Chapter 1405

Austin was bewildered, unable to believe he'd let Rhea fool him twice during their brief encounter. He felt suffocated, unsure where to turn. He'd come to clear his head, but now felt even more stressed.

Over the past two days, Lily had been diligently following news from Burnwken. However, information within the country was limited, and online sources offered little solace, especially with no word from Alexander in days. She knew the signal was poor there, but was it that bad? Compared to other war-torn and disease-ridden regions, he was relatively safe. The situation was unimaginable to her. She’d even considered urging Alexander to return home upon his next call, so they could strategize about Burnwken. After all, he’d witnessed the events firsthand. Their remaining tasks were compensating victims' families and uncovering the truth. Lily believed local authorities could handle the investigation, eliminating Alexander’s need to risk himself. But she’d heard nothing. She learned from Olivia that Edward hadn't returned any calls either. Olivia and Lily were equally worried, left only to wait for their return.

Lily felt frustrated. Coincidentally, it had been a couple of days since Galen's last outing, so she decided to take him to Dominic's. Unlike most children, Galen disliked amusement parks and malls, preferring Dominic's garden. He seemed to love plants, prompting Alexander to jokingly predict Galen would inherit Lily's legacy. Previously, she'd worried about the company's future given Galen's botanical inclinations. Fortunately, she was pregnant again, finding comfort in the possibility of their second child taking the reins if Galen remained uninterested.

Dominic initially enjoyed tea and cookies. But upon seeing Galen, his eyes widened. "Oh, dear! What brought you here?" His initial frown quickly dissolved into a warm welcome. "Hey! Bring out all the snacks and toys! Lay out the carpet, put up the fence, and put all my precious plants away!" His frantic instructions— directing servants to move and hide plants, creating chaos in his usually serene home—suggested a panicked response akin to a robbery. Lily was unsure how to react. "Is it necessary to do all this?" "Of course!" Dominic retorted, "Why do you have time to bring this punk—I mean, your dear baby—here today?"

Galen, grinning widely, waddled towards Dominic with determined, if unsteady, steps. "Grandpa! Grandpa… Goat!" Dominic, unable to avoid the toddling child, sidestepped, only to risk Galen falling. He couldn't bear to see it, quickly catching Galen and tumbling to the ground with him. "Oh! My bones!" Dominic yelled.

Galen, unharmed and in high spirits, lay on Dominic's chest, looking up and grinning. "Hehe..." A swift movement of his hand followed his chuckle. "Hiss!"