Chapter 197
Chapter 197
Maxwell stared at Kimberly, unable to believe how formal she was toward him when she used to treat
him like her own grandfather.
He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
He knew Kimberly had brought up the topic of his return as soon as he spoke simply because she was
set on chasing him back to Norham.
Kimberly fixed her bright, sparkling eyes straight at Maxwell’s.
“Grandpa, why did you suddenly come to Dellmoor without giving me a heads-up? I heard from John
that you were stopped outside. Then again, you shouldn’t blame them. The security at the Larson
residence has always been stringent. They’re just protecting me and the three kids,” she said.
Her gaze was unwavering, showing no attempt of dodging as she spoke.
Maxwell recalled how Kimberly possessed a weak aura and seemed a little anxiety- ridden when she
was still Katherine.
Although she often visited the Levine manor to chat and play chess with him, she was rather quiet most
of the time. She barely talked much and seldom initiated a conversation with him.
Even so, Maxwell was still on her side.
In Maxwell’s memory, Kimberly had never grumbled about Christopher’s faults to him.
He found that very rare and thus favored her so much.
He believed the Levine family would be harmonious with Kimberly as Christopher’s
wife.
Unfortunately, Christopher was nothing but a disappointment.
At that thought, Maxwell sighed again.
Knowing that Kimberly was a smart child, Maxwell did not bother beating around the bush and revealed
the intention of his visit.
“I’ve always seen you as family. This has never changed, nor will it change, not even if you and
Christopher aren’t on good terms. To be honest, I visited today hoping to get your help.” Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.
That made Kimberly confused.
Her beautiful eyes shone with a look of curiosity, and a perplexed expression crossed her face. “Huh?
You need my help?”
Kimberly pointed to Maxwell and then to herself.
Maxwell didn’t find it weird as it was within his expectations to see Kimberly surprised.
He nodded calmly.
“You should know it, too. Christopher’s father has always been a headache for our family. Heather was
such a good wife, yet he chose to abandon her. The worst thing is that the other woman is Yandel’s
adopted daughter,” uttered Maxwell.
That happened a long time ago.
Kimberly had heard fragments of what happened but was unsure about the details.
She didn’t expect that someone like Maxwell, who was so concerned about his dignity, would take the
initiative to ask her for help.
Kimberly listened attentively to the recount of the emotional entanglement of the previous generation.
It was a complicated story that involved familial ties and love.
“At that time, Christopher was old and sensible enough. He was at an important stage of growing up.
Having his father’s company was very important. Besides, Heather was such a well-educated and
sensible woman. Lilian and I adored her very much. It was a pity that my stubborn son insisted on
divorcing her and marrying the other woman. And that other woman is Yandel’s adopted daughter, also
your aunt,” explained
Maxwell.
“There was nothing I could do to stop them. I asserted I’d only accept Heather as the Levine family’s
daughter-in-law. I made it clear that I would not acknowledge them and that woman would never
become a member of our family, not even if they cloped. Eventually, they really ran away together.
Yandel and I used to be friends. He talked to me about their affairs, hoping that there may be a
turnaround. Nonetheless, I refused, and things ended unhappily between us.” He paused a little.
“Seraphina was adopted by your grandfather and also entrusted by an old friend. Your grandmother
has four sons but no daughters, so naturally, your family held Seraphina as the apple of their eyes. Her
sudden departure left your grandmother missing her so much that her health took a turn for the worse.
Not long after, she was diagnosed with a serious disease and passed away. Since then, Yandel
sévered all ties with us. My attitude initially wasn’t good either. I accused them of failing to discipline
their daughter, causing us to be at loggerheads.”
Kimberly found everything she heard unbelievable. It was beyond her imagination that things would
turn out to be so complicated.
‘No wonder Grandpa was against me getting along with the Levine family. Come to think of it, he was
probably very helpless when he looked for me back then since I was still Christopher’s wife at that time.
After all, it’s not right to break up a marriage. I’m sure Grandpa must’ve been conflicted back then, she
mused.
Maxwell added, “I’m here today to bury the hatchet. We only have a few decades of life. Your
grandfather and I are both in our twilight years. Who knows how long more will we live? We were
young and impulsive back then and so eager to protect our loved ones that we didn’t put ourselves in
each other’s shoes. Besides, I can’t let our grudges hurt you and Christopher again.”
Kimberly was at a loss. ‘Why did we get involved again?’ she wondered.
She was about to respond when Maxwell picked up what he had just said. “Your grandfather Yandel is
too stubborn. I’m sure he’ll hit me with his walking cane if I visit him straight. It’s not a big deal for me,
but I’m afraid it’ll affect his health if he gets too agitated. He listens to you. So, I thought of asking you
to be our peacemaker and help us resolve our grudges. What do you think?”
Kimberly felt her head throbbing.
She could imagine how tricky this matter was. ‘Grandpa Maxwell is right. My grandpa not only has a
bad temper, but he’s also very commanding and powerful. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have insisted on
making me take over the company despite everyone’s objections. Then again, it’ll be a great
achievement if I can help resolve the previous generation’s grudges. It’ll do good for both Grandpa and
Grandpa Maxwell, she ruminated.
Despite being someone who did not like to pry into others’ privacy, Kimberly still voiced her doubts, “My
aunt and my father-in-law never returned after that?”
Maxwell’s expression grew grim upon hearing the mention of the two. “I doubt that unfilial son of mine
has the guts to return. They went abroad after running away and never came back again.”
Kimberly had seen such elopement plots in dramas where couples only cared about. and were so
desperate for love to the point of giving up everything for it.
She thought it was something she could only find in dramas to create hype for the storyline.
It was beyond her expectation that such a situation would actually happen to someone
she knew.
‘I wonder how Grandpa,will react if he finds out that Grandpa Maxwell is staying at the Larson
residence. I bet he’ll be furious,’ Kimberly contemplated.
Kimberly shuddered at the thought of that.
‘Luckily, Yandel seldom comes over. Otherwise, I’d have to stop them from meeting and getting into a
fight, she thought.