Chapter 54: Ashes of a Legacy
Inside the ancestral study of the Durant estate, the heavy scent of sandalwood clung to the air, mingling with herbal medicine and the faint bitterness of aged incense. The room, lined with dark wooden shelves full of ancient recipes and boxes of herbs, was a testament to the traditional medicine family’s legacy.
The sharp crack of a slap broke the silence, echoing off the carved ceiling beams.
In the middle of it, Silas Durant stood rigid, his head turned to the side, a red imprint spreading across his left cheek. The corner of his lips had split, and he could taste blood in his mouth. His father’s antique jade ring had not only struck flesh but also pride.
"You! Do you even comprehend what you have done? You destroyed our family’s spotless reputation! A legacy built over a century shattered in a single moment!" Norman Durant, his father, spat. His face flushed a deep crimson, and his finely tailored traditional robes looked wrinkled from his fury.
Silas didn’t flinch. His tall frame remained steady.
From the side, Rupert Durant, his white-bearded grandfather, slammed his ornate cane against the wooden floor with a crack.
"Our ancestors are turning in their graves! You used our family name, our legacy, to manipulate a young man?! You dared to stain the Durant name like this?"
Victor Durant, his uncle, leaned against an antique desk, his expression a mix of disbelief and exasperation.
"Good thing I arrived in time, otherwise, you, like a fool, would have stepped into the pharmacy. What were you thinking? Did you want to come clean to him and apologise? Or making excuses? How have I never realised you were such a romantic idiot?!"
Silas looked at them in silence. All three of them had finely groomed hair, a polished appearance, and righteous demeanours. These men, who had panicked, running around like headless chickens the moment a call from the AHPRA came through, hadn’t once thought about the person wronged. Their concern wasn’t justice at all. It was all about their reputation, their image.
The hypocrisy was laughable.