Love's perfect match novel (Elspeth and Callum)
Chapter 477

CHAPTER 477 QUID PRO QUO

Can it be that Old Mr. McGrath knows about my mother?

"What is it that you know of, Old Mr. McGrath? Please do tell."

At that, Haris chuckled. "No rush. It's just that I don't know if I should say it so easily. You see, I don't know if Winthrop here knows about it."

Elspeth's heart skipped a beat. Callum was unaware of it just yet.

Callum, on the other hand, was unfazed. "I'm her husband. Is there anything I can't hear about?"

"No, not quite."

At that, the elder person explained, saying, "I want to talk about Elspeth's mother..."

"She has passed. I suggest you don't talk about it anymore."

Callum had thought she felt uncomfortable after hearing Haris' words and recalled some sad moments when he saw her grim face. Elspeth, on the other hand, thought she was right about her guess.

"No, her mother hadn't passed."

Callum frowned in response. "What do you mean?"

"Her mother is still alive. She's just somewhere Elspeth can't replace."

At that, Callum turned to his beloved. Seeing that she didn't panic in the way that he had imagined, he knew it wasn't as he imagined.

"I'd appreciate it if you could be clear about it."

"I'm saying the woman who passed wasn't Elspeth's birth mother."

"Then, do you know where my birth mother is?" Elspeth asked.

Suddenly, Haris appeared reluctant. "That's pretty much all that I know of. As for where she is specifically, I don't know."

At that, Callum held Elspeth's hand under the table while graveness laced his face. "You wouldn't have brought us here to merely tell us that."

In other words, Haris had more than just that in mind, and it'd be some inhumane condition.

"I knew you were highly intelligent, my boy." Haris suddenly guffawed. However, it was one that was rather unfamiliar and uncomfortable. "I won't hide it from you anymore, then. I've naturally met up with you and told you all of this because I want something in exchange."

"If it's for us to divorce so that Jasmine can be with me, you can stop right here," Callum countered without hesitation, causing Haris to turn grim instantly. "Do you think you're in any position to negotiate with me?"

Elspeth had never seen this side of Haris. Back in the McGrath Residence, the impression he gave her was, at the very least, amiable even though he was cloistered.

Not only had he never treated her with malicious intent, but he even instilled much medical knowledge in her.

Even if there wasn't gratitude, she respected the elder, at least. However, at this moment, she thought the grim-looking man sitting before her was inexplicably alien.

"We're not negotiating. It's you who are using it to threaten us, no?"

"Then, are you willing to make the exchange?"

When Elspeth saw the inevitable smirk on Haris' face, she suddenly realized he might know more than they expected.

"As I respect you, I will ask you this, Old Mr. McGrath. Do you think Jasmine will be happy if she marries me?" Callum's attitude toward the elder gradually turned impassive.

"Then, do you think my Jas is happy now?" Haris hit the roof at the mention of Jasmine's incident.

How could he not know what actually went down when he had lived over sixty years?!

"I knew that child since she was a baby. How could I not know that she would never do something like that with another man on her wedding day and even let you discover it so coincidentally?! Do you not think it is all too coincidental?!"

At the thought that the two had possibly colluded to harm his precious granddaughter, let her shoulder all the blame, and in turn, call off the marriage, he wanted nothing more than to mangle the two.

"So, you're saying you suspect it's my doing?" Callum remained nonchalant, looking as though the incident had nothing to do with him at all.

If Haris hadn't seen Callum's insouciance coming, he'd have really believed he was wrong.

"Save the act, Winthrop. I believe you should be held responsible for Jas' misfortune."

Surprised that the elder could argue so well, he smirked disdainfully. "That's her own problem. Why should I be held responsible?"

"You don't have an option, Winthrop." Haris' grimness filled the space as he remained seated in his chair. "Aren't you more than willing to do anything for her? What's stopping you now?"

Finally, Elspeth couldn't take it anymore.

"This is my issue. Why bring Callum into this?!" Her gaze was icy with a hint of calmness that only she had. "Besides, all she has ever done was give birth to me. Why should I use my marriage to exchange for her life?"

If it was someone who interacted with her daily, she might consider the value, but that woman had nothing to do with her. Does Haris not think he's being too confident about this?

"I didn't think you'd be so cold-hearted, child." Haris chuckled. However, the benevolence and adoration beneath his eyes were long gone.

"That's why this is only a token for exchange. If you want to know, I will naturally tell you about it under my conditions. If you don't, then your mother's life will have nothing to do with you."

Her life... An ominous feeling flashed across Elspeth's eyes at that. "What are you trying to say?"

"Do you still remember what I talked to you about? The new experiment I'm preparing to do."

"That human experimentation?!" Elspeth's heart skipped a beat.

Haris had mentioned the experiment to her back when she was staying in the McGrath Residence. But because the experiment required a special human organ as an enhancer, he didn't talk in-depth about it. In fact, he even told her he intended not to do the experiment because of how cruel it'd be.

Another reason was that the unique type of people was too difficult to replace. As of now, there were less than a handful of candidates that fit his experiment's criteria.

"You won't believe this. When I met your mother, she just so happened to be the perfect enhancer." Haris opened his folding fan and fanned it gently while his eyes were filled with nothing but triumph.