"Right. A family should be harmonious," Mary, who was seated to the right of Liam, chimed in, raising her glass with a forced smile."It was my fault for causing a stir at the dining table. Here's a toast as my apology. I hope you two won't take it to heart. Let's all celebrate happily," Mary said. Her words dampened the atmosphere that had just begun to improve. Fortunately, she wasn't acting arrogantly this time, and no one refuted her.The two guests were the first to break the deadlock. "You're right. It's best to be harmonious.""Yes, yes, let's focus on the meal. Don't bring up other things. Come, taste Becca's cooking. We didn't get enough of it last night."Thanks to the delicious food, the tense atmosphere at the dining table finally dissipated. Even if some people were still resentful, they didn't dare to bring it up again. They just dug in, keeping their unhappy thoughts to themselves.After a few rounds of drinks, Rebecca quietly left her seat at the dining table. Of
"When it comes to matters of the heart, it's best to let people figure it out on their own." Rebecca smiled as she gazed at Ryan. Her gaze made him a bit uncomfortable.Her voice remained cool. "If that's the case, I hope you won't speak on his behalf anymore. Otherwise, I'm not sure I can consider you my friend."Ryan's expression shifted. It seemed that Rebecca had seen through his little scheme. He cleared his throat and said, "I promise I won't mention him again."Rebecca shook her head, and her smile grew sincere. "There's no need to be so extreme. You can mention him if you want. Just don't say anything baseless in front of me."In other words, don't play matchmaker for her. While she didn't hold grudges, she had no interest in going back to her past relationships. No matter how nice Daniel might be, they had broken up. It was over now. Besides, he wasn't that great of a person.He was a jerk.She had set aside some food in the kitchen. It was some leftovers from the othe
Could it be that acting all serious had scared Penny off? Rebecca couldn't help but silently pray for Sam. If that were the case, it would be a miracle if he got married.Becca wrote: "Him ... how is he intimidating?"Rebecca decided to tackle the situation head-on. She asked for clarification on what was going on so she could help improve Penny's impression of Sam. Otherwise, she might not be able to have Penny as her sister-in-law soon.Both Albert and Sam were like this. And the men weren't making any progress in the love department either.Penny replied: "Isn't he intimidating? He comes to the company with a stern expression every time and looks very unapproachable. And it doesn't seem like he's into girls. Last time, an investor wanted to add an actress to the cast, so he took her to the bar and had the girl serve the boss drinks. He ended up pouring the wine all over her! Isn't he intimidating?"When Rebecca read the first part of the message, she wanted to explain that Sa
"Sure. Whatever amount is fine," Ryan agreed readily.It was good enough that they were served food. There was no need to be greedy for more. Given Daniel's behavior, the fact that he hadn't been immediately thrown out by the Johnson family was already a show of good faith. If it were him, he probably wouldn't even let Daniel into his home.It was also because they chose a shameless person who led them in before the others noticed them.Ryan had mixed feelings about Mary. This lady was used to having her way in Riverwood. If it weren't because Daniel didn't have many family members in Rookfort, they never would have sought her help.Remembering that she was related to Rebecca, Ryan couldn't help but give her a warning. "By the way, Becca, try to avoid the lady who came with us today."If they grew too close, Mary might cause trouble for her in the future.Rebecca also knew this. She was aware of the awkward relationship between Mary and her family, especially after what had hap
"Your apology means nothing to her. She'll appreciate your absence more than your presence." Every word felt like a knife that pierced Daniel's heart. Daniel remained silent and watched as Ryan arranged the food.There was a slice of cake on the top layer. It was a plain cake base that looked less refined on the ceramic plate. But when he picked it up, a faint sweetness wafted from it. Underneath was the meal, similar to what Ryan had eaten in the kitchen. However, the leftovers were not very warm anymore.In conjunction with Daniel's current demeanor, it made him appear even more pitiful and desolate.Ryan helped him arrange the food and patted his shoulder. "Try to look on the bright side. You got beaten up today. Take that as a punishment. Wasn't that your purpose in coming to Rookfort? You've paid for your mistakes. You've seen her. Why don't we head back?"Though Ryan knew that Daniel didn't think of it this way, he insisted on speaking his mind.Paid for his mistakes? What
Daniel suddenly coughed in pain. He felt as if needles were stabbing his chest over and over again. His eyes watered from the pain, and the wounds he received from Sam were starting to ache because of the coughing fit. However, none of it compared to the pain in his chest. It felt like someone was using a knife to cut his heart into a million pieces. Even thinking about it made him wince.Ryan was startled by this and stopped playing with his phone. He jumped up from his chair and went to check on Daniel. "What's wrong, Daniel? Where does it hurt? Should I take you to the hospital?"Daniel held his forehead, and his expression was slightly dazed and bordering on madness. He shrugged away from Ryan as if he were possessed.Ryan was extremely worried, and he didn't know what to do. "If Becca doesn't want to see you, she doesn't have to. You don't need to react like this. Are you sure there's nothing wrong with you? Your health is important. In any case, we should go to the hospital
Tabitha only did hard labor, so she was more fit than most youngsters in society. Although she was panting, her speed and footwork remained steady as she advanced.Daniel and Ryan had nothing more to say after seeing that. They followed her out of the area in silence. When they passed by the grapevines in the garden, Daniel noticed a stunning figure in his peripheral vision. He couldn't help but stop and turn to get a better look.Rebecca beamed as she stood under the grape vines. She was carrying a child that seemed only a few years old. She hoisted him high enough to reach the more vibrant and sizable grapes.Beside the woman were another two beauties who were seated on wicker garden chairs. They donned modernized traditional wear. The older woman had a kind smile, while the younger one shared a similar grin. They watched as Josephine and Oliver played around."Didn't you say you were leaving, Mr. Winston?" asked Tabitha, who turned around and noticed Daniel staring at Rebecca. A
"There's a lot you can do." Rebecca held Oliver's hand and led him to the side. She patiently explained ways Oliver could get Albert and Wendy together. She could tell Wendy adored Oliver and was willing to stay at the Johnson family's residence because of it.Rebecca figured she could use Oliver as an excuse to invite Wendy for meals often. That could make Wendy like Oliver more. Plus, Rebecca could also ask Albert to join. That way, the couple could get closer. Although Wendy worked by Albert's side all these years, having a meal together in private was different. Albert and Wendy had a formal relationship at work. Yet, outside of work, they could start as friends and let their feelings develop over time.Besides, Rebecca could tell that Wendy had a crush on Albert. Perhaps she rejected Albert because she felt insecure about her family background. Even so, Rebecca was confident Wendy would change her mind after a few days at the Johnson residence and after spending time with the