Jacob glanced at Matilda in bewilderment. “Matilda, are you very proficient in law and the firm?”Paul chuckled and said, “Uncle, don’t underestimate my mother. In fact, she is also a Ph.D. graduate from Yale. She and my father met at the Master’s School at Yale and married afterward. Later, my father founded the law firm and my mother was always there to assist him. If not because of my mother, my father’s career would not take off and sail so smoothly.”Then, he sighed, “Too bad I’m still not capable of handling the firm myself yet, so I need my mother’s help to assist me.”Matilda chuckled, “Son, you have done a great job. I hope that you can grow up as soon as possible and take over the company as a whole, then I can finally enjoy my retirement.”She couldn’t help sighing, “Now that I’m back to Oskia and Aurous Hill, my biggest dream is not to start our family business here, but to enjoy the retirement life of an Oskian old lady peacefully.”Then, she secretly gazed at Jacob a
The lunch gathering at Shangri-La was delightful and fun. Jacob and Matilda were feeling equally happy. She was feeling under the weather after her husband’s death but it seemed that the sky had cleared now.Paul was very pleased to see his mother in such a good mood.As for Charlie, he felt sorry for his father-in-law.The reason was nothing more than Matilda being too perfect for him. He couldn’t imagine what would happen when such a glamorous, elegant, wealthy lady who was also single returned to Aurous Hill. She would attract a lot of attention, especially the pursuit of other wealthy old men, which would only accumulate troubles for Jacob.Matilda and Paul were rather exhausted after traveling for long hours back to Oskia. Hence, after lunch, Jacob and Charlie sent them to their room at Shangri-La.Again, Jacob was taken aback because Matilda and Paul checked into the extremely luxurious executive suites.The executive suite in Shangri-La was second only to the presidential
Jacob suddenly turned his head to Charlie and asked worriedly, “Charlie, do you think your mother-in-law will ever come home?”Charlie frowned rather awkwardly. “Dad, what do you want me to say? Should I say yes or no?”Jacob startled in bewilderment then said sheepishly, “Hey, stop beating around the bush. I know you are not satisfied with your mother-in-law too just like me, right?”Charlie turned to him in shock and exclaimed, “Dad, I never said that!”Jacob looked askance at him and said, “It’s just between us, you don’t have to hide with me. Claire is not here anyway, we can say whatever we want, am I right?”Charlie knew what his father-in-law was thinking.He was looking for a partner in crime.He didn’t want Elaine to come home, but Claire wanted her mother to be found as soon as possible. Hence, a psychological confrontation had formed between the father and daughter which made the current score at 1:1. Charlie was the neutral party, in this case, so Jacob desperately
Charlie had never thought that his father-in-law could be so villainous, but he could understand his feelings.After all, the lady was the first love that he hadn’t seen in more than 2 decades who was as perfect as ever. Putting himself in Jacob’s shoes, he wouldn’t want anything or anyone to mess this up.Moreover, Elaine was like a death-defying time bomb. Once initiated, her blast would be so devastating, it would be equivalent to the detonation of a nuclear bomb.Hence, there was nothing wrong with him being so cautious.However, he didn’t know that Elaine was currently in the detention center, suffering from inhuman torture. She would remain in the living hell as long as they didn’t get an okay from Charlie.When they arrived home, Claire had just returned home too. He frantically walked to her and asked, “Dear, have you gone to the police station? What did the police say? Did they have any news about mom?”Claire was pale and worried. “The police told me that they had issue
Although Claire knew that it was most probably Dad’s idea, she couldn’t help feeling disappointed.Charlie quickly asked, “Dear, where are you going later?”Claire answered, “I’m going to meet mom’s friends and also the beauty salons that they often visited for their facial and spa.”Jacob hurried and said, “Oh, Claire, I won’t go anywhere today. I’ve invited my friend over for dinner tonight. She wants to cook for us tonight, so I need to get the ingredients ready and clean up our house.”Claire asked skeptically, “Dad, didn’t you already have lunch with your friend just now? Why do you want to see her again tonight?”Jacob cleared his throat and explained, “Lunch is lunch, and we ate at a restaurant. They came all the way from the States, it’s our courtesy to invite them over to our place and have a home-cooked meal together. This is a decent way to entertain your friends!”Claire exclaimed in dismay, “Dad, even if you want to entertain your friend, can you please observe the s
Meanwhile, in Aurous Hill Detention Center.Elaine could only watch the inmates finish their lunch, and Jennifer finished both lunch sets, she felt as if someone stabbed her in the heart, the sight was so painful for her to bear. She had not taken a bite of food for more than 24 hours, was beaten violently, and was forced to sleep all night in the freezing and humid toilet. She was dizzy with hunger and on the verge of collapsing.Yet, she didn’t dare to express any dissatisfaction because it would trigger Jennifer to beat her again.Because of her small appetite, Lady Wilson was full with just half of the rice portion in the lunch box.She paced leisurely to Elaine with the leftover lunch box in her hand, waved it in front of her, and asked with a grin, “Hey, you haven’t eaten anything for a night and a day, are you hungry? It must be tough, right? Would you like to have two bites?”Elaine glanced at the old lady like she was a light of hope and asked cautiously, “Really? Mom,
