Chapter 411: The Grandfather’s Verdict
Ramsy estate:
The air in the Ramsy estate was heavy. The family sat scattered across the living room, but when Albert Ramsy dropped the truth on them, every eye turned sharply to him as if he had suddenly grown two heads.
"Grandpa," Aria’s voice trembled. She stared at him, her knuckles pressed tightly against her mouth. Her eyes darted toward the stack of papers on the table. "Is it a new joke? Because this isn’t funny." Her words faltered at the end.
Jacob was already holding the DNA tests in his hand, his broad shoulders shaking. His eyes scanned the words again and again, but no matter how many times he read them, they stayed the same. His fingers gripped the edges so tightly that the papers began to crumple.
"How?" Jacob’s voice cracked, rough with disbelief. "How could this be possible?"
Beside him, Elina let out a sharp gasp. She clutched her chest, her breathing turned shallow, ragged.
"Mum! Are you alright?" Aria cried, rushing to her side. "Please, breathe. Don’t scare me like this!"
Elina’s face was pale, beads of sweat already gathering on her forehead. She opened her mouth, but no words came.
Across from them, Willow was staring at the DNA test, her brows furrowing. "Did he... do this himself? When? Why didn’t he say anything?"
Elina suddenly lifted her head, her lips quivering. "Where is he? Where is Micah?" she whispered.
Albert Ramsy’s gaze lingered on her. His old eyes, sharp yet tired, scanned each of them before he finally spoke, his tone steady. "He is with his grandmother."
"Where?" Elina’s voice rose, shrill with panic. She tried to rise to her feet, but Jacob held her down quickly. "No! Tell me where! I have to see him!"
"Mum! Please! You are going to have a heart attack at this rate!" Aria exclaimed, tears gathering in her eyes.
Jacob hugged his wife, his hands rubbed up and down her back as though soothing her. "Honey. Calm down. Take a Deep breath!"
But Elina struggled in his embrace, her nails digging into his sleeves. Her voice broke in sobs. "No, let me go. I have to see him. Jacob! Don’t you understand? Can you even imagine what he’s been through? Can you?" She turned her head toward him, her wet eyes blazing with anguish. "He is not strong! He barked and hissed at you, yes, but in the end, he is just... he’s just a stupid, fragile child! What if something happens to him?" Elina went hysterical. "What if he breaks?"
The room fell silent at her words.
Albert Ramsy was taken aback. He had expected Elina would be the most composed one hearing the news. And his son Jacob would lose it. But it was the opposite.
Willow stood suddenly, her fists clenched at her sides. "Mum is right. We can’t just sit here. Let’s go to Micah."
Her words reignited the room into noise. Everyone spoke at once, grief and panic colliding like waves. The living room turned into a chaotic scene.
Then.. Bang!
Albert Ramsy slammed his cane hard against the floor. The sharp sound rang through the hall. Everyone froze.
Silence fell over the room finally.
"Listen to me!" Albert said, voice stern. "You should all be ashamed of yourselves!" His cane trembled slightly in his hand. "Micah was more rational than any of you. None of you spared a thought for the other boy! None of you! And yet...He is from your flesh and blood!"
They dropped their heads, one by one. It wasn’t that they didn’t care. It was because they were more worried about Micah.
Willow was the first to lift her head, her eyes burning. "Grandpa, can you really blame us? We’ve watched Micah grow up under this roof for almost twenty years. Of course, we care about him first."
Albert’s eyes narrowed. "I am not saying you shouldn’t care. But don’t twist my words, young lady! What I mean is this: there are two lives, two children, whose fates have got mixed up." His voice lowered. "And both are ours."
"Then... who is the other one? Did Micah find it..." Jacob paused. Realisation dawned on him. He had never seen Darcy up close. But the only person who appeared near Micah recently was him.
He jumped to his feet. "No way... is it him.. That black-haired boy?"
Aria blinked rapidly, looking up at her father in shock. "Dad? Who is it? Who are you talking about?"
Elina let out a low groan, burying her face in her trembling hands. "Oh god..." memories flashed in her mind. She remembered how nervous Micah was the first time she was supposed to see Darcy. How he tried to connect them. And what was her response?
Albert sighed. "He bears a striking resemblance to Zhou Ruyan’s brother. That’s how Micah recognised him."
Elina lifted her tearful face, confused. "Then why? Why hide it all this time? Why didn’t he tell us?" Elina said. All of the things that happened over the last few months replayed in her head. Micah’s smiles, his silence, his sudden bursts of anger. How many of those moments were masks, covering the truth?
"Can you blame him?" Willow whispered. She had investigated Darcy’s life. She knew how different and hard it was compared to Micah.
"Can someone please tell me directly?" Aria asked, frustrated.
Albert stood up and put a file in front of her. "Here. This is your biological brother."
Then he looked at all of them. "You have a few days to sort out your feelings. That’s all. I will speak to his mother and let her be the one to tell him the truth. Don’t go to Micah before you’ve decided how you will face him or Darcy. You will only end up hurting them more. Don’t act rashly. If this news leaks before you’re steadied your emotions... the result would be catastrophic."
Albert’s cane tapped once against the floor as he turned down toward the doorway. "I sent Micah away for this very reason. Understand this: the most heartbroken in this mess are those two boys. They don’t need your tears. They don’t need your pity. What they need is your strength."
Without waiting for a reply, Albert Ramsy walked out of the room. The echo of his cane against the marble floor struck every member of the Ramsy family.