Chapter 1253

A trace of mockery danced in Bruce’s eyes. He had scarcely left the base when the call arrived, leaving

him to wonder whether Claudia had been observing his every move.

“Mr. Thomas, Mrs. Thomas requests your presence at the old house,”

Freyja relayed.

Observing the passersby around him, Bruce responded, “Freyja, kindly convey to Grandma that my

current engagements are too pressing to allow me a visit.”

On the opposite end, Freyja translated his response to Renata as “Madam, Mr. Thomas expresses his

unavailability due to prior commitments.”

“Let me have the phone.”

Claudia, not to be deterred, seized the phone.

“Bruce, I heard about your injury. Is it grave?”

Her voice wavered, revealing her concern.

“No, Grandma, there’s no cause for worry. I’m perfectly fine.”

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Bruce’s tone, once playful, now bore a weightier resonance.

Claudia persisted, her words measuring, “Bruce, is there a rift between us?”

Coughing softly, her words lingered in the air.

“Bruce, remember that you are Marcus’s sole sibling. Cease this discord, and he shall not object. You

may form alliances, but the bond of blood surpasses all. No friend can eclipse the significance of kin.”

Bruce’s lips curled into a derisive smile. As anticipated, his every move was under Claudia’s watchful

gaze.

“Bruce?”

“The matter concerns us alone. You need not intervene. I won’t succumb to such a trifling injury.”

With the line severed, Bruce deliberated for a moment, his lips pressed in contemplation, before

reentering the private room.

Upon Bruce’s solo return, Ryan cast a surprised glance in his direction.

Seated in the middle of the sofa, Bruce reclined, his body languid as he began to elucidate.

“Harlan crossed our path, and he took her away.”

A brief interlude followed, during which Ryan resumed pouring the wine.

“Her absence from your side is an astute move. Time grants clarity to familiarity.”

Bruce nodded in agreement, he had, after all, subjected Mavis to enough torment in recent days.