"Grandpa, her name is Ariana."

The moment Ariana's name passed through Theodore's lips, his voice carried a tendemess that couldn't be disguised.

This caught Aldus off guard. He had never witnessed Theodore care for a woman to such an extent. From the other end of the phone, he found himself repeatedly voicing his approval with hearty "greats," feeling a surge of joy within him.

Aldus had been aware of Ariana for a while, even sending someone to dig into her past discreetly.

When Theodore was involved in that car accident, the Anderson family was too quick to give up on him, declaring him vegetative without even considering intensive treatment.

But Aldus, with his foresight, had placed his trusted men at Theodore's side long before the accident. They had arranged for doctors to treat him in secret, a decision that played a significant role in his recovery.

His health prior to the accident had been stellar. With that and the secret medical attention, he was able to regain consciousness in a little over a month.

Both he and Aldus suspected there was more to the accident than what met the eye.

After his recovery, Theodore continued to act like he was still in a vegetative state, a ruse designed to throw the Andersons off their game. Meanwhile, he had someone investigate the true nature of the accident on the sly.

‘The Andersons, Darian in particular, were notorious for their ruthlessness. Darian, in his blind greed and conceit, had repeatedly allowed Jasper to attempt Theodore's life.

Theodore, however, was no easy prey. He laid out a business snare for Darian, savoring the anticipation of his enemy's impending doom.

Noticing Theodore's calculated plan, Aldus chose to step back, despite his instinct to wipe out the Anderson family entirely.

When Darian and Jasper were on the brink of falling into Theodore's trap, the Anderson family pulled a marriage card, resorting to artificial insemination. This made Theodore drop his charade earlier than planned.

Initially, Aldus didn't think much of Ariana. He had her background checked, preparing to confront her and the Andersons after Theodore's plan came to fruition.

Aldus had zero trust in the Anderson family, and Ariana, dispatched by them and being Jasper's ex-girlfriend, seemed even less trustworthy.

He saw the marriage as a farce, a temporary entry in the family register, ready to be erased when the time was right.

Aldus assumed Theodore was on the same page. But as time passed, Theodore's actions started to puzzle him.

His deep affection for Ariana was unexpected, even willing to throw his own plan off the rails. He even put his life on the line for her and stood up to Zayden on her behalf.

Aldus was willing to overlook some things as long as Theodore remained unharmed.

But now, as Theodore introduced Ariana so earnestly, Aldus realized her importance to Theodore.