Chapter 402: Going To See His Mother

After Marina lost her son Alexander and his family, she had entirely isolated herself from the Riverdale family, having nothing to do with them in the past two decades. It’s just that Aeldric refused to divorce her, so she still carried the title of his wife—just in name—for her.

She turned to Justin, unsure what to say. She was definitely emotional inside to see him alive, but she held back and said instead, "You seem to have grown up well. I am happy for you. Unfortunate that you had to be back to this hell once more."

Justin stood up. He couldn’t disrespect this genuinely worried woman and said, "Thank you for your concern. I can handle it," he assured.

"I can only pray for you," the woman said. "That old man there, he is a maniac, and I am sad once again that I have no power to protect you from him."

"It might be the other way around," Justin said.

Marina raised a brow and chuckled. "Trust me, then I would be the happiest person."

Aeldric was clearly displeased. Just like in the past, his grandson was close to his wife while he disregarded him entirely.

"Now that you are here, have dinner with us," Aeldric said to her.

Marina didn’t respond to the old man, while she said to Justin, "If you are planning to have dinner here, I will wait for you till you finish. I don’t eat or drink anything in this heinous place."

"I am not here to have a meal," Justin replied. "Just thought of offering a visit to a place where I was said to be present in the past."

"Then would you want to come with me? You might like to visit your mother first," Marina offered.

Justin didn’t react to it, as he had to conceal any emotions, but there was a flicker of change in his gaze upon hearing it—that he wanted to see her.

"Marina," Aeldric exclaimed angrily, "So this is why you are here? To take my grandson away just when he returned?"

"I am not forcing him to come with me," Marina looked at Aeldric. "It’s his decision whether to accept my offer or not. And how do you expect him to not meet his own mother? Don’t be ridiculous."

Aeldric turned to Justin. "Don’t you ever want to see your sister?"

It was Aeldric’s warning for Justin not to go with Marina.

The old man looked at Marina. "And you?"

"Who are you threatening with those same old tricks?" Marina said. "You won’t let us see her despite whatever we do. You wicked man would never change."

"Marina—"

"Keep your voice low," Marina said coldly, and looked at Justin. "Aiden, are you coming with me or going to let this old man control you?"

"I had no plans to stay here anyways," he said.

"Let’s go then. I had promised Serena that I am bringing you to meet her," Marina said as she turned to leave.

"Marina, I warn you—take a step ahead," Aeldric’s angry voice came through.

She stopped and looked at him. "What would you do? Kill me? I asked you to do that long ago, but it’s you who neither kills me nor allows me to get a divorce. And don’t forget, if not for keeping Serena with me, I would have left you long ago. Want to hurt me? Be my guest."

"Mother, you are being so rude to Father," Mallory, who was quiet till now, finally spoke. "He always gave in to you because you are his wife, but you have no respect or love towards your husband."

Marina looked at her daughter angrily. "While enjoying your father’s wealth and support, you should be the last person to ever teach me anything. Now that Aiden is back, you must feel threatened in your position, but know that nothing here was ever yours. This old man will not give you and your sons what you are dreaming of. Better to stop being greedy and return to your own home with your husband and your kids while you still can."

Marina’s words left Mallory fuming. Her mother never supported her. All her love was for her son, Alexander, and she always hated it.

Justin was witnessing this quietly. This old woman came here without any fear and shook everyone—especially Aeldric. She was really something. But he also wondered why a person like Aeldric was helpless in front of his wife. Given his nature, he had compassion towards no one.

Anyway, Marina reminded him of Natalie. His wife had such courage as well—someone who could bring a storm just by her presence and leave everyone shattered. A light smile painted his lips, but he hid it instantly.

"Are you coming?" Marina asked Justin, impatiently, as if she couldn’t stay here anymore.

Justin looked at Aeldric, who was fuming with anger, his grip on the cane’s handle tightened.

"Mr. Riverdale, maybe next time when you bring my sister to meet me," Justin said and walked away with Marina.

The noise of something heavy being smashed was heard behind, as Aeldric had smashed the huge vase that was placed next to his chair.

"Let’s travel in my car so we can talk on the way," Marina offered.

Justin agreed and sat inside the black luxury car along with Marina. As the car drove away, Marina said, "You must be confused about the things you saw just now."

Justin hummed in response.

"I have long been separated from that old man," she began. "In the past, he separated my son from me under the guise of training him. Since then, I decided to separate from him. All those years I somehow tolerated him for Alex’s sake. But after Alex was gone, I had lost it. I can only hate that old man for what he caused me and my son, and regret the day when I even married him..."

She continued to talk about the past, "...after Alex was gone, I was going to leave him forever, if not for your mother. I had to protect her and the child she was carrying. That old man allowed me to stay at the cost of not letting me leave him..."

Justin understood his mother was with Marina, and to protect her, Marina decided to keep the title of Aeldric’s wife.

"He was threatening me with not being able to see my sister," Justin commented. "I suppose he had taken her away somewhere."

Hearing it, Marina’s expression turned sad. "That old man indeed took her away when she was just a few days old—a newly born child—just to keep me in his control. I agreed to obey him for my entire life, and never to ask for a divorce, but still, he didn’t budge. Such an evil soul he is. After that, we have never seen her, except for the hope that he had kept her somewhere away from us and one day he would bring her back."

Justin’s hand clenched into a fist, his jaw tightened at hearing it.

"As I said I would meet him when he brings my sister, I am sure, it won’t be long when we see her," Justin commented.

"I hope, it works on him."

After a while, the car stopped in front of a small and cozy-looking villa. Justin stepped out and looked at it.

His mother was staying here, and he was going to see her for the first time. He had no memories of her at all. But from what Aaron told him, he had loved his mother more than anything and was always protective toward her.

He was finally going to see that woman.