Chapter 707
Elena suddenly jabbed a finger at her daughter. “This is all your fault. If you hadn’t tormented Aria and spoken to her so rudely back then, she wouldn’t hate us so much now.”
“What does that have to do with me?” Ophelia shrieked. “It was you, Mom, who thought Aria was after your position as Mrs. Cole and started targeting her first.”
Liam slumped dejectedly against the wall, listening as his mother and sister endlessly shifted blame. Aria’s cold, dismissive gaze flashed before his eyes.
‘No wonder she’s disappointed,’ Liam thought bitterly. ‘Even I can’t stand Mom and Ophelia. If Aria were there, she’d only find it laughable.’
It was no wonder Liam turned out this way. He really was Elena’s son. All three of them were always quick to blame others for their own mistakes.
Soon, Daniel’s treatment was completed. The doctor, with a grave expression, said, “Daniel has suffered multiple severe shocks. It’s unlikely he’ll regain consciousness.”
Elena froze for a second, then asked in disbelief, “Are you saying he’s in a vegetative state?”
The doctor nodded. “Yes.”
At that moment, all three of them unexpectedly felt a wave of relief.
Daniel’s condition kept deteriorating, and the medical bills were piling up with no end in sight. Now that he’s in a vegetative state, they could just hire a caregiver, and the financial drain would finally stop.
Seeing not a trace of sorrow on their faces, the doctor gave them a complicated look and said no more.
That evening, Emma and James returned home from their trip.
Emma immediately went to Aiden. “Aiden, how did it go? Did you manage to charm Aria for Owen?” She knew it was a long shot, but maybe there was a chance. Daniel let out a weary sigh.
Emma understood. As expected, it failed. “Aiden, don’t worry so much. Kids will find their own way in life,” she reassured him.
Aiden nodded. “As long as Owen doesn’t end up all alone, that’s all that matters.”
Aiden thought, ‘As for children… The Shaw family is so wealthy, and we could simply adopt a few, groom them properly, and have them serve as Julia’s personal aides in the future.’
Emma was utterly surprised. She had thought Daniel would be furious when he found out Owen had the surgery. Surprisingly, he wasn’t angry.
Emma said, “That’s right, Aiden. Just look at how happy James and I are now. It’s not like we’re royalty. Having just Julia is more than enough.’
Daniel nodded and said, “Tell Kim to step up his game. If he can’t win over Cloe and Julia, don’t let him come home.”
Emma thought to herself, “That brat Kim is practically glued to Cloe’s place these days. He’d probably be thrilled if he never had to come home. That threat won’t work.’
Emma said, “Dad, if you have time, you should spend more time with Julia. After all, you’re her great-grandfather, and at
1/2
D
your age, there’s no way they’d ever turn you
down.”
The Shaw residence was quite a distance from Cloe’s place, a two-hour drive. Aiden declared, “Buy a villa nearby. I’m moving in.”
With his grandson proving unreliable and his son and daughter-in-law not much better, Aiden decided to step in himself.
Aiden issued his orders, and the moment the new house was ready, he moved in himself, officially launching his personal charm offensive.
Cloe found herself in a bind. She could curse out Kim without hesitation, but facing an eighty-year-old like Aiden, she just couldn’t bring herself to say a single harsh word.
Cloe called Aria to vent, “You have no idea. Aiden is way smarter than Kim. There’s just no saying no to him.”
Aria chuckled lightly. “If you can’t refuse, then just accept it. Let Julia decide for herself when she’s older.”
If Cloe really disliked Kim, she wouldn’t have even let him get a foot in the door.
She had feelings for him, but marrying into a wealthy family would come with many restrictions. Cloe valued her independence. She preferred earning and spending her own money, not wanting to depend on anyone else.
However, since she did have Julia with Kim, she couldn’t really bring herself to stop the Shaw family from visiting Julia.
Cloe thought to herself, ‘Who knows? Julia might really be the only child this generation of the Shaw family will ever have.
Cloe replied, “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”
She thought, ‘Kim may have a cold exterior, but when it comes to his daughter, he’s truly exceptional. Julia used to despise aloof types like Kim, but these days, she finds herself growing increasingly fond of him.
‘It’s not a bad thing for Julia to have a few more people who love her.’
