Chapter 233: Mr. Drake’s Hesitation
Beneath the coconut trees.
Three people sat around a circular table, drinking coconuts in the sea breeze.
Vivian Lowell found it rather fascinating.
In this unremarkable little corner, three "titans" of their respective industries were sitting and drinking coconuts...
"I just arrived in Cyrina."
Mr. Drake, a kind smile ever-present on his face, looked at Vivian Lowell and said, "My flight was this afternoon. I arrived in the evening and rested for a bit."
"I just thought I’d come out for a walk, and I didn’t expect to run into you two right away. It must be fate."
’So Mr. Drake just got here!’
’Does that mean he came straight to Cyrina after paying respects to his daughter and son-in-law?’
’This old man has really sacrificed a lot for the Drake Family’s affairs.’
"Well, Mr. Drake, have you had dinner yet? The restaurants in this hotel are quite good. You can also eat by the sea in the evening—they mainly have barbecue and seafood!"
"Uh... but you’re getting on in years, so I don’t know if you can eat such unhealthy things!"
’Eating too much seafood can raise your uric acid levels. And with older people, maybe five out of ten have the ’three highs,’ so they should be careful about their diet.’
As the thought crossed her mind, Vivian added, "But the Chinese restaurant here should be good too! They have Hainanese coconut chicken, which is very light and nutritious."
She hadn’t tried it herself, however, so she didn’t know how it tasted.
Mr. Drake listened with a constant, gentle laugh, then said, "I’m old, and my appetite isn’t what it used to be. I can’t eat that much anymore!"
"I had a light meal on the plane, so I’m not hungry right now. As for that coconut chicken you mentioned, how about we go have it together sometime when we’re free?"
After asking, Mr. Drake glanced over at Julian Faulkner.
Julian Faulkner frowned slightly. Perhaps he felt that Mr. Drake’s sudden invitation was a bit too abrupt, so he didn’t agree right away.
But...
Vivian Lowell didn’t think much of it.
’A man like Mr. Drake has been a force to be reckoned with his entire life. What doesn’t he have?’
’He probably doesn’t care about what Julian and I have, so he certainly wouldn’t be scheming against us.’
"Okay."
Vivian Lowell considered for a moment, then agreed.
The three of them sat and chatted for a while longer.
During their conversation, Mr. Drake brought up the kitten he had at home. This was Vivian Lowell’s area of expertise, and Mr. Drake began asking her for advice on how to care for it.
Vivian Lowell gave him very detailed answers, and it was clear he was taking everything she said to heart.
Vivian Lowell was very happy.
As someone who worked with stray cat rescue and adoption, she loved seeing adopters like Mr. Drake—caring, capable, and willing to put in the effort to take good care of a little kitten!
"Mr. Drake, that’s basically it! Speaking of which, since you’re one of our veterinary hospital’s star adopters, I was thinking of dropping by your house next time to bring you some canned food and kibble!"
Mr. Drake waved his hand at her words. "Not at all, not at all. I’m an old, lonely man. If anyone should be happy, it’s me, for having the little kitten to keep me company."
As he said this, Vivian Lowell noticed a flicker of loneliness in Mr. Drake’s eyes.
Vivian Lowell caught that trace of emotion in his eyes. Her heart skipped a beat, and she felt a slight pang in her chest.
’He’s old, his child passed away before him, and now he only has a little kitten for company.’
’For an elderly man like him, something like that is just too devastating a blow.’
"Vivian."
Perhaps sensing Vivian Lowell’s mood, Mr. Drake’s tone grew even kinder as he comforted her, "It’s alright. I’m not as sad as you think."
"A few days ago, I went to the cemetery to pay my respects to my daughter and son-in-law. But besides that, I also did something else."
’Something else?’
Vivian Lowell was a bit surprised. She looked up at Mr. Drake, her expression filled with confusion.
Mr. Drake’s expression grew much more serious. "When my daughter passed away, she was already pregnant. It was a girl. My granddaughter."
"My granddaughter was already over nine months along. The car accident took my daughter and son-in-law, but my granddaughter survived! An orphanage took her in!"
?!
Vivian Lowell’s expression froze.
’Mr. Drake’s granddaughter is still alive?’
’Then... all that fighting between Joy and Sylvia, doesn’t that mean it was all for nothing in the end?’
"Then..."
Vivian Lowell was completely shocked, and Julian Faulkner was just as stunned.
This should have been an internal secret of the Drake Family, yet Mr. Drake had just revealed it to the two of them so directly!
’Is it... that he trusts them too much?’
Mr. Drake continued, "But the girl wasn’t in the orphanage for long before she was taken in by another family. Now, I don’t know if I should look for her."
"Vivian. Perhaps she has her own life now, a very happy one. If I show up, she might not be able to accept the truth of her birth."
"And everything that comes with the Drake Family, besides wealth, is an endless amount of trouble. I just don’t know if I should go looking for her anymore."
Mr. Drake looked very hesitant.
Vivian Lowell heard him and immediately understood.
She had seen many similar cases online.
A child is abducted at a very young age, doesn’t remember their biological parents, and only knows that their adoptive parents treated them very well.
One day, the biological parents find them, but because the child has no memory of them and no emotional connection, they choose their adoptive parents.
A "reunion" like that is actually very painful for both sides!
On one side is the unbreakable bond of blood, and on the other is the love and gratitude for the people who raised you. Setting aside the abduction part, just choosing between those two is incredibly difficult!
Of course, Mr. Drake’s situation was even more complicated.
Back then, he didn’t know his granddaughter had survived. Otherwise, with his status and position, he would have definitely brought her home.
’Where is his granddaughter now?’
’If she’s just an ordinary girl, could she handle the infighting with people like Sylvia Drake and Joy Drake if she returned to the Drake Family?’
These were the things Mr. Drake was worried about.
Vivian Lowell sipped her coconut juice, her chin in her hand, but she couldn’t come up with an answer either.
’It’s just too difficult a choice!’
"I believe everyone has the right to know the truth. Of course... the choice now is in your hands, Mr. Drake."
Just as Vivian Lowell was knitting her brows in worry, Julian Faulkner suddenly spoke up.
Julian Faulkner was incredibly serious as he said, "From the moment we are born, there are things in this life that we are destined to carry."
"These things can be light, or they can be heavy. We may be able to bear them, or we may not. But regardless, it is always better to face them ourselves rather than live under someone else’s protection."
"No one can protect another person for a lifetime. Even the most selfless parents can’t protect you forever. Everyone has to grow up on their own."
"What if, one day, you can no longer protect her, Mr. Drake? And what if the Drake Family finds out about her existence and tries to drag her into all of this? What then?"