Chapter 110 Chapter 110

Chapter 110 Chapter 110
In the living room, Vince’s grandmother slammed her hand onto the table upon hearing the old story. Her eyes burned with rage. "That Maggie woman has no connection to us anymore. What right does she have to demand taking Vince to Japan?"

Mr. Caleb leaned back in his chair. "Mother. If Vince chooses to follow his mother, I think I will respect his decision."

"What are you saying, Caleb. Vince is the heir. I don't care about the reasons. I am the one who raised him, and I won't let him go anywhere." The grandmother shouted, her breath coming in sharp gasps from anger. "Wasn't it Vince himself who didn't want to go with her back then. She agreed to leave him with us. Why come back now and demand to take him?"

Mr. Caleb let out a long sigh. "Mother, that is only my thought. If he makes a decision, he will tell us."

Briona, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. "Mother, Serenity told me that Vince always believed his mother didn't love him. He lived with that belief for ten years to protect his heart. But when they met again, he realized that wasn't the truth. Perhaps that is why it shocked him and left him torn between love and hate."

The grandmother waved her hand dismissively. "Enough. We are not talking about that anymore. I didn't come here today to argue about that woman. I came to discuss the details of your wedding."

Mr. Caleb turned to Mrs. Briona, his eyes filled with apology. "Briona, I am sorry. Because of my ex-wife’s situation, I’ve been so preoccupied that I forgot your feelings."

Mrs. Briona gave a sad smile and took his hand. "I understand. The wedding is just a formality, so our children have a clear standing in society. But as for our life ahead, we must be the ones to ensure its stability. And as for Serenity and Vince, what will happen to them if Vince decides to go to Japan? It wouldn't just be you; I would be heartbroken as well."

Mr. Caleb looked out toward the porch. "Mother, if Vince decides to go to Japan, we should prepare ourselves."

The grandmother replied coldly, "That... we will deal with it when it happens."

At school, during the break, Ashton sought out Vince at the basketball court. The sound of the ball hitting the ground echoed like the heartbeat of a stalemate. Ashton blocked his brother’s path. "Vince, I know you’re angry, but I still have to tell you this. Will you go see Mom again?"

Vince stopped dribbling, sweat pouring down his handsome face. "I don't want to. Once, twice... how many more times must I go? It’s useless."

Ashton tried to convince him. "Don't you feel any pity for a woman in such pain. She is your mother. You can pretend not to care, but I can't. She’s my mother too. Seeing her suffer all day, unable to do anything, I can't just ignore it."

He continued. "But how is Mom supposed to keep living. Here or in Japan. It’s all the same to her without you. I understand her. If she doesn't have you, then even if she conquers the whole world, she’s still just a foolish woman. The more she tries to act glamorous and successful, the more pathetic she becomes because she has lost to her own son."

Vince stood frozen. Those words were like a knife stabbing into the ice in his heart. Ashton went on, his voice tinged with sadness. "She has been like this since your birthday. She isn't working; she’s in a constant state of chaos, as if her soul has vanished."

Vince dropped the ball. It rolled away and came to a complete stop, just as his resistance finally surrendered to the bonds of blood.

Ashton led Vince to where their mother was staying. When the door opened, the image of a weary Maggie appeared before them.

Ashton watched his brother’s back, his mind a jumble of thoughts. My brother finally agreed to come and see Mom today. Until he makes a final decision, the only thing I can do is wait. I have always selfishly wanted Mom all to myself, but now, seeing her broken like this, I can't imagine if he still chooses to turn away in the end. I’m afraid he won't choose Mom and me.

Vince stood watching the woman who was once the "queen" of his memories, now huddled in despair. A new battle was beginning—the battle between forgiveness and indelible pain.

The hotel room was dark and suffocating, the curtains drawn tight as if to shut out the glamorous world outside from the misery within. Maggie lay buried under a thick blanket, her once meticulously styled hair now a tangled mess.

Vince walked in, approached the bed, and threw back the blanket. "How old are you, and why are you still making Ashton worry like this?" Vince’s voice rang out, part reproach and part clumsy concern.

Maggie bolted up, her eyes swollen from crying, looking at her son with a painful defensiveness. "What are you doing here. I don't need you here lecturing me."

Vince stood with his arms crossed. "I’m only speaking the truth. I’m not lecturing anyone."

Maggie gave a bitter laugh. "Your whole family is the same. No one acknowledges me. Not even you. Even if that old woman didn't like me, I was always by your side. But what about you? We meet again, and you just want to leave me. Even if I were to die, you wouldn't want to be with me. Go on, go back to your father. Go back to that happy home."
"If I leave now, you’ll just get angry for no reason, blame yourself, and make Ashton worry again, won't you. How long do you want Ashton to live like this? Enough is enough; he doesn't deserve it. You are using your own hurt to punish the only person who has always stayed by your side."

Maggie screamed, all the pride of a businesswoman now vanishing into thin air. "Yes, I am disappointed. I am horribly sad. I am the most useless mother in the world. I have two sons; one lives with me but never accepts my care. The other doesn't need me and wants to leave me. You don't even want to acknowledge me as your mother."

In the dead silence following her outburst, Vince suddenly asked a question that made time stand still. "Do you really want to live with me again?"