Lady Wilson shouted, “Wendy, come here, let’s get this shrew to the toilet and wash away the food on her head with cold water! She may take advantage of us not looking and eat it behind us! I don’t want that to happen!”Elaine cried in horror, “No! It’s almost winter now! You’re going to kill me if you wash my head with cold water!”Jennifer, who had been watching the scene, growled coldly, “Stop the d*mn bullsh*t! If I hear another word from you, I’ll shower you with cold water after the old lady washes your head with it!”Elaine wailed in extreme fright as Lady Wilson and Wendy dragged her into the toilet.Immediately afterward, Wendy pulled her head under the faucet and turned it without hesitation!The icy cold tap water splashed on Elaine’s head, making her brain freeze instantly followed by the excruciating pain from the cold that made her shiver all over.She looked at the grinning Lady Wilson, begging, “Mom, please, give me a towel, I beg you! I’ll freeze to death!”Lady
“What?!”Claire shrieked in shock, “Beautiful, elegant, good temperament, perfect personality. More importantly, she is a widow, a rich widow… That makes her the rarest bachelorette in the middle-aged aunties category, doesn’t it?!”Charlie nodded and said in a serious tone, “Yup, she is a bachelorette alright, but she doesn’t look like an aunty at all, more like an older sister.”Surprised, Claire asked, “Really? Like how old?”Charlie answered, “Maybe thirty-seven or eight years old, and at most forty.”“Seriously?!”Claire gaped in utter astonishment and disbelief. She rarely saw a woman who was 50 years old but looked 10 years younger.Wasn’t it a little too outrageous even for a movie star?Charlie nodded firmly. “I’m not kidding at all, she does look very young and beautiful. You know Catherine Zeta-Jones, right? Aunt Hall looks younger and more beautiful than her.”Astonished again, Claire said, “Shut up! Are you for real?”Charlie smiled. “Well, she’ll come to our hou
Yolden nodded slightly. "He does.""My gosh…" Matilda murmured. "That's too much… Ashley's son? A member of the Acker family and the Wades?!"Pausing, she then asked in confusion, "Wait, if Charlie has so much power and influence, why would he permanently reside in Aurous Hill… No, why would he be content as Jacob Wilson's son-in-law? Does Jacob know who he really is?""Definitely not," Yolden shook his head. "There were some compelling circumstances, and his identity is a sensitive one. That's why I'm asking you to tell no one except Paul—and even then, you should only tell him if he can keep the secret."Matilda was sharp enough to pick up on the reasoning, too. "Charlie's hiding because of his parents' accident, isn't he?""Yes," Yolden sighed. "He has his plans, but I didn't pry since I can only do that much, let alone help him on that.""Got it," Matilda nodded repeatedly. "Don't worry. My lips are sealed… And you just said you're resigning? Are you going to help with this e
"That would be Ashley Layna Acker," Matilda replied without hesitation. "She was our age, as well as a major investor in Silicon Valley, while we were only starting to get our first clients. It's no exaggeration to say that she's the shining example in many case studies when it comes to business."Pausing, she then continued, "And she used to be your classmate, right? I remember you mentioning that in our conversations before.""Yes," Yolden sighed emotionally. "She was a classmate and the star of our generation."Matilda nodded but soon shook her head, "Wait, weren't we talking about Charlie's car company? What does that have to do with Ashley Acker?" "Here's where I let you in on a secret," Yolden said. "But first, you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone except Paul."Matilda nodded without hesitation. "Don't worry—if it's a secret, I won't tell Paul either."Yolden scratched his head. "Actually, Paul should know. We are going to marry soon, and he's my stepson, lega
In fact, the legal department of major enterprises covered many responsibilities, the chief of which concerned intellectual property, which was why veterans were needed to lead.Additionally, Charlie trusted Matilda's accomplishments in the legal field, especially since she had worked in the United States for years.With Curtis Autos' intended expansion worldwide, that meant the legal department should also know the laws of countries abroad, ready to file or respond to lawsuits at any time. After all, competitors may use the law to impede their growth, along with the government applying unfair policies to impede their development and impact on local businesses.Moreover, Charlie considered Paul young and therefore lacking in experience, not to mention that it was not likely he would abandon his family's law firm. As such, the ideal solution was to poach Matilda for now.As for Matilda, she was still in the dark and had no idea what she was in for, asking Charlie in confusion, "Lega
