CHAPTER 161: CHAPTER 161: GRANDPA, YOU’RE OLD

"Who told me? Does it really matter?"

Old Master Hawthorne clearly didn’t want to reveal who had tipped him off.

He believed Declan Hawthorne still hadn’t grasped the gravity of the situation.

"Do you know how much effort the Hawthorne Group has put into grooming you? We have risked our lives to support you, and this is how unaware you are of the consequences!"

The cane in Old Master Hawthorne’s hand hit Declan’s calf heavily.

Declan grunted but didn’t dodge, taking the hit head-on.

The look in Old Master Hawthorne’s eyes had also turned icy.

Declan staggered a step, walking towards Old Master Hawthorne.

Seeing him approach, Old Master Hawthorne thought Declan was coming to apologize, so his tone softened a bit.

"The urgent matter now is to divorce quickly before the media finds out about your marriage!"

"Finding a wife of equal status will be beneficial for your marriage. Why can’t you understand my good intentions!"

Declan approached the old master’s side.

He was tall, and now with a cold expression, the shadow he cast loomed over the old master’s head, making the old master’s heart skip a beat.

The aged face trembled like old tree bark.

Even if he was unwilling, Old Master Hawthorne had to admit that Declan was no longer the fledgling he once was.

He had reached a point that even made him shudder with fear.

Old Master Hawthorne’s voice trembled without him realizing it.

"You..."

Declan looked at Old Master Hawthorne before him.

His voice was calm, carrying a hint of disdain, like fallen leaves floating on water.

"Grandfather." He spoke, "You are old."

Declan raised his hand to brush away the fallen leaves from the old master’s shoulder.

Lowering his gaze, his eyes were chillingly cold.

"The fact that the Hawthorne Group is where it is today, grandfather, can you really claim all the credit?"

Declan’s tone was gentle, but every word pierced like bloodletting.

"The reason our company is named Hawthorne is because my last name is Hawthorne, grandfather, do you understand?"

Old Master Hawthorne’s lips trembled.

His now aged face was filled with disbelief and uncertainty.

Old Master Hawthorne’s voice quivered lightly.

"For the woman you married into the family, are you going to defy me again and again? Such a woman will only bring chaos to the Hawthorne Family!"

"Grandfather, do you think finding a woman will bring peace to the Hawthorne Family?"

Declan’s eyebrows were tainted with sarcasm.

It’s not as if Old Master Hawthorne hadn’t meddled in the marriages of the Hawthorne descendants.

Apart from Hugo and Jackie, the marriages of the other two uncles were arranged entirely by Old Master Hawthorne.

Under Old Master Hawthorne’s arrangement, the second son, Miles, married a young lady from a family of equal status.

After giving birth to Zachary, she had an affair with the lead actor from one of Miles’s films, even having a set of twins, putting a significant mark of disgrace on the Hawthorne Family.

Amid the scandal, Old Master Hawthorne demanded a divorce, but Miles refused regardless.

He said that since Old Master Hawthorne chose the wife for him, it must be the best, and there was no reason for a change.

Old Master Hawthorne had to threaten with death before they finally divorced, but Miles never remarried.

After the divorce, the second aunt continued to have an entangled relationship with Miles, even giving birth to Ronan Hawthorne, never truly breaking their connection.

The youngest son, Adrian, at a banquet after his marriage, got involved with a socialite from Sterling, leading to the death of her fiancé in a car accident at the scene.

Adrian was in the car at the time, entangled with the socialite.

The incident caused an uproar, and the fiancé’s family confronted the Hawthorne Family, forcing Old Master Hawthorne to rush over to handle it.

He completely lost face in Sterling.

It was only afterward that Old Master Hawthorne learned that the meeting between the socialite and Adrian was facilitated by the wife he had arranged for Adrian!

Unsatisfied with Adrian’s debauchery and unwilling to tolerate it, she personally held Adrian’s fate in her hands, ruining the rest of his life.

Old Master Hawthorne was furious but to no avail.

Tristan and Justin were sent to Old Master Hawthorne during that time.

Declan still remembered his third aunt, who had a beautiful smile, touching his face with a carefree smile.

"Young Master Declan, if you ever get married, never listen to your grandfather. He will confidently choose a heartless woman for you, just like me."

Old Master Hawthorne rebuked her for speaking nonsense.

He sent her and Adrian to the manor together.

Declan and Old Master Hawthorne both thought of the wives of the second and third sons of the Hawthorne Family.

They remembered the chaotic years for the Hawthorne Family.

Seeing Old Master Hawthorne’s face suddenly darken, Declan searched himself but found no cigarettes.

The doctor prohibited smoking during the hospital stay, and remembering that both Florence and Poppy disliked him smoking, Declan had quit.

Now he wanted a smoke but found he had none.

Tristan, with sharp eyes, pulled out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and handed it to Declan.

The cigarette was placed in Old Master Hawthorne’s mouth by Declan.

Declan lowered his gaze, "Grandfather, it’s late and damp with dew. It’s time to go home."

Old Master Hawthorne hadn’t smoked in years, and the nicotine made him cough repeatedly.

Hugo stepped forward, glancing at the assistant beside Old Master Hawthorne.

"Dad, I’ll take you home."

The old master said nothing more and, after a few stumbles, left the Hawthorne Family estate.

Watching Old Master Hawthorne’s retreating figure, Tristan stepped forward to stand by Declan’s side.

"Big brother, knowing grandfather’s temperament, he won’t give up after today’s failed attempt."

Declan coldly responded, "Find something to keep him busy. Investigate who tipped him off."

Tristan only learned about Declan’s recent marriage today.

Having relinquished power for so many years, the old master no longer had the ability to see through everything.

Tristan nodded.

"Alright."

-

Upstairs.

Jackie was talking about Declan’s childhood.

"When he was a child and not with me, the old master said I couldn’t raise Declan properly, so he decided to do it himself."

Justin lay on the carpet, allowing Florence to stick various stickers on her face.

"Initially it was because my brother and I were sent there, then grandfather simply took all the children there, making it like a workplace."

"Those who did well were rewarded, one missed meal wouldn’t starve you, but it could strip away your pride and dignity."

"Sis-in-law, I bet you when my grandfather came, he definitely had ill intentions, most likely wanting you and big brother to divorce."

Jackie frowned, "Absolutely impossible!"

Her son had worked so hard to find his match; if Old Master Hawthorne disrupted it, she would jump into the river a second time if necessary.

Talking about Old Master Hawthorne, Jackie’s emotions grew intense.

Florence ran over, tiptoeing to wipe her tears.

"Don’t cry, keep it down, or you’ll scare them."

Jackie wanted to laugh while crying, eyes forming crescents, "Oh, grandma understands."

Truth Hale knew something about the Hawthorne Family’s tumultuous years.

The media had reported plenty on it before.

For a wealthy family like the Hawthorne Family, no secret was too well-kept.

Almost any slight stir would make it online, let alone when Miles was a public figure. Those years, Hawthorne Family topped the headlines.

Poppy Hale listened to Jackie’s storytelling.

Standing by the window, her gaze landed on the man in the courtyard.

As if sensing something, Declan suddenly looked up towards the window.

In one glance, he caught sight of Poppy Hale.