The Billionaire's Ex-Wife Returns!
Chapter 43: Forced to Go Back to Grid City

Chapter 43: Forced to Go Back to Grid City

At this time, Landon didn’t want to answer any calls from anyone. He made sure all matters were handled by his four other secretaries while the urgent business matters would be forwarded to Alaric so he could take care of it when he had the time.

But now that his grandfather reached him, Landon couldn’t ignore it any longer.

"Grandfather..."

"Landon, where are you?" his grandfather’s hard voice came from the other side.

"I’m on a business trip."

It was a reasonable excuse.

Unfortunately, Dominik Westwood didn’t believe it.

"Don’t lie to me. I checked your itinerary and you should’ve completed with the social party two days ago."

Landon gritted his teeth when he knew his grandfather went through his office and questioned his secretaries. His office was his territory, even if it was something that has been passed down to him.

"When are you coming back?" his grandfather asked, but Landon knew it was not just an inquiry. It was an order in the form of a question.

He gently pressed his hand on his forehead, rubbing the throbbing pain in the spot between his eyes.

"I still have something to deal with, grandfather. It should take me a few more days before I can come back." Landon didn’t want to stop now that he was there. Moreover, he wanted to investigate what had happened to Lucy while she was in Virela City.

"No," his grandfather said, his voice devoid of inflection. "You will come back today, Landon."

"I refuse," Landon replied hurriedly with resolute defiance.

His grandfather didn’t speak.

Landon didn’t have to be there to see his grandfather’s expression hardening and his eyes flickering with anger at his defiance.

"You have no choice in this matter, Landon," his grandfather’s voice taking on a sharper edge. "I have already sent a plane for you to take so you can come back here."

"I won’t take it," Landon insisted.

"Do not make me remind you, grandson. I put you to that seat because I thought you are better than your uncle. Do not make me regret my decision."

Landon’s resolve wavered. His grandfather had all the cards. He could take away everything from him at a drop of a hat and put his uncle to the seat of the CEO.

In everyone’s eyes, Landon was now the owner of the Westwood Group. But the reality was far from it. He only got everything through the support of his grandfather, who gave him his approval to become the CEO. But Dominik could easily take it away from him like a refundable item at a store. He had that much power and authority within the boards of directors.

He could hand it over to Rowan Westwood, Landon’s uncle, who was also his father’s younger brother. And Landon wouldn’t be able to do anything but watch as everything he had worked hard for since he was just a child taken away and handed to his uncle, who had been eyeing and waiting for a chance to take everything from him.

But the thought of returning now when he was so close to finding Lucy, who he had been longing for so long, filled him with a deep resentment.

"What will be your answer, Landon?"

His grandfather spoke as if he didn’t already know his grandson’s answer.

Yet Landon couldn’t help but hesitate.

In one hand, he could continue searching for Lucy and finally meet her. And in another, he would lose everything and finding Lucy will become an even harder task.

Without the power and wealth bestowed to him, Landon wouldn’t be able to control and do anything.

In the end, Landon found himself agreeing to his grandfather’s order.

"I’ll do it."

He would return obediently and do what his grandfather wanted him to do. In doing so, he would earn control, control over himself and everything around him. Even his grandfather wouldn’t be able to do anything to stop him.

In half an hour, Landon packed his things and went to the airport. The private plane his grandfather prepared for him was already waiting for him.

"I’ll leave you to deal with the things here," Landon said, stopping to grab Alaric’s shoulder.

Alaric nodded. "Don’t worry, I will dig as deep as I could to uncover everything."

Landon couldn’t stay there since his grandfather had already intervened in his matter. But Alaric was not under his grandfather’s control. He was Landon’s personal assistant and friend. Thus, he had more freedom to move than Landon.

Leaving him there was the best choice if he needed to investigate and find Lucy.

"Take care."

"You, too."

Landon boarded the plane with a sullen expression. He felt the weight of powerlessness pressing down on him. But he was not new to it. He had already experienced it once when Lucy left him and he found she had cancer.

***

Lucy walked toward the store. Old Penny was sitting on a rocking chair with a ball of yarn beside her feet.

"Little girl, why did you only come back now?" the old woman said, the crow’s feet around her eyes deepened as she smiled gently.

Lucy looked around the store, finding no one was inside the store aside from the Old Penny, and frowned. Leaving an old woman alone in the house was not a great idea. Especially, with Old Penny’s condition.

From what Lucy learned these past few days, Old Penny was diagnosed with an early stage of Alzheimer’s disease. Samuel, the taxi driver from last time, was taking care of her even though he lived in another house with his family, but he comes regularly to check and take care of his mother.

But tonight, he was not in sight.

"Is Samuel here, grandma?" Lucy entered the store.

She didn’t really need to do talk and get close to anyone while staying in Grid City since she would have to leave soon. But Old Penny reminded of her mother, who had passed away 5 years ago.

The old woman furrowed her brows, confusion flashed across her face, as she asked, "Who’s Samuel? Child, come here, look at what I made. Isn’t the scarf I made beautiful?"

Lucy watched as the old woman presented her a roll of tangled yarn. It looked grotesque. Rather than a scarf, it looked like a cat played around with it. But Old Penny didn’t seem to notice this, as she glanced up at her with great expectation.

Stumped out of words, Lucy lowered herself to the floor. She picked up some of the yarn like it was something precious and smiled.

"It is! Where did grandma learn how to knit?" she asked.

Although what the old man made did not resemble a scarf, Lucy observed that the old lady wasn’t senselessly knitting. Her hands expertly created loops to form a fabric.

Old Penny’s laughed giddily after receiving a complement.

But she didn’t answer Lucy’s question.

Instead, the old woman said, "I’m going to give this to my grandson’s wife!"

Lucy was shocked.

She knew Samuel had a son with his wife. But it didn’t look like he’s old enough to have a wife. Or did Samuel have an older son from a past marriage?

Staying at an apartment full of strangers, Lucy did a bit of a research. She needed to know who was living in the same building as her just to be on the safe side. So, discovering this piece of news was shocking. Did she not do well in researching about her neighbors?

While Lucy was thinking of going back to her room to redo the list of information she had on her neighbors, the old woman suddenly grabbed her hand, pulling her close to her face.

"You look so beautiful. Just like the wife of my grandson." Old Penny raised a hand to rest it on Lucy’s cheek.

Lucy’s eyelashes flattered quickly at the sudden close proximity.

"Now that I take a closer look at you, you resemble his wife a lot..."

Lucy let the old woman touch her, but the gentleness of it only made her stomach wrench in sorrow.

But she pulled herself out of it before it could take over her senses.

"Grandma, I think it’s time for you to go inside and rest." Lucy supported the old woman and moved behind the store.

The old woman struggled a bit, but Lucy coaxed her by saying, "Grandma, your grandson’s wife will be upset if she sees you alone and up so late. Please, go inside and sleep, okay?"

"Oh no!" the old woman echoed. "I can’t let my grandson’s wife become upset with me. What if she never returns?"

Lucy found this funny.

After finding the old woman’s bedroom, Lucy tucked her in her bed and covered her with the blanket.

Lucy was prepared to leave, but the old woman suddenly grabbed her hand.

"Grandma..."

"Don’t leave... my grandson will be lonely and sad."

Lucy fell silent as she thought of Landon. It was strange, but she couldn’t keep him out of her mind. It was all Kai’s fault. Why did he have to say all those words?

And most frustratingly was, why was she letting them affect her?