Later, after Charlie told Jeremiah over the phone about the joint venture with the Ackers to establish Curtis Autos, the old man was awash with tears, especially after Charlie told him that it was Keith who suggested it. After all, Curtis was his favorite son whose death he could never really get over. Moreover, he once believed that only his family mourned Curtis while the Ackers never did, and he held a grudge over his son's passing. As such, he was surprised that Keith held such great respect toward his late son and didn't hesitate to say yes when Charlie invited him to Aurous Hill to sign an agreement with the Ackers.Still, Charlie wasn't in a hurry to arrange for a specific time, and he was going to let the Ackers sort out the human resources of Godot Autos over a few days. It still wouldn't be too late by then.Moreover, he was keen to allow the buzz to have time to grow so that the automotive industry would be astounded by the joint project between the Ackers and the Wade
Christian was the first to exclaim in approval, "Yes! Curtis Autos sounds wonderful! It has my vote!""Seconded!" Kaiden nodded, pumping the air with his right fist. "I've looked up to Curtis the most, and I absolutely agree with naming the company after him!"Jaxson was nodding too. "Me too!""Yes!" Lulu chirped.Yolden couldn't help agreeing as well. "Curtis Autos is definitely a good name!"Merlin raised his hand gingerly as well. "Quit it with your flattery already," Keith chuckled, and he turned toward Charlie solemnly. "In the end, Curtis is Charlie's father, and the final decision goes to him!"Charlie's eyes were welling up with tears—his parents had been gone for almost three decades, yet he had never thought of dedicating anything to their memory.As such, Keith's suggestion to use Curtis's name for the car company left him thrilled. After all, wouldn't his father's soul be honored if Curtis Autos rocked the country, maybe even the world?With that in mind, he nodd
Charlie also had to agree that this was an opportunity to formally reconcile the Wades and the Ackers.While he couldn't reveal himself just yet, the Wades and the Ackers had been in-laws for years. Even if they had had a dispute for the longest time, restoring good relations made sense now that the Ackers had come to Oskia, and it wouldn't arouse any suspicion.That was why Charlie agreed to it without hesitation, even making a mental note to invite his paternal grandfather, Jeremiah, to Aurous Hill.The old geezers could meet up and clear the air while deciding on the partnership.Yolden was prepared to resign as a professor as well so that he could help the Ackers and Charlie fully develop their automotive company.With a general direction planned, he asked everyone, "Since we're creating a new brand, has anyone come up with a name?"No one was feeling inspired at that moment, but that was when Lulu, who had been silent throughout, said, "Since Charlie and our family are worki
Neither Charlie nor the Ackers expected Yolden's insight to cover all corners.In fact, it felt like the man had a blueprint ready and was only waiting for the time to put it to use.That was why everyone was immensely approving of Yolden and wanted no other man for the job of CEO.Kaeden smiled, "Well, since everyone has agreed, let's put this to rest as soon as possible—this will be a joint investment between our family and the Wades, and Professor Hart will take the post of CEO. Let's all do our best to make this a good one!"Yolden also made up his mind, deciding that he didn't want to let slip a chance to realize his ambitions. "I'll resign from the university after my honeymoon trip. It probably shouldn't be long, and I can get involved in early preparations via teleconference."Charlie nodded. "Then, we can have Uncle Kaeden stay on schedule while I'll ask the Wades to send a representative over to sign a memorandum for the investment."Keith smiled and nodded. "You should
Charlie hadn't been born and raised in Aurous Hill, but he still started living here at the age of eight and was more attached to this place than Eastcliff.If he was going to take part in this automotive investment with the Ackers, he naturally found Aurous Hill the ideal location.Not only would it create a huge number of jobs for Aurous Hill, but it would also rake in much economic flow for the region.Yolden also nodded at his suggestion. "If the first plant is meant to cover the demand of the entire local market, there's no reason for a coastal plant. Aurous Hill stands at an intersection between the north and the south, so transportation is convenient. It's also killing two birds with one stone, as Mr. Wade is fond of the city."Charlie couldn't help but agree. "I won't lie—Aurous Hill has been good to me, and I hope to give back. Nothing's better than succeeding in that respect."Yolden spread his hands, "Heavy industries are certainly ideal to contribute to Aurous Hill's e
Yolden had actually been researching new energy for a while—in fact, it was when Tesla's first car models were produced.He was passionate about the subject and had his own opinions as well as ambitions, but he was busy teaching, so he couldn't realize any of it.But was this not a golden opportunity tailor-made for him?Seeing that Yolden was clearly interested, Charlie turned toward Kaeden, "Actually, the professor is getting married soon. There's no way we'd split up newlyweds so soon after the wedding, right? So, is it possible to set up base in Aurous Hill instead?""Not a problem!" Kaeden replied without hesitation. "Our family is planning to return to Oskia anyway, and everyone knows about Ashley and Curtis. So, why don't we invest in this enterprise alongside the Wades and have the base set up in Aurous Hill? And then bring Godot under as a subsidiary?"Turning to Yolden, he continued, "By the way, Godot's plant is already in the province—barely 100 miles from Aurous Hill,