Chapter - 6037

The old man’s heartfelt conversation left Charlie feeling a sense of despair.

He had never pondered this issue so thoroughly before. On one hand, he believed that it wasn’t the right moment to make a decision, while on the other hand, he recognized the challenge of finding an ideal solution for such matters.

What grandfather said was undeniably true. As long as he could resolve the issues surrounding the Warriors Den and Morgana, he must publicly acknowledge his ancestry and return to the Wade family, allowing the world to know that Bruce and Lily’s offspring had returned.

But when that day arrives, how will Claire confront it?

After all, she will eventually learn everything; it’s only a matter of time.

With this thought, Charlie couldn’t help but sigh.

Once deceit begins, it often spirals into a web of lies.

During this past period, he had not only hidden his identity from Claire but also concealed numerous other truths, many of which were connected to her parents.

Take, for example, the time Elaine went to prison for stealing her bank card and transferring its balance—an incident that caused Claire great distress. Although she managed to cope in various ways, once the truth was revealed, she would surely understand everything.

Noticing Charlie's silence, Lord Wade could tell that his words had impacted him, so he advised, "Charlie, you need to think this matter over yourself. If you have some time in the next couple of days, consider visiting your Uncle Orrin."

Charlie sighed, "Oh! I had intended to visit, and I promised Stefanie I would go to see her at home early tomorrow morning. But after everything you’ve just told me, how can I possibly go visit now…"

Lord Wade asked in surprise, "Are you going to pick up Stefanie? Is she coming back?"

"Yes," Charlie replied, "Stefanie is already on her way back to China. She should arrive in Eastcliff tomorrow morning as I had promised to pick her up."

Lord Wade immediately reacted, "What? You’re going to pick her up! Just because of our conversation, you won’t go? That little girl traveled thousands of miles from abroad, flying for over ten hours, eagerly waiting to see you upon landing, and you want to leave her hanging?"

"I..." Charlie felt overwhelmed. "I didn’t say I didn’t want to pick her up... it’s just that I don’t know how to face them, especially Uncle Orrin and Aunt Angie."

Lord Wade waved his hand dismissively, "You don’t need to worry excessively. Uncle Orrin won’t bring these matters up in person, or he wouldn’t have discussed them with me. If you can act thick-skinned and pretend to be unaware, you won’t have to dig into these issues again."

Charlie looked at Nathaniel Wade, feeling frustrated. "Grandpa, you can’t be biased in your advice. Are you suggesting that I should be thick-skinned?"

Lord Wade quickly clarified, "That’s not what I meant! I’m just offering you some advice. Consider it, and you’ll see that Grandpa’s suggestion is the best approach. If you refuse this matter outright, it would be akin to slapping the family in the face. They’ve been waiting for you for 20 years!"

Charlie felt disheartened; he understood that outright rejecting Orrin’s family was out of the question. Who did he think he was, to do something so brazen?

The kindness the family had shown him was invaluable, having offered their precious daughter to him and even wanting her to continue the family line with him. He couldn’t directly refuse them, no matter how pressured he felt.

So for now, he could only pretend to be oblivious.

Though Charlie knew his grandfather’s words danced between truth and illusion, he said nothing more, only sighed, “Okay, Grandpa, thank you for your advice. I know what to do.”

Lord Wade nodded in approval and smiled, “That’s good. Since you intend to visit your Uncle Orrin’s house, I think it would be nice for you to stay for lunch tomorrow and then bring Stefanie back here tonight for a meal together. To be honest, I haven’t seen Stefanie for so long, and as an elder, I miss her.”

Charlie understood that such etiquette was unavoidable; regardless of his feelings towards Stefanie, visiting the elder was simply what one did.

So he responded, "When I see Stefanie, I’ll let her know that I’ll be visiting you tomorrow."

"Wonderful!" Lord Wade said cheerfully, "Let’s keep it simple and enjoy a family dinner at home tomorrow. Also, since Stefanie is here, we should extend the invitation to your Uncle Orrin and Aunt Angie."

Charlie interjected anxiously, "Grandpa, what are you up to?"

Lord Wade reassured him, "Why not? It’s been ages since I shared a meal with their family. As the elder, it’s only right for them to visit me together."

Charlie had no choice but to concede, "You decide. If you plan to invite Uncle Orrin’s family, it’s better if you call him yourself instead of me passing along the message."

"Agreed!" Lord Wade responded without hesitation, smiling, "You pick up Stefanie tomorrow, and then go visit your Uncle Orrin and Aunt Angie. I’ll call your Uncle Orrin at noon to invite him over for dinner tonight. I’m sure he won’t decline."

"Okay."

Charlie understood he was in the most passive position in this situation, so he simply kept quiet.

Lord Wade continued, "Charlie, I’d also like to invite your aunt over. What do you think? That way, it will be a fitting gathering of the three members of the Sun family along with us, the grandparents and grandchildren."

Cynthia Wade, Charlie's aunt, had been excused from guarding the tomb in Wade Mountain due to her obligation to care for the old man. None of the other Wade family members had been able to leave the mountain yet.

Charlie wasn’t resentful towards Cynthia, quiet as she often was, but he recognized the affection with which his grandfather regarded her.

It seemed the old man also wanted to mend the relationship between himself and his aunt.

So Charlie nodded, "You can make any arrangements you see fit."

"Great!" Lord Wade said, smiling, "Then it’s settled. I’ll handle everything tomorrow. Charlie, why don’t you rest now? Don’t you need to go to the airport early to pick up Stefanie?"

Feeling a bit tired, Charlie replied, "Then I’ll sit in my father’s study for a while."

He stood and bid farewell to his grandfather, then made his way to his father’s study.

Everything in the room had been arranged many years prior, and every decoration brought back childhood memories.

Sometimes, Charlie felt deep sympathy for his grandfather. His only son, a remarkably talented man, had died young, leaving behind a Wade family that was hardly thriving, barely making any progress.

This is why the old man had preserved everything in its original state.

Often, he would sit in silence there for the entire day, reminiscing about the son he held most dear.

Charlie sat at his father’s desk, pondering a question that weighed heavily in his heart: what choice would his father have made if he were still alive?

Would it be loyalty to marriage, to parents, or to family?

It seemed that the latter two options inherently intertwined.