Tommy asked, “Daddy, would you say this is a case of wasting a golden opportunity?”“I’d say so,” replied Luke. Even though two million dollars might not be much to them, it was a lot of money for an average family. If Jean had decided to turn his life around, find a job with his degree, and use that two million as a foundation, he could have lived comfortably.Luca was still a bit puzzled. “But didn’t Mr. Mallory give them more than a million?”“Chances are, the rest was squandered away,” answered Luke.Luca’s eyes widened. “How did he blow through that much money?”“He’s always been reckless with money, and with Anna spoiling him, it wouldn’t take long to spend the rest,” replied Luke.Luca thought he had a point and said nothing more.…After seeing off all the guests, Percy settled the bill with the hotel and walked into the bridal suite. Nina had already changed into a red dress, with all the heavy jewelry removed and packed away.“Are all the guests gone?” Upon seein
“What? There's another exit?” Anna's eyes widened. “Is he messing with you? Maybe we should bribe him so that he’ll let us in?”“Do we even have any money left?” Jean kicked the wall in frustration.The security guard inside overheard and warned, “Don't kick the wall! If you break it, you'll have to pay for it.”Annoyed, Jean ran his hand through his hair. His legs were numb from standing too long. He wanted nothing more than to sit down right there. However, their clothes were rented, and if they got them dirty, they would have trouble returning them. He heaved a sigh and said to Anna, “Let's go home.”“We're just leaving like this? What about the money?” Anna glanced inside, clearly unwilling to give up.“We'll have other chances to get the money,” replied Jean.“Today was the best chance! They'd want to avoid any trouble at the wedding, so they'd give us the money more easily.” Anna pouted, clearly displeased.That had been their plan. They knew no one would want a scene at
Jean narrowed his eyes. “What are you getting at?”“That insurance policy you got for your mom. You can figure out a way to get the company to pay out. At least that’ll help get us through this rough patch, right?” Marie thought she was giving him a brilliant suggestion.“You must’ve lost your mind!” Jean exploded in anger. “How dare you even think about targeting my mom?!”To commit insurance fraud, Anna would need to get hurt. If there was no injury, there would be no payout. Even though Jean had fallen on hard times, he would never harm his mother. After all, Anna’s pension was barely enough to get by, and it was the only thing keeping them afloat. If he wanted the wealth and success he once had, he would have to ask Percy for money.Marie looked hurt. “I’m just trying to help you. We’ve got no money left. Don’t you want to start a business again and be the boss?”Jean stayed silent. Of course, he wanted that!As the thought ran through his mind, he cursed under his breath
Anna and Jean knew there was no way the guard would lie to them, so they awkwardly left.…Percy was indeed taking Nina for a post-wedding visit. However, this visit was taking place at Crawford Manor, not Anna’s house.Old Master Crawford had put on a perfectly pressed suit early in the morning and was now sitting on the couch, eagerly waiting for his godson-in-law, Percy, and Nina to arrive. As he watched Mr. Griffin and the maids busy with the preparations, Old Master Crawford was beaming with delight. His smile stretched from ear to ear.“Old Master Crawford, please have some tea,” said Mr. Griffin, bringing a cup of freshly brewed tea.“When will Luke and Luca be here?” asked Old Master Crawford.“Master Luke and Ms. Craw should be arriving soon, and so will Master Louis,” replied Mr. Griffin. He had already checked the status of their arrivals ten minutes ago.Even though Nina was only acknowledged as Old Master Crawford’s god-granddaughter, Old Master Crawford loved the
Before Louis and his wife could respond, Old Master Crawford said, “The child used to be frail, so it’s normal for her to get sick sometimes. Look at her now. She’s full of energy and much more cheerful than before. Was she ever like this when she was living with you?”Louis nodded in agreement with the old master. When Thea lived with Susan, she was timid and had poor mental health. However, ever since they moved out, Louis noticed that Thea was getting happier by the day.Originally, Louis thought it was because he and his wife were too busy and had neglected their child, which caused her emotional issues. Now, he finally realized it was Susan who had been pressuring her all along. Without that pressure, Thea was thriving. Even her psychologist was amazed by the rapid progress she had made and praised them as good parents. However, Louis knew the truth.The reason Thea was doing so well was that he had firmly insisted on taking her out of that environment.Even Susan
Susan glared at her. “You’re always using the child as an excuse. Now that the Crawford family and the Mallory family are on good terms, why don’t you go chat with Mrs. Mallory? The others might think you don’t like her!”Yuri was getting frustrated. She had no desire to talk to Nina, and she was afraid it would look like she was trying to suck up to her. She nudged Louis with her elbow.Louis had been chatting with Luke and Percy, but after his wife nudged him, he turned to look at her. Yuri shot him a look, signaling for him to deal with Susan.Louis understood, but there was nothing he could do. If only he could actually deal with Susan…Susan’s stubbornness was something no one could handle.“You both are a bunch of good-for-nothings!” Susan noticed their glances at each other and got really upset.She was doing this for their own good! Louis was so insistent on running his own company, was he not? If they could form a good relationship with the Mallory family, it wou
“I know where Nina is,” said Jean.As soon as Anna heard this, she stopped worrying about the gift and immediately asked, “Where did that brat go?”“She's with the Crawford family,” answered Jean.Anna thought she had misheard. “What?”“Crawford Manor, as in Luke’s place,” repeated Jean.“That's impossible!” Anna snapped angrily. “I heard that when the Mallory family didn’t approve of Nina and Percy’s marriage, Old Master Crawford stepped in and took Nina as his god-granddaughter, leaving the Mallory family with nothing to say," explained Jean.“Are you kidding me? Even so, she shouldn’t have gone back! They just feel guilty and did her a small favor, and your sister actually bought into it?” Anna stomped her foot in anger. Was the Crawford family determined to take away their family member from them?“Visiting the Crawford family of all places! If it weren’t for them, you'd be at the top of your game right now, and she’s over there? I raised a traitor!”Jean replied, “We’re
Nina looked at Luca with a serious expression. Sometimes, she felt like Luca had known her forever.How did Luca know her so well? “Luca, have you been secretly investigating me?”“No, I haven't.” Luca was surprised. “What makes you say that?”“You know me so well. It's shocking!” replied Nina. “Sometimes I really wonder if you can read my mind. How else could you know me so well?”“Is that so? Do I know you well?” Luca smiled. “Even if I did investigate you, I wouldn’t be able to do it so thoroughly. I just feel like you’re that kind of person.”Nina nodded. “Yeah, things have definitely changed after getting married.”Luca listened to her without saying anything.“To be precise, after the wedding, I've been feeling like I need to work harder to stand by Percy’s side and not be a burden to him. The old, go-with-the-flow me is gone.”“Working hard isn’t necessarily a bad thing,” replied Luca. It was not that Nina’s old way of life was bad. Everyone would choose different ways