"Old Master Mallory, please don't blame yourself. After all, Madam Mallory blessed the Mallory family with two outstanding heirs."
Mr. Bennet knew that going on like this would make the old master all gloomy and miserable, so he tried to console him.
As the years piled on, it would be best to see things clearly and not overthink. There was no need to dwell on every little thing.
Old Master Mallory shook his head in response to Mr. Bennet's words.
"What kind of outstanding heirs are we talking about here? One of them is rebellious and picked the wrong woman to be his wife.
The other one, well, let's not talk about him. If he wasn't in the Mallory family, the stuff he pulled would've landed him in hot water
ages ago."
Mr. Bennet, wanting to say some comforting words, found himself unable to.
Percy and Nina were indeed not a good match, but Mr. Bennet did not see it as a significant problem.
What was the big deal as long as Nina truly loved Percy?
The Mallory family no longer needed arranged marriages to strengthen the family. With Percy around, they could maintain their
current position and even rise higher.
If Percy was capable, why could he not choose the wife he wanted?
A good daughter-in-law, according to the Mallory family's standards, might not actually be good—just like Karen.
She was still stirring up so much trouble for the Mallory family at this age.
As an outsider, Mr. Bennet understood this, but he could not express these thoughts in front of Old Master Mallory. He knew that
he would face a reprimand.
"Old Master Mallory, would you like to go to the hospital now?" asked Mr. Bennet. If the old master needed to go to the hospital,
he would have the chauffeur prepare the car.
"No," replied Old Master Mallory as he rose to his feet. He leaned on his cane. He was worn out after dealing with Pierre's affairs
for so long. While he was dealing with his grandson's matters, he could not help but wonder how Pierre could be such a
troublemaker.
That was why he had no intention of visiting the hospital now.
After all, the hospital would not do anything to Pierre. The old master had already done enough by getting Percy out.
"Help me back to my bedroom," said Old Master Mallory. His voice sounded weathered and worn.
“Yes, sir.” Mr. Bennet came forward to help him.
Karen hurriedly arrived at the hospital. It was already ten o'clock in the evening, way past the visiting hours. However, the rules
for the VIP ward were different. Karen stood at the nurse's station and waited for a while.
After the nurse gave the confirmation, Karen headed to Pierre's ward.
"Pierre, how are you?" Karen pushed open the door. Her face was filled with anxiety as she walked to the bedside.
"Mom, why are you here?" Pierre found a comfortable position to lie down. He was consistently either in a recumbent or seated
position, as his doctor strictly prohibited him from standing. He wished the doctor could remove the cast quickly.
However, the doctor said it could not be rushed. His leg bone had not fully healed yet.
"I heard you were released from the detention ward today, so I came to see you. It's been so many days. How's your leg
recovering?" asked Karen. She felt a pang of heartache when she saw Pierre's leg in a cast.
"It's not going to be easy to recover from this." Pierre chuckled with a touch of self-mockery as he looked at the cast on his leg.
The resentment in his heart grew.
During this time, he realized that even with rehabilitation, it would be tough for him to walk like a regular person.
He would limp whenever he walked.
A cripple...
How could the heir of the Mallory family be a cripple?!
Karen noticed the hatred in his eyes that was directed toward his own leg. She felt the throbbing pain in her heart as though
someone was poking her heart with a dagger.
"Pierre, it'll get better. No matter how much it costs, I'll make sure you walk like a normal person.”
"You don't have to lie to me. If you guys had rescued me sooner and paid the ransom earlier, perhaps my leg could've been
saved." A tinge of accusation flashed across Pierre's eyes. He had learned a lot in the past few days.
He found out that the optimal time for surgery on a broken bone was within a week.
After a week, the surgery would have more impact on bone healing.
If the Mallory family had rescued him within a week and brought him to Johann for surgery, he probably would not have ended up
being a cripple.
"Pierre, don't be like this. If it's not possible to get you treated in the country, we'll find doctors from abroad. They must have a
solution," Karen said these words to comfort Pierre.
She knew Pierre could not lose his fighting spirit. He could not end up crippled.
"Even Johann couldn't do anything. What makes you think those doctors can? Their rehabilitation methods are similar to those
here. I'm a cripple. Does the Mallory family need a cripple as their heir?
"As for the Chamberlain family, would they marry their daughter to a cripple?"
His questions pierced Karen's heart.
Karen covered her chest and replied, "As long as you've got what it takes, your grandfather won't give up on you no matter
what."
Pierre was extremely pessimistic and disillusioned now. His leg would surely have a significant impact on him. Hence, no matter
what Karen said, he thought she was just trying to comfort him.
He said, "That's it. Don't try to comfort me. The Mallory family, hah. It seems like you're the only one in the family who hasn't
given up on me.”
Pierre could see through everything now.
If Old Master Mallory had not given up on him, he should be here in the hospital ward.
However, Old Master Mallory did not come, and Karen came alone.
Still, what good was Karen anyway?
There was no way Karen could help him.
"Don't say that. Your grandpa went to bed early. That's why he didn't come. Don't worry, he'll come to visit you tomorrow. Pierre,
we'll all support you, and you'll definitely get what you want," Karen tried to console him.
"If Grandpa doesn't support me, what good is your support?" Pierre suddenly glared at her, and his eyes were filled with
resentment.
Karen was startled for a moment. What did that look mean?
"Pierre..." Karen faltered.
"He knows what you've done. You told me you could help me, but how?" questioned Pierre.
Even though he was stuck in the detention ward, he had been paying attention to what was going on out there. He could still
read newspapers and magazines.
Therefore, Pierre was up to speed on everything that had happened in A City.
This included Karen's past, which was splashed across the newspapers by reporters. He was well aware of all of it.
"Pierre, I..." Karen paused for a moment, feeling her throat go dry. Her youngest son, the one she cherished the most, was
questioning her about this. She felt uncomfortable about it.
"Those are all lies. I've found that person. Everything will be clarified in a couple of days..."
"You know best whether it's true or false. Besides, Grandpa needs to believe you too. He doesn't believe in you now. If he
doesn't trust you now, he won't trust you in the future. So, how are you going to help me?" Pierre looked at her with resentment.
As a mother, not only did she fail to help him, but she also allowed him to be shrouded in this layer of disgrace.
Fortunately, he looked a lot like Daryl Mallory. Otherwise, people might suspect he was Karen's child from an affair...
After all, Daryl was sent to work permanently at a company abroad shortly after his birth.
"I... I..." Karen was at a loss for a moment on how to help Pierre.
She used to have a lot of connections, but because of her past with Silas Gray, those people were not too keen on being friendly
with her at the moment.