MTLNOVEL Chapter 535: No power to change a thing about it.
Aiden's expression turned lethal. Earlier, his gaze had carried hints of darkness; now it looked capable of drowning the entire world in darkness.
He didn't want to believe it —didn't want to believe that behind it all, it was no one else but sweet grandmother on whom Arwen had come to depend on all these years.
But now with the evidence so clear, he could not.
Arwen had been having these chocolates for years. And every time it was sent to her by Brenda Davies. If not her, who else could be behind it?
She was Arwen's grandmother —one who had all the easy access to her.
And she used it to her advantage.
His jaws ticked as he gritted his teeth, trying his best to keep calm against the betrayal.
Jason gazed at his friend and didn't know how he should react. The reports he read have even confused him. As he had told earlier, he didn't know much about Brenda Davies. But from what he knew, he never thought the old woman would be cruel enough to use something like this on her own granddaughter.
To the world, Brenda Davies was a clinical businesswoman who had built up an empire from scratch. But at the same time, she had appeared to be a shrewd woman who knew how to differentiate right from wrong. Always.
Drugging her own granddaughter for some personal objective … she didn't seem to be that kind of woman.
But then again, the reports wouldn't lie.
He was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the screech of the chair and saw Aiden finally stand to his full height. His gaze was devoid of any warmth —all it carried at the moment was the biting frostiness that would pierce anyone's soul without any regret.
"Aiden," Jason called, alarmed, rising to his feet, "What are you planning to do?"
Aiden's expression was unreadable, and he couldn't guess his thoughts. But he could tell his friend was in a state where he would destroy the world without batting an eye.
Aiden didn't respond to him. His gaze simply flicked to him before he turned on his heels to walk away.
Jason couldn't let him go like that. Not when he knew that Aiden was not in a state where he could holistically think about the situation.
"Tell me, you aren't planning to return home like this?" he asked, frowning at the idea, if that's what Aiden was planning to do. "Arwen will know it the moment she sees you like this? How are you going to explain it to her?"
Aiden halted at that. He didn't turn, but seeing him stop, Jason continued further.
"Arwen is not in a state where you could tell her all, Aiden. She doesn't even know that she has forgotten a part of her past —one that she might never be able to recover." He paused, and his voice became soft when he spoke again. "If you go and tell her something, he will have a lot of questions to ask. Do you think you have the courage to tell her all —especially knowing that it would only put her life at stake?"
Aiden's fingers curled into fists when the reality dawned upon him —one that he had almost forgotten.
He couldn't tell her anything.
He couldn't let her know she was being betrayed by someone whom she trusted the most.
"Aiden, the situation is very tricky here. You can't act upon your emotions," Jason said, his tone turning empathetic as though he could put himself in the shoes of Aiden and feel the helplessness that had gripped his friend. "She is Arwen's grandmother, one she had depended upon all her life. Shattering her trust in the one woman she trusted the most will only shatter her. So, Aiden, think before you act.
***
Meanwhile, at East Serenity Residence, the air was sombre and heavy, carrying an odd sense of dread.
Margaret and Xander were still there, waiting patiently outside Brenda's room, waiting for the doctor to step out.
"Ms. Marie, is there really nothing that we can do to make it better?" Xander asked, his brows pulled into a deep frown of concern.
And even though he didn't make it obvious what he was referring to, Margaret understood.
Xander hadn't known about the old lady's illness. Only when they returned recently, and he saw the team of doctors coming in and out, did he realize there was something gravely wrong with Brenda.
So, still, he hoped there might be something —anything —that could be done to help.
But Margaret knew the things better.
She had been there since the first day Brenda was diagnosed with the illness. She had stood by her through every doctor's visit and consultation, witnessed every failed treatment, and watched her health deteriorate steadily. She had seen it all.
And that's why she knew —there was no treatment left. No miracle cure. No chance of turning things around.
Shaking her head, she looked at Xander. "We have tried everything. No treatment could make Madam better. All that we could do now is to make sure she takes her medicines well, so the pain is a little less."
It was cruel. But reality has always been cruel —especially to the good ones.
Xander's expression fell, his heart sinking. Throughout his life, all he remembered was Brenda's kindness —the warmth and grace that had made the world a little more bearable for him.
"She doesn't deserve this," he muttered under his breath, his voice rough with emotion.
Margaret looked at him, his lips curling in a sad smile. "No, she doesn't," she agreed quietly. "But we hold no power to change a thing about it. All we can do is stand by and watch her go through it."
And that was what made her feel the worst.
Only Margaret knew how deeply it hurt to watch the strong, dignified woman slowly lose the fight. All her life, Brenda had been a force of strength —a woman who had overcome countless storms.
If death hadn't been the ultimate truth of life, Margaret was sure Brenda would have conquered it too.