Silence prevails among the three of them for a while.

Both Josephine and Asher let Cassidy take all the time that she needs to process everything. At the very least, she is starting to get the gist of this whole family drama no matter how shocking and mind-blowing it is. Many things have become clearer to her at last, but there is still one particular detail that she is yet to hear.

​​

"Mrs. Josephine, may I ask how come you knew all of this...?" Cassidy started once more.

"I get that you were close with Granny back at college, and I don't doubt what you have said to us. However, I feel the need to ask how come you know this much, especially that one about Grisham Donovan. Even Granny was not aware of what he did to my family, so how come that you knew about it?"

"Well, I'm really not certain about that man's involvement to their tragic fate. I just got to piece everything together by hearing both sides of the story. I'm practically an outsider here - a mere friend of those whose life stories were never told..." Josephine trailed off with a distant gaze and a weak smile.

"Aside from the occasions when we were still in contact after graduating from college, the only time I had heard from Maruschca was when she was already at the hospital. I never got to talk with her nor visit her for a long while because of how strict her husband was. I was also out of the country for a period of time. That's why when I met up with her back then, she made sure to tell me everything that had happened. That's how I got the side of her story. As for your family's side, I got to hear them all from my niece."

"Pardon me, but may I ask if you were already aware of the circumstances between their families at that time? If you were, did you get to tell her that her husband might be the reason behind the deaths of her ex-lover and his son?" Asher chimed in, looking quite absorbed in the story.

"Oh, yes. I was already aware. However, I didn't take chances. Maruschca was at an extremely delicate state back then. I was afraid of how she would react if I revealed everything to her. Besides, I didn't have any concrete evidences. In the end, I came out to be right about my presumption that she would not be able to handle it - only a few days after my visit, she passed away from a heart attack."

Cassidy lets out a shaky breath at the memory.

She was only able to hear the news, and because her family was not in favor of her, she was not even allowed to attend the funeral. For that whole time, she mourned on her own. Ever since they talked about her arranged marriage with her grandson, they never got to see each other again, which was definitely not her fault at all.

In the end, everything came down to Grisham.

With Maruschca out of the picture, he could finally do everything he wanted to Cassidy. He pressured her to be a deserving and capable granddaughter-in-law, and he forced her to adapt into their way of living. Though he did not discriminate her openly like their other relatives, he treated her like a parasitic, good-for-nothing peasant.

His entire image was really that of a tyrant - the ruling power in the family. He was one of the main reasons why she had to take on a whole new personality.

Impassive, strait-laced, stiff and very compliant - that was how Cassidy became.

"That is all I can tell you, Cassidy. I still could not confirm some points, especially those parts regarding that old hag Grisham. But I believe it is now your turn to discover the entire truth - that is if you want to, of course..." Josephine continued and peered at her for a moment, no longer smiling.

"Going against that man will be a thorny path, though. Both Frederick and Cassius failed. It is your choice whether you will act upon this or live a normal and peaceful life like what your parents want you to."

"Normal and peaceful, huh..." Cassidy thought out loud with her downcast gaze glued on the ground.

"I don't think I can ever live like that as long as that man is freely doing anything he wants."

"I understand, but I'm afraid I have to talk you out of taking revenge like what your father did. The result had been disastrous even though it did lead Maruschca to you."

"What am I supposed to do, then...?"

As Cassidy said that, she began crying all of the sudden, taking Josephine and Asher aback.

Her voice broke at the end, and her tone came out brittle. She then lowered her head and buried her face in her hands, finally bursting out from being too overwhelmed and subdued by misery.

"O-Of course, I want to choose my happiness. I-I badly want to be happy for once. But how can I do so if all of this is happening? I-I lost everything because of one man, and I-I could not do anything about it..." Cassidy sobbed as she continued to burst out in tears.

"Just what am I supposed to do now?"

Hating seeing her like this, Asher grits his teeth and clenches his fists - but more than the raging wrath that ascended within him, he felt the desperation to help her out in any way he could.

He wanted her to be happy, and he didn't want her to take the same path that her father did. That was what he was trying to achieve this entire time. She doesn't deserve to suffer any longer nor waste a good span of her life in avenging her loved ones. But then, like what she said, they couldn't completely turn their backs on everything that happened.

With that, he takes it upon himself to settle this on his own - it is his turn to handle matters with his own hands.

"It'll be alright, Cassie. We're still here for you..." Asher reassured Cassidy before scooting closer and pulling her in an embrace - finding the desire to soothe her pains and comfort her as much as he could.

"Everything's gonna be fine."