Chapter 48 Here They Came

Dalton was desperate to protect Lydia, but with one arm injured, he found himself at a disadvantage. To make matters worse, Cate was actively siding with Charlotte, complicating the situation even further. The three women were caught up in their drama, leaving Dalton feeling powerless.

As he watched Lydia being dragged away, he realized he couldn’t handle Charlotte directly. Instead, he turned to his sister. “Cate, what are you doing? Get Mom off Lydia right now!”

Cate wasn’t about to comply. She had her own grievances against Lydia, especially after the recent chaos surrounding Dalton’s engagement, which had made her a laughingstock in school.

“Dalton! Mom’s right–Lydia doesn’t deserve you!”

The scene was spiraling out of control, with relatives from the second and third branches of the family keeping their distance, worried that they might get caught in the crossfire.

Just then, an elderly man in a wheelchair wheeled into the room. The sight of the chaos made him drop the cup in his hand, shattering it on the floor. The sound echoed through the room, and the four people in the fray froze, momentarily stunned.

“Dad.” “Grandpa.” “Uncle Chandler, what are you doing here?”

It was Sir Aniston, Dylan Aniston, followed closely by the indifferent Chandler. Upon seeing the turmoil, Chandler didn’t even blink, as if he had expected this all along.

In the midst of the commotion, Dalton felt fresh blood seeping through the bandages on his arm. Charlotte noticed but pretended not to, clearly furious about Dalton’s earlier attempt to shield Lydia.

Dylan’s voice boomed. “What on earth is going on here? Making a scene in a hospital? You’re just giving people a good laugh!”

Even though the VIP ward was relatively quiet on the top floor, it was still a place where more than just the Aniston family could afford to stay. The ruckus had attracted attention, and curious onlookers had gathered outside, some even filming the chaos on their phones.

Dylan, now in his twilight years, had distanced himself from the family drama, preferring to enjoy his retirement with chess and cards. Lately, however, whispers of family troubles had reached his ears, making it impossible for him to ignore them.

He turned to Chandler. “You’re the head of the family now. You handle this.”

Dylan had already taken a backseat, and now it was Chandler who called the shots in the Aniston family. Chandler’s word was law, and everyone had to toe the line. Walter promptly brought over a chair for Chandler to sit down.

Chandler’s cold gaze swept over the faces in the room. “Alright, what happened here?”

Cameron, always eager to stir the pot, chimed in. “What do you think? It’s all Charlotte’s doing! She’s gone full beast mode on her son’s future wife!”

Charlotte snapped, “Future wife? Lydia is nothing! I refuse to accept this!”

Cameron chuckled. “Oh, come on, Charlotte. Your son just held a press conference announcing his engagement to her. You’re really going to deny it? Doesn’t that just make you look ridiculous?”

Charlotte shot daggers at Lydia, her frustration boiling over. She and Cameron had never seen eye to eye. Over the years, their clashes had always ended with Cameron gaining no advantage. But this time, it felt especially infuriating to be mocked by her because of Lydia. It was enough to push Charlotte to the brink!

The discord within the Aniston family was hardly a secret. Dylan, in his younger years, was quite the charmer, having married three different women.

His first marriage lasted less than five years. After the birth of their eldest son, Morton, Dylan and his first wife parted ways. A year later, Dylan married his second wife, with whom he had his second son, Patrick Aniston. But that union didn’t last long either. The marriage was a business arrangement, and once the mutual benefits were gone, so was the relationship. They split up with little sentiment.

As for his third child, it was the result of a drunken fling with a dancer of humble origins. This woman never became a part of the Aniston family proper, making Jacob Aniston Dylan’s illegitimate son.

Chandler, the fourth son, was born of Dylan’s final legitimate marriage.

With four sons from four different mothers, the complexities within the Aniston family were obvious. Each branch of the family had its own agenda, maintaining a facade of harmony while plotting behind the scenes.

Charlotte, seething with anger, vowed, “As long as I’m alive, that marriage is never happening!”

Chandler turned to Dalton, his voice stern. “Your mother’s against your marriage to Lydia. Do you have anything to say about that?”