Chapter 5 Taking Turns

The journey back home was silent, both of them refraining from voicing their doubts. As soon as they stepped through the door, Sophie's ominous voice emanated from the living room.

"It seems like she's already taken to gallivanting about late at night after only a second day in Jefferson City. I wonder who she's been keeping company with. How could a woman like her marry my son?"

At her words, Stephen furrowed his brow. He trusted Yaslyn but was worried about her safety. As he was about to make a call to check on her, he spotted Yaslyn entering the house with Xoan.

"So, it was Yaslyn and Xoan all along."

Xoan remained silent, neither confirming nor denying the statement. Stephen chuckled and said, "Yaslyn, regarding the marriage, I plan for you to spend time with each of my five sons in turn. When the time comes, you can decide who suits you best and settle the matter, okay?"

Yaslyn nodded, her face neutral. "Alright, Mr. Warren."

Despite her dissatisfaction, Sophie knew she could not overturn Stephen's decision. She could only glare disapprovingly at Yaslyn.

The following morning, Yaslyn was awakened by an urgent knock on her door.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she opened the door to find Xoan, immaculate in a dark suit, standing at her doorstep with a look of impatience on his face. "Get ready. You're coming to the office with me."

'The office? Why?'

Stephen had instructed her to spend a day with each of them, starting with the eldest son—Xoan.

Yaslyn stretched lazily and ambled off toward the bathroom. By the time she emerged, half an hour had passed. She climbed into the car beside Xoan, visibly unenthusiastic, to head to the office.

As the journey began, the man beside her spoke up with an air of stern formality. "Yaslyn, my agreement to this arrangement is solely out of respect for our father. I'll ensure you're taken care of in the office but don't expect me to develop feelings for you, and you don't need to try to understand me."

Yaslyn glanced at him. Slowly, a smile graced her face, seemingly injecting her with a new dose of energy.

She replied in an amused tone, "Is that so? From my observations over these two days, you seem to be the one I fancy most. What should we do now?"

A flicker of irritation passed through his eyes, and his voice dropped. "I'd advise you not to waste your time."

Yaslyn just laughed softly and fell silent.

Upon their arrival at the office, their entrance attracted the attention of passersby.

"Wow, who's that beautiful lady with the president? Those long legs—I'm smitten!"

"She's gorgeous and looks so good with the president!"

"That's Yaslyn. I saw her yesterday while dropping off some documents at the president's house."

Once they heard the name Yaslyn, everyone was shocked. The difference between this real-life vision and her photos was immense!

They had all presumed that a girl from a small place would be ugly and unsophisticated, yet Yaslyn was as elegant as a well-bred young lady from a wealthy family. A wave of discussion spread through the crowd.

Xoan handed the car keys to the security officer at the booth.

As Yaslyn was about to step forward, she froze, then exclaimed with delight, "Mr. Lawson!"

The elderly man in the security uniform looked up and smiled. "Oh, Yaslyn, what brings you here?"

Xoan looked on, perplexed, as Yaslyn simply brushed him off before joining the old man in the car. "You can go ahead. I'll go and park the car with Mr. Lawson."

The crowd watched Yaslyn's every move, initially assuming that this country bumpkin would stick close to Xoan. However, they were surprised to see her chatting with the security guard all morning.

A wave of ridicule swept through the crowd.

"Just as expected from someone from the backwoods, mingling with the lower rungs of society. It's no wonder they could chat for hours."

"Exactly! I bet Mr. Lawson is from her hometown."

"What good is beauty when you're so unsophisticated? I can't understand why the Warren family would arrange such a marriage."

Yaslyn, blissfully ignorant of the office gossip, spent the morning chatting with Mr. Lawson. After he finished his shift, they headed to a nearby restaurant for lunch. Just as they were about to eat, Yaslyn received an unfamiliar call.

The icy voice on the other end demanded, "Come to the office for lunch."