âHe didnât give a comprehensive account,â Lewis explained.
âWell, how did he put it?â Robert asked.
At that, Lewis related Oscarâs words exactly, only for Robert to guffaw in response. âI knew he wouldnât tell the whole truth!â
Lewis felt a little awkward.
âPlease donât mind, Lewis, Robert said. âIâm merely stating the facts.â
âSo, what in the world happened?â Lewis asked, âPlease, tell us, Robert.â
âOscar told half of the story,â Robert said, âHis eldest son was actually killed by his own hands, even though it was an accident, but he was his own flesh and blood.â
Oscar killed his eldest son with his own hands? Everyone was stunned by the revelation.
Lewisâ heart sank as he realized that their father had accidentally killed his eldest brother.
âMaster, please continue, Emmeline said, âThis is really perplexing.â
The others also waited quietly for Robert to explain the whole story.
âOscarâs first wife was actually my cousin, Robert began. âBut they didnât get along well, and their marriage was arranged by their parents. After a while, my cousin left him due to their constant quarrels and came to me for refuge.
âSeeing her homeless, I took her in only to find out later that she was already pregnant. I asked her to go back, but she refused adamantly, so I let it be. It was like trying to force a square peg into a round hole. pushing her back to Oscar just to follow societal norms.
âSeveral months later, my cousin gave birth to a son. At that time, she insisted on giving the child my surname. I couldnât persuade her otherwise, and considering that the child needed a father figure, I named him Quinn Adelmar. But then Oscar suddenly appeared, saw the situation, thought that I had taken his wife and had already fathered a child with her, and in a fit of rage, he dropped and killed the child by accident.â
At this point, everyone sighed in sympathy. It was clear that acting impulsively in a fit of anger could lead to tragic consequences.
Robert continued, âMy cousin told Oscar that he had accidentally killed his own son. At first, he didnât believe it, but after checking the childâs birthdate and doing some calculations, he realized it was indeed his own child, but it was too late.
âThis is how the situation unfolded. Oscar, thinking that I was responsible for everything, swore to have an eternal feud with me.â
Emmeline interjected, âMaster, this shows that Old Mr. Ryker was wrong. Even if that child wasnât his, it wasnât justifiable for him to kill! Thatâs twisted logic!â
Lewis hesitated, thinking Emmelineâs words were harsh but true. After all, no childâs life should be taken lightly!
âLater, my cousin went insane due to this incident. I did my best to treat her, but unfortunately, she ended up taking her own life by jumping into the sea,â Robert sighed, âSo, I donât have a favorable impression of Oscar.â
Lewis wiped his forehead in remorse; he also felt that his father had acted wrongly.
âItâs not your fault, Lewis, Robert said with a smile. âYou donât need to blame yourself. To be honest, I bear some responsibility too. If that child had taken Oscarâs surname from the beginning and not mine, perhaps these tragedies could have been avoided.â
To lighten the mood, Robert warmly invited everyone to raise their glasses and enjoy the food and drinks. The atmosphere gradually became livelier.
Lewis and Rosaline, along with others, raised their glasses to toast Robert together.
Back in Struyria, Doris closed Nightfall Cafeâs doors at 9 p.m.
The four employees rode their scooters back home.
Carrying her bag, Doris walked to the nearby intersection, intending to hail a taxi to return Garden.
During the time Emmeline and Sam were away, she either took a taxi back or was picked up by Waylonâs chauffeur. She felt uncomfortable always being picked up, so she declined Waylonâs offer to send a chauffeur.
Waylon, on the phone, replied coldly. âDonât get the wrong idea. Iâm not serving you; Iâm here to serve Emmeline Since sheâs not around, I have to help manage her shop and employees.â
âYouâre the one getting the wrong idea,â Doris retorted, holding her phone. âIâm on the same page as you. Emma isnât here, and she entrusted the store to me. I intend to take care of every aspect of her. I donât need you to teach me this,â
âThatâs good, then.â Waylon said. Tm happy to save on fuel expenses since you donât want the chauffeur to pick you up and drop you off. But send me a message once youâre home so that I can put Emma at ease. You should know that if something happens to an employee on their way to or from work, it could be considered a work-related injury, leading to financial compensation or even legal troubles!â
Doris felt a sense of discomfort, her heart sinking inexplicably. She responded with a reluctant âOkay.â