Chapter 163: There’s Still a Grandson
Chapter 163: Chapter 163: There’s Still a Grandson
This man fit Arabella Donovan’s image of a master chef perfectly. He was in his early forties, with a square face, a slight paunch, and a warm, enthusiastic smile.
"Dad, Mom, Mr. Donovan. This must be Serena, right? She’s so lovely. I’m your Uncle Raphael. Did you enjoy the food just now? Was it to your liking?"
"It was delicious! I’ve never eaten anything so good. You’re amazing, Uncle."
"HAHAHAHA, if you like it, then eat up. If it’s not enough, Uncle will make you more."
"Raphael, would you like to eat something too?" Madam Foster asked softly as her son sat down beside her.
Raphael Foster smiled and shook his head. "I ate before I came over. I’m not hungry right now."
Hearing this, Madam Foster let it go, nodding without saying anything more.
Arabella Donovan glanced at the two of them, a thoughtful look on her face.
After dinner, it was time to get down to business.
Master Foster exchanged a look with Dennis Donovan and was the first to speak. "Serena, I’m sure your grandfather told you about our family’s situation before you came. I have lived my whole life as an upright man, with a clear conscience before heaven and earth. The only ones I have wronged are my own family."
Hearing this, Madam Foster squeezed her husband’s hand reassuringly.
"Because of me, my only grandson, Simon, was kidnapped by my enemies. My son got into a car accident while searching for him and died in his prime. My daughter-in-law wasted away from grief and followed him not long after. We were left as two old folks, forced to bury our own children."
Riding his younger sister’s coattails, Aurora Donovan, who had been sitting next to Dennis Donovan and eating silently, raised a surprised eyebrow. He had assumed this "Uncle Raphael" was the young master of the Foster family who had lost his child, but it turned out he wasn’t.
"My wife and I are old. We don’t have many years left. Our only wish before we close our eyes for good is to see our grandson one more time—the one who was kidnapped and taken who-knows-where. That way, when we go to the other side and see his parents, we can at least tell them a little about their boy, tell them what he looked like when he grew up..."
As Master Foster spoke, his eyes reddened. Madam Foster’s eyes were already brimming with tears as she looked down in silence.
There is no greater pain in life than being separated by death and having one’s deepest desires remain unfulfilled.
It was worth noting that Raphael Foster, sitting beside Madam Foster, did not show his emotions as openly as the elderly couple, but he too lowered his head, his expression somber.
Arabella Donovan pursed her lips, her gaze sweeping over the Foster family members with a hesitant look. "Mm, I have a basic understanding of your situation now. I have some bad news and some good news. Which would you like to hear first?"
"This..."
Over the years, the Foster family, desperate for a cure, had clutched at straws and tried seeking help from so-called "famous masters." Most of them would beat around the bush for ages, and even then, they might not get any concrete information. Someone as direct as Arabella Donovan was a first.
The three of them were a bit stunned and didn’t answer for a long moment.
Dennis Donovan glanced at his old friend and cleared his throat as a reminder.
Master Foster snapped out of it, as if waking from a dream, and asked with uncharacteristic awkwardness, "What’s the bad news?"
"The bad news is..." Arabella Donovan paused, saying with some reluctance, "that unfortunately, the child you are looking for... is most likely no longer in this world."
"What?!"
Even though they had been searching for years without a single clue and were mentally prepared for this possibility, hearing a definitive answer was still a devastating blow.
Master Foster’s straight back suddenly stooped, and for the first time, Arabella Donovan had a concrete image of how a person could truly age ten years in an instant from a sudden, heavy blow.
Madam Foster burst into tears on the spot, covering her face and sobbing uncontrollably.
However, the one who had the strongest reaction, surprisingly, was Raphael Foster, who was sitting next to Madam Foster.
"It’s all my fault! It’s all my fault! If it weren’t for me, Simon wouldn’t have been taken, and my brother and sister-in-law wouldn’t have died! Why wasn’t I the one who died? The one who should be dead is me!"
When Madam Foster heard this, she quickly composed herself to comfort her younger son. "Raphael, don’t say that. None of this is your fault. Don’t torture yourself over it. Your father and I have already lost your brother, your sister-in-law, and Simon. We can’t lose you too."
Master Foster chimed in, "Your mother is right. This has nothing to do with you. If anyone is to blame, it should be me. They were after me. If it weren’t for me, Simon wouldn’t have been lost, and your brother and sister-in-law wouldn’t have wasted away from grief. It’s my sin! It’s me!"
"No, no, Dad, don’t say that. It’s my fault. If you hadn’t adopted me back then, maybe... maybe none of this would have happened."
Madam Foster, now exasperated, forgot about crying. "What is wrong with you two? Is this the kind of blame you can just take upon yourselves? The ones at fault are the evil people who did this, those damn human traffickers! They don’t even think they’re in the wrong, so what are you two fighting over?"
At her words, the father and son froze. After a brief silence, the family of three hugged each other and wept again.
The three members of the Donovan family: "..."
’The old lady is sharp. But what’s this about an adoption?’
Her interest piqued by the information revealed in their conversation, Arabella Donovan looked up and stared at Raphael Foster for a good while.
’So that’s how it is.’
Aurora Donovan, the only one not in the know, was dying of curiosity. ’So how is it? Just say it!’
It turned out that Raphael Foster was the adopted son of the Foster family, as well as the child of one of Master Foster’s comrades-in-arms.
His mother died from complications during childbirth right after he was born. In the two or three years that followed, the grandparents who were raising him passed away from illness one after another, and his father was killed in the war.
With his entire family gone, leaving him the sole survivor, rumors began to spread in the village. They said he was born under a cursed star, fated to bring misfortune to his father, his mother, and everyone close to him.
Because of this, not a single relative was willing to take him in, terrified they would be dragged down by his bad luck.
When Master Foster learned of this, he took him in. When he sent his own wife and son away to safety, he sent Raphael along with them.
Compared to Master Foster, whom he rarely saw, the person who truly filled the role of a father figure in Raphael Foster’s childhood was his "big brother," who was about ten years his senior.
That was why, when his brother and his family met with tragedy, Raphael had a bigger breakdown than anyone. He believed that his curse of jinxing his loved ones had struck again, killing his brother’s family.
Aurora Donovan was a little surprised. He had originally wondered if Raphael, as the adopted son, might have had something to do with what happened to the biological son’s family. He never expected the man to genuinely consider his adoptive family his own. It seemed he had misjudged a noble heart with his own petty cynicism.
Knowing the full story now, Arabella Donovan glanced at the three Fosters, who were still hugging and crying. The corner of her mouth twitched, and she had no choice but to speak up and remind them, "Actually, there’s still the good news."
Only then did the Foster family stop crying. Dennis Donovan and the others also snapped their gazes toward her.
"The good news is..."
Arabella Donovan gave a slight, almost innocent smile. "The good news is, you still have a grandson."
"What?!"