Chapter 443: Mother Knows Best (But Does She, Though?)
Micah and Elina fell into a silence. Neither of them had the courage to address the elephant in the room.
In the end, Micah spoke, completely skipping the matter. "Mum... I called because I have something to say..."
Elina held her breath. "What is it, sweetheart?"
"It’s about Darcy. He doesn’t want to be part of the Ramsy family." Micah began. "And... I think I know the reason."
Elina’s stomach dropped. She didn’t like that all Micah was talking about was Darcy. Her fingers dug into her skirt.
"Why are you giving him the cold shoulder, shutting him out? Mum...Isn’t he your son?" Micah said, voice low and trembling.
"Micah... I.. Couldn’t..."
"Mum." His voice cut firmly, sharper than before. "If it’s really that hard for you... Then I’ll go live with him instead."
"Absolutely not!" Elina barked in panic.
"So... treat him like a true Ramsy. Mum... when we return to Isatis city... I want to see your sincerity. No excuses," Micah said with a serious tone.
And before she could reply, Micah ended the call. He lowered the phone and stared at the horizon.
His chest felt hollow. He had forced himself to be stern, to demand what Darcy deserved. But his insides were torn to shreds.
Darcy had already been disheartened by Ramsy’s family. And his family had not been any better. Their relationship even before it began had turned out to be completely stiff. Micah let out a long sigh. He was totally out of his element, having no idea how to ease it. Then out of the blue, his mind drifted again to earlier at lunch...
Darcy’s attraction... Micah didn’t understand. Why him? What could he possibly see in someone so selfish, so spoiled? Micah thought bitterly of the glittering halls of high society, the dazzling heirs and elegant daughters. There were so many more brilliant, refined people out there. Compared to them, he was nothing special. Just a pampered, arrogant young man who had been run wild.
Maybe he would meet someone else and fall in love.
Maybe Darcy’s feelings weren’t love at all. Maybe it was gratitude, like a chick seeing the first face after breaking its shell, Darcy mistook his feeling for him as love. Yes, Darcy had only formed feelings because Micah was the first person to reach out. To extend his hand to him and help him when he had been drowning in the abyss.
Micah’s throat constricted. If it were true, then Darcy needed to see more of the world, to meet others. To discover that Micah wasn’t the answer to his loneliness.
He rubbed his eyes, shoulders slumped. He was tired already. Going back to Isatis City would be like walking into a battlefield. But it was a hurdle he should overcome sooner or later.
And...Even if Darcy didn’t want it, Micah would still do everything he could to put him where he belonged. Even if it meant breaking himself apart in the process.
***
Elina stared down at the phone on the table, the screen glowing faintly with the disconnected call. She pressed her lips together, her throat aching, and then finally let out a long, shaky breath. She turned her head toward her daughter, who stood at her side. "He was mad, wasn’t he?" she whispered.
Aria pursed her lips. "Yeah," she admitted softly. "I’ve never heard him speak like that before. Not to us. He sounded... so serious!"
Elina let out a quiet moan, sinking into the chair. "What should we do?" she asked, her voice breaking with helplessness. "I never thought...never thought our deliberate distance from Darcy would end up making him so disappointed with us. It turned out completely opposite of what I expected."
She closed her eyes and shook her head slowly. "I only wanted to protect Micah... to keep everything balanced. But it seems I was just partial to Micah."
Aria stepped closer, her face softening, and placed her hands gently on Elina’s shoulders. Her thumbs moved in soothing circles, massaging the tense muscles. "Mum... I’ve told you before he would not like it."
"I know. I know," Elina sighed, her voice heavy with regret. She tilted her head back against the chair, eyes brimming with tears. "But I was scared, Aria. Scared of losing him. Scared of hurting him if I went to Darcy..." she swallowed hard. "And now, look at me. I’ve managed to push both of them away."
"Mum, don’t be hard on yourself. No one knows what the best course of action is in this kind of situation."
"Mmm," Elina hummed in response, dispirited.
After a few seconds of silence, she spoke again. "Looks like we’ll have to do what he said, won’t we? Otherwise, with how impulsive he can be, he might actually go and live with them. He’ll pack up his things and just vanish from this house!"
"Let’s discuss it with Dad and Willow and decide how to pacify him. I think we’d better be on our best behaviour or else Micah will never forgive us." Aria said, making a face.
"Yes, let’s do that," Elina said, lowering her eyes.
These past few days, they at least got a few updates from Albert about how Micah was faring there. But...Last night, Albert Ramsy’s report had shaken her the most: Darcy had appeared there, and not just Darcy... but that man too.
Elina frowned, remembering how miserable Micah had been, how pitiful he had cried his eyes out when that man lay unconscious in the hospital bed. Who was he really to Micah? She always felt her son’s reaction toward the incident had been out of proportion. Her motherly instinct told her that Micah’s feelings for that man ran deeper than concern. But the idea seemed far-fetched. Micah, that troublemaker, falling in love? And not with anybody but the Du Pont patriarch?
If it was that true... then was it okay to let him near Micah? Why else had that man flown there? Except for Micah?
Her head felt like it might burst any minute from the weight of it all. She needed a second opinion.
Elina tilted her head. "Aria... what do you think of that Du Pont guy?" she asked, hoping her daughter could put her mind at ease.
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