Chapter 408: Narrowing the Path

Chapter 408: Chapter 408: Narrowing the Path

Caspian Rhodes was just as surprised. His family wasn’t on good terms with the relatives from his grand-uncles’ sides of the family. But precisely because their relationship was poor, they had to pay even closer attention to what these people were up to, to prevent being backstabbed when they least expected it.

In his memory, this cousin had always been the epitome of a perfect gentleman—mild, refined, handsome, and rational. He never would have thought...

’He probably wanted to play with these people a little longer, but recently his illegitimate half-brother got carried away and decided to court death. He actually insulted and mocked his deceased mother right to his face.

’You have to feel for this cousin. He grew up without a father, and the person he was closest to in his entire life was his mother, who doted on him, loved him, and raised him to be a success. Unfortunately, she passed away from an illness before he even reached adulthood. It truly was a case of wanting to care for his parent, only to find she was gone.’

It was no exaggeration to say that in Silas Rhodes’s heart, his mother, who had tragically passed away early, was his ultimate trigger.

And this illegitimate brother, thinking he held the key to Silas Rhodes’s future, got carried away and decided to court death by deliberately humiliating him by insulting the dead. It was like his insanity flared up and he decided to go dance on someone’s grave. How could anyone tolerate that?

Zane Lynch and the others found themselves nodding in agreement. Indeed. The dead should be respected. To have not an ounce of reverence for the deceased—he deserved whatever was coming to him. This was especially true since it was a case of the mistress against the original wife, the illegitimate son against the legitimate one. It was a complete reversal of the natural order. All one could say was that some people deserve every punch they take!

’Of course, absolutely, definitely, there’s no way he could tolerate that. Originally, Silas Rhodes had planned to let this bastardly couple run wild for a while longer, just to let them fall from their highest point of triumph into the deepest abyss and quench the hatred in his heart. But now, there’s no need to wait. In one more week, the guy plans to arrange a little drama where the two of them are caught having an affair, and in their panicked escape, they get into a car crash and both die ’accidentally.’

Everyone: "!!!" No wonder she said he was headed for prison. He really was!

’Not only that, he’s already planned it all out. After his wife and the illegitimate son are dead, he’s going to have his own father and the illegitimate son’s mother committed to a mental hospital. As for the child, he might keep him around for fun, but he plans to kick him out of the house once he reaches adulthood, saddling him with a huge debt and sending him from heaven straight to hell.’

The reasoning behind his actions was easy to guess. Didn’t that bastardly couple want to use this child to inherit all his assets and live a life of luxury? Well, he would make sure this child lived his entire life as a beggar, forever trampled underfoot with no hope of rising up. It was a truly heartless form of revenge.

However, in Arabella Donovan’s opinion, this hardly counted as an effective form of revenge.

’It feels like the only person who was ever good to him is gone, he’s got that kind of illness, and everyone around him is a scumbag with no integrity or moral compass. He has nothing to look forward to, so he’s given up on himself. It’s like he has a bit of a self-destructive streak and wants to take it out on the world.’

After calming down and thinking it over, the others realized that seemed to be the case. While they felt some sympathy for his situation, a person like that was simply too dangerous. Any normal person’s first instinct would be to stay far away.

’I have to say, he’s really painted himself into a corner. That scumbag and his bitch are definitely infuriating, but their crime doesn’t warrant death. Why take such a desperate risk for those two, potentially ruining himself in the process? And on top of that, he’s morosely planning to raise their child for them? There are just so many things wrong with this, I don’t even know where to begin my critique.

’Azoospermia has a very low cure rate, but it’s not like it’s a terminal illness. I’ve seen plenty of people who, knowing they have a terminal disease, refuse to give up until they’ve hit a brick wall and exhausted every treatment. But this is the first time I’ve ever seen someone pronounce their own death sentence without even trying to get treated.

’I don’t even have to look far. Take the Third Hospital, the one our family has shares in and that also collaborates with Mr. Rhodes’s family’s hospital. There’s a Traditional Chinese Medicine clinic inside, and there’s an old TCM doctor there who specializes in andrology who’s supposed to be pretty good...’

Arabella Donovan wasn’t just talking nonsense. Not long after Lillian Donovan had fainted and been hospitalized, Liam Lowe and his buddy had also been admitted there for a while.

During that time, Arabella Donovan had frequently gone to the hospital with Mrs. Donovan, Eloise Donovan, and the others. With nothing better to do, she would wander all over the hospital like a stray cat.

Then, in the TCM clinic, she saw an old physician who seemed to radiate a gentle light, like a small lightbulb.

With that much Merit surrounding him, his medical skills were undoubtedly top-notch. She just didn’t know if his skills were high enough to cure a certain someone’s azoospermia.

Arabella Donovan was just sighing about it casually and didn’t notice at all that as soon as she finished speaking, Caspian Rhodes, who was standing beside her, had a slight change in expression and looked thoughtful.

’Speaking of which, what is up with Mr. Rhodes’s family? They’re like a whole squad of reserve outlaws. No wonder they were so desperate to get me to check their ancestral tomb’s feng shui. I’m afraid their ancestors must have been severely lacking in virtue, leading to their descendants poking a hornet’s nest of criminals.’

Zane Lynch and the others: PFFT...

Caspian Rhodes: "..."

Joking aside, Arabella Donovan hadn’t forgotten the real reason she was here today.

"By the way, Mr. Rhodes, do you have any sisters? Cousins count too. You’ve introduced so many people, but they all seem to be male cousins. I haven’t seen any sisters or female cousins. It’s not that your family forbids young women from attending the ancestral rites, is it?"

Caspian Rhodes saw right through Arabella Donovan’s little scheme and played along. "Not at all. If we really didn’t allow female guests, my aunts wouldn’t be here either. They’re probably just running late."

Speak of the devil. Caspian Rhodes had just finished speaking when he saw a woman about his age walking toward them, smiling as she held a man’s arm.

"Caspian, we’re late. I heard you brought a few friends to observe the ancestral rites this year. Are these them?" Guinevere Rhodes’s gaze swept over Arabella Donovan and the others. Though her glances were light and fleeting, they made the hairs on Arabella’s arms stand on end for some reason. She instinctively felt that this woman had ill intentions.

Caspian Rhodes subtly shifted to stand slightly in front of Arabella Donovan, blocking Guinevere Rhodes’s probing gaze.

"These are my aunt’s kids. They were curious about our ancestral rites and came to watch. Solara, Serena... this is my cousin from my second uncle’s side. She’s the second oldest among the cousins."

Caspian Rhodes deliberately emphasized the last sentence, and just as he expected, Arabella Donovan’s eyes lit up when she heard it.

’Second oldest among the cousins... could she be the legendary Miss Rhodes?’

Before Arabella Donovan could confirm her suspicion, Caspian Rhodes had already noticed the strangely familiar man beside Guinevere Rhodes. He frowned and asked, "Second Cousin, this is..."

"I forgot to introduce you. This is my boyfriend, Ian Jennings. Ethan, this is the cousin I mentioned to you before, Caspian Rhodes. He’s the current CEO of the Rhodes Group."

Guinevere Rhodes deliberately emphasized the last sentence, but unfortunately for her, everyone, including Caspian Rhodes, was completely captivated by her first sentence.

Arabella Donovan was so startled that her hand trembled, and she knocked over her teacup.

’Wait, say that again. Who did you say that man is?’