CHAPTER 65: OLD AND RIGID

As Mia slowly stepped out of the car, Monica was already behind Theodore. With a bright smile, she gently pushed her son aside so she could greet the guest properly.

"Hello, sweetheart," Monica said as she pulled her into a tight hug and pressed their cheeks together.

Mia was surprised by Monica’s warm greeting. From afar, she had seemed unfriendly. Maybe that was just her imagination, she thought.

"Hello, Auntie. I’m sorry for interrupting your family dinner," Mia apologized immediately, not wanting the Pierce family to misunderstand her presence.

Monica shook her head with a warm smile. "It’s okay, it’s okay. The more, the merrier. Come in, my daughter-in-law has just arrived," she said cheerfully.

She rested a gentle hand on Mia’s back and guided her inside, with Theo following behind them.

"Hello, Mom. It’s good to be home." He teasing her since she hadn’t greeted him at all.

"Yes, yes, welcome home, my son," Monica replied with a faint smile. "It’s been ages since you remembered this place."

Inside the mansion, Theo sensed the familiar tension in the air. He had been through this phase before, back when he was newly married.

Now that he was divorced, there was no point in dwelling on it anymore.

Still, he remembered one clear cause—his grandmother’s sharp tongue.

Elean always spoke whatever she felt, especially when she started to dislike someone.

Theo glanced at Lyra, whom he believed had already become Elean’s victim.

Lyra froze for a moment when she saw Mia, then quickly changed into a cheerful expression. The two of them hugged each other, while his mother looked puzzled, surprised that Mia already knew Lyra.

Lyra looked far too cheerful to be a victim today.

"So... who was in a bad mood now?" Theo rubbed his jawline.

He walked toward the sofa where his grandmother was sitting. She had already finished most of the cookies, still in a foul mood.

"Grandma, hey. How are you?" Theo said as he pulled her into a warm embrace.

Elean shoved him. "As if you care about my feelings. Everyone in this house is the worst!" she suddenly snapped.

She pointed at Mia and said, "After your ex-wife, you still bring in a rich woman? I told you that type of woman isn’t suitable to be a good wife!"

Everyone fell silent.

Mia clenched her hands. She had been worried this might happen as an uninvited guest, and now they had misunderstood her presence.

She began to explain, "Um... I’m just a friend of Theo. Please don’t misunderstand."

Monica and Albert exchanged a glance. She silently mouthed to her husband.

"Calm your mother before everything becomes worse."

Albert responded with widened eyes, mouthing back.

"As if she would listen to me. You’re her favorite. You have to step in. Please, honey."

Monica sighed. It was true, Elean didn’t get along with Albert. So she had to be the one to step in.

She gently patted Mia’s arm to reassure her, then slowly stepped closer to Elean.

She tried to calm her, but Elean only grew angrier. Suddenly, Elean clutched her chest as pain struck.

"Mother, are you okay?" Monica cried out anxiously.

Slowly, Elean slipped into a semi-conscious state, her chest tight with pain. The only thing she could hear was their voices as they tried to tend to her.

Elean became aware that she was in a stark white room.

The rich young woman she had harshly scolded earlier was now dressed as a doctor. Even though her face was covered by a mask, Elean recognized her eyes and her voice.

And the blue eyes—she was also in the room, assisting with the procedure.

Elean wondered, why were they saving her after her sharp tongue had hurt them?

Yet, Elean stood firm in her decision. She would not let their kindness blind her judgment.

She clearly remembered why the Hale family was the family she disliked the most. It was because their family held power in both the legal world and the underground.

Even she didn’t know exactly what kind of business they ran, but it was clear they were dangerous.

Both Harold and Agnes came from influential families. Even worse, she had heard they came from a line of gang leaders.

They had a son and a daughter, and Lyra’s mother was the youngest. One by one, misfortune took their children away. The last to pass was Avelina, Lyra’s mother.

Elean believed it was the work of their enemies. She was terrified that her beloved family would be dragged into the Hale family’s ill luck.

What if Rowan had children one day and met the same tragic fate? She couldn’t imagine that.

Albert knew all of this, yet he stubbornly refused to listen to her.

...

"Grandma’s prejudice just keeps getting worse," Theo snapped, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

"Who the hell is putting those ridiculous ideas into her head? She can’t even do anything about it, but she’s the one getting sick from the stress."

Theo no longer bothered to soften his words. He felt his grandmother had gone too far. Maybe it was her age that had made her this way.

Albert and Monica sat side by side, falling into uneasy silence as Theo openly criticized Elean.

What he said was true, yet Elean was old and rigid. In her mind, only she could ever be right.

Rowan stood a short distance away, taking a call. When Lyra stepped out of Elean’s room, he ended the call and moved toward his wife.

Mia stood before the family as she explained Elean’s condition.

"It’s best for her to rest here for a couple of days. We need to avoid stressing her out," she said.

"Everyone can go home and get some rest. Don’t worry about her, the nurses here will keep an eye on her, and I’ll be here too. If anything happens, I’ll contact immediately."

Monica stepped closer and gently clasped Mia’s hand.

"Are you sure, my dear? You just arrived. You need to rest too."

"She’s right," Theo said. "I’ll stay here. Just follow my parents back to the Pierce mansion and get some rest."

He wouldn’t allow Mia, a guest, to handle everything alone for his family. Besides, he felt ashamed of his grandmother’s earlier behavior toward her.

Mia agreed with Theo’s suggestion, not wanting to drag the situation out and add to the family’s guilt toward her.

Just as they were about to leave, the hospital director suddenly arrived.

"Dr. Chavan, wait," he called, hurrying toward Mia. "Thank you for stepping in on this case. It’s an honor for our hospital to receive help from a renowned expert like you."

"You’re exaggerating," Mia said with a small smile. "I didn’t do anything special. I only checked her condition and prescribed the medication."

"No, Doctor, I’m not exaggerating. You helped far more than you realize. Her condition required a specialist’s attention, and in emergency like this, your presence eased a great deal of our concern. It truly is an honor," he said sincerely.