patrick snorted, showing his bias. "Weather's bad. Tell him to go back and rest."
Henry glanced at Mr. Patrick. "Gramps, if kids are so important, why don't you like Ian?"
Sometimes, Henry just couldn't get Mr. Patrick.
Mr. Patrick was quiet for a long time before saying, "Someone who shouldn't have existed in the first place, if accepted, will lead to countless others following suit."
Henry's grandma passed away early, but Mr. Patrick never remarried or looked for other women. He once told Henry, "I'm afraid that after I die, the cemetery will be too crowded, and your grandma will be upset."
"From the start, you shouldn't have forced my dad to marry my mom. It would've been better for everyone," Henry smiled.
Mr. Patrick meant that if the Patrick family had done this from the beginning, letting an illegitimate kid inherit the family business openly, more women would ignore morals and break up families, leading to more illegitimate kids competing with legitimate ones for inheritance.
"Yeah, I meddled too much," Mr. Patrick admitted. He shouldn't have forced his son into a business marriage back then.
"Since it's a done deal, you can try to let it go," Henry glanced at the time. "Gramps, I'm out. Not staying tonight. Weather forecast says there's a snowstorm. Rest up."
Henry left the living room, and as he walked through the yard, it started snowing.
Ian stood in the yard with Serena on his body, not moving, no plans to leave.
Henry walked past him, and neither spoke.
They both knew neither was wrong. It was just that their identities were an unbridgeable gap. Blood ties were their bond and shackle, making them the most estranged and mutually repellent brothers.
At Ethan's place in San Francisco, Jasmine sat by the window, looking out the floor-to-ceiling glass. "Ethan, it's raining."
Ethan was packing in the bedroom, pulling out a suitcase. "Let's go, Jasmine. I'm taking you somewhere."
Jasmine was stunned, turning around in surprise. "It's already dark. Where are we going? Got a travel plan?"
Ethan smiled. "We're gonna sell you."
Jasmine giggled, knowing Ethan was joking.
She got up, dressed, and went downstairs with Ethan.
Liam was ready and waved at them. "Hop in."
In the passenger seat, Tom grumbled, "He's really nuts."
In the car, Jasmine got a message from Evan. She hadn't heard from him in a while, only knowing from Evelina that he was doing well and recovering. The message read: [Jasmine, it's snowing in Bostan.]
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