Chapter 198 Lucas's Background
As the sky began to brighten up, Henry made his way back to The Montague Mansion.The gatekeeper was floored when he opened the door; Henry hadn't been back in three years. A few moments later, a sleek black Bentley rolled into the lot.
Henry stepped out, shut the door behind him, and took a look around.
The place looked dead, like all the life had been sucked out of it. When Seraphina was around, she loved the hustle and bustle.
The servants were still snoozing. As Henry walked into the hall, the sound of his leather shoes on the polished floor echoed, making the place feel even more empty and cold.
In a small room, there was a photo of Seraphina, smiling warmly.
Henry's fingers lingered as he gently caressed Seraphina's photo, whispering softly, "He's back, and he looks good! You can rest easy now."
But the only response was the smile in the photo; the departed would never return. Henry felt a pang of sorrow.
Looking at Seraphina's smiling face, his voice choked. "You would support my decision, wouldn't you?"
"Henry!" Aurora ran down from the second floor, standing on the stairs, looking at the scene in disbelief. She couldn't believe Henry had really come back, and her voice trembled with excitement.
Henry looked up at her.
Compared to her excitement, Henry seemed much more indifferent, as if looking at an unrelated stranger.
He set down the rosewood box. "Don't bother Grace anymore! She hasn't even forgiven me, let alone you."
Aurora was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but cover her face and cry, "Henry, can't you forgive me? I was wrong back then, but now I genuinely care about Taylor and Grace!"
Henry watched her cry.
In his memory, he rarely saw Aurora lose her composure. She was usually cold and stern. It turned out she could age and be vulnerable too.
"Why did you do it in the first place?" Henry softly said before turning to leave.
Behind him, Aurora's heart-wrenching cries echoed, "Henry, are you planning to leave me here to grow old alone? Are you going to abandon me like he did? Henry, I'm so lonely, I can't even find someone to talk to."
Henry's eyes felt warm with tears welling up. He suppressed his emotions, turned to look at Aurora.
Henry didn't soften. He sincerely suggested, "If you're really lonely, find someone to keep you company so that the rest of your life won't be so hard."
Aurora was stunned. By the time she came to her senses, Henry had already walked out of the mansion.
As Henry stepped outside, the morning light had risen, and the golden sunlight bathed the earth, making it seem as if everything had awakened. But Henry's heart remained shrouded in darkness.
Perhaps it was karma; no one in this house had a happy ending.
Sitting in the car, his eyes were filled with gloom.
The phone in the glove compartment rang. Henry picked it up and saw it was Grace calling. His expression softened, diminishing the sharpness of his features. He answered the call gently, "What's wrong?"
Grace's voice trembled. She told Henry, "Taylor just had a nosebleed. It used to stop with medication, but it's been half an hour and it's still bleeding. Henry, I'm scared."
Grace appeared fragile in front of Henry.
Henry gripped the phone tightly, lowering his voice to a gentle tone. "Stay with Taylor, I'll be right back."
Grace responded with a hum.
Henry hung up the phone, his throat tightening. He was anything but calm.
At The Montague Group Hospital, Taylor urgently required a transfusion of AB-type blood. However, a major traffic accident that morning had depleted the supply.
Neither Henry nor Grace had AB-type blood. If they used a car to urgently transport it, it might take an hour. Taylor was already dizzy and could go into shock at any moment.
Henry immediately decided, "Call in the helicopter!"
"I'm AB-type!" As the words fell, someone walked in from the door. It was none other than Lucas.
Everyone held their breath because they knew Henry had a grudge against Lucas. They didn't dare speak, let alone agree.
After a while, Henry softly said, "Prepare for the blood draw!"
Lucas, who had regular health check-ups and was in good health, directly donated 17 fluid ounces. After the draw, the nurse immediately took it to Taylor.
Those 17 fluid ounces were especially precious.
As the needle was removed, Lucas rolled down his sleeve and stood up, quietly looking at Henry, who did the same.
After a long time, Lucas softly said, "Henry, let's talk."
At the end of the corridor in the smoking area, Henry and Lucas stood side by side. Despite their long-standing differences, today they finally spoke calmly.
Lucas rarely smoked, but he lit a cigarette this time. As the smoke spread, his voice was filled with bitterness. "Henry, not even you, but I always thought Neil was my father!"
Henry's fingers clenched into a fist.
Lucas's tone grew more bitter. "I remember when I was very young, he would come to see us every week. He would buy me toys. He loved me so much, so I saw him as my father. I both loved and hated him!"
Henry's voice trembled. "Isn't he?"
Last time, Neil said, "Lucas is not my son," and Henry didn't believe it. But now Lucas was saying the same thing. What was their relationship?
Lucas looked into the distance. After a long time, he said in a hoarse voice, "Neil wandered outside for years. He lost his memory. When he came back, he told me I was his uncle Declan Montague's child!"
Turning to look at Henry, Lucas's expression was complex as he began to speak. "Neil and I are cousins! Declan died when I was born. Neil took care of my mother and me, but Aurora misunderstood. No matter how Neil explained, it was useless. In the end, my mother was ruined, and everyone thought she was Neil's mistress."
"Henry, I'm technically your uncle," Lucas stated.
Henry was still processing.
Aurora, behind them, heard everything, and she was devastated.
Lucas wasn't Neil's son; he was Declan Montague's child. What did her years of hatred mean? Why didn't Neil come home all these years?
Aurora's face was full of tears. She couldn't accept it. As she turned to leave, she saw Neil.
When the couple met again, time had changed everything.
Even if the truth was revealed and his innocence was proven, they had been estranged for so many years. She had hated for so many years. How could they possibly reconcile now?
Aurora trembled all over, almost squeezing the words out through her teeth. "Neil, I hate you so much!"
"Aurora!" Neil called out.
But it was too late. Aurora couldn't handle the shock and left in a hurry.
Neil remained standing there. The bravery of his youth was gone, leaving only the desolation of old age.