I Walked Away And He Lost His Mind (Zephyra and Steven) novel Chapter 226

I stared at him, stunned, my eyes welling up with tears.

“Grandfather…”

I knew Mr. Lancaster Sr. cared for me, but I had always assumed it was because I was his granddaughter-in-law. I never imagined that even after learning about the divorce, his affection wouldn’t waver, that he would still stand by me.

He gently patted my head, his voice weak.

“When you two got married, it might have looked like I arranged everything, but it was actually that boy who chose you. He gave me the green light before I ever approached your family. Even though your grandfather and I had an agreement, it was from a long time ago. I wouldn’t force my grandchildren into anything against their will.”

“He chose you, and you liked him too, so I was happy to play matchmaker. I thought you would be happy together after you married. I never expected… divorced after only a year. And that rascal treated you so poorly. I really regret it. I shouldn’t have pushed you to get married right away. You should have had time to get to know each other first.”

I was even more shocked, wiping the tears from my eyes.

“Steven chose me?”

Mr. Lancaster Sr. gave a mischievous smile. “Surprising, isn’t it? You know what he’s like—stubborn, sharp-tongued, and a complete ass. He never even used to talk to women. I was honestly worried about his orientation, worried he’d end up alone. That’s why I skipped the dating phase and went straight to pushing for marriage.”

“I found so many potential partners for him. His mother did too. She even brought that girl from the Spencer family home for family dinners several times, but he wasn’t interested in any of them.”

“Then, out of nowhere, he showed me a picture of you and said you were the one. It just so happened that you came to us for help with that boy’s medical situation. I did a little digging, and everything just fell into place.”

My face paled, my mind reeling.

My eyelids fluttered, my expression tense.

The old man had shared many stories about Steven with me before, but he had never spoken so seriously about his unhappy childhood.

No wonder Steven seemed so distant from his parents and brother. When there are two children in a family and one is raised by a grandparent, favoritism is inevitable. And once fairness is gone, family conflict is bound to follow.

It also explained why Steven’s temper was as bad as mine.

“Grandfather, I know what you’re trying to say. But Steven and I simply can’t make it work. There’s no misunderstanding, no special reason. He’s a good man, the most outstanding man I’ve ever met. And his temper isn’t that bad. When you meet someone you want to protect, even the worst temper can soften. You really don’t need to worry about him.”