Matthew had made his choice.Lucy was the only person he wanted to grow old with and live the rest of his life with.When Gabriella and Samantha refused to leave, Matthew decided to calm down and explain to them seriously, “You should understand better than I do why I decided to stay back in Charleston.”Gabriella knew the reason very well. Matthew had moved part of Leon Corporation’s headquarters over to Charleston in order to avoid her.It was his demonstration to her and to stop Gabriella from doing anything that crossed the line. If he continued this line of tactics, he might eventually move the entire company to Charleston to prevent Gabriella from restricting his actions.Gabriella knew that her son refused to listen to anything she had to say, so she directed her attack to Lucy.“How could you allow something like this to happen? Matthew is my son, but he’s siding with you instead.”Since Lucy’s appearance, Gabriella had never liked her. Gabriella had never been fond of L
Samantha and Gabriella left in great embarrassment. Lucy could not help feeling a little remorse. It was not because of what she said to Gabriella and Samantha but because of Matthew.Lucy wanted to grow old with Matthew, but at the same time, she did not want Matthew to destroy his relationship with his family and constantly argue with them over her.If there were any problems between them, it was best to resolve them immediately. Otherwise, the problem would only grow bigger and bigger. In the end, nothing they did could salvage it because it would be too much to deal with by then.Matthew had no idea what Lucy was thinking about. All he knew was that he was feeling very happy over what Lucy said. It was no wonder that he fell in love with her at first sight.“What are you smiling about?”Matthew smiled and said nothing.Lucy had already eaten before she came over. She rejected Matthew’s invitation to have lunch together.Matthew did not feel upset about it. He grabbed the cut
Lucy's insecurities disappeared after Matthew made the promise to her.It was not because she did not trust Matthew; it was because she knew that there would always be challenges in a relationship. Even if two people were very in love with each other, they would need courage and patience to face everything that came at them.As long as Matthew did not give up, Lucy would never let go of his hand either.Matthew’s promise to her was also Lucy’s promise to him.Lucy decided to return to Charleston and visit the palace. It had been a long time since she had gone home. She had separated from her loved ones for so many years and her parents’ love was something she always desired. Even though someone would always stir trouble for her whenever she returned, it did not deter her at all.The Charleston palace was just as grand as ever. Even though it was slightly less grand than the buildings owned by Leon Corporation, the expensive materials and European architecture as well as its vari
Lucy almost threw up the water she was drinking.Theodore had always been authoritative and stern in public, but whenever he faced Lucy, there was a child-like side to him. Lucy often did not know how to react when he was that way.“Don’t worry, Theodore. I’ll make sure to keep my promise. I’ll make sure to visit often. This is my home, after all! All my loved ones are here.”The atmosphere between them was warm and loving, and the maids could not bear to interrupt them.However, someone dropped by to spoil that atmosphere.Charlotte appeared in front of them while holding on to her heavy skirt.She had been having a good time eating and playing around upstairs in the palace when she found out from her maid that Lucy was back and spending a nice time with Theodore. Charlotte could not take it and she decided to see Lucy as well.Charlotte felt pressured even when Lucy was not around.Her parents would always mention her during conversation and even Theodore was the same.This
Every time Lucy came back, she acted like she owned the place. Even the maids treated her like royalty, which really annoyed Charlotte. Lucy knew Charlotte was just looking for trouble, so she tried to get Theodore out of the way. She did not want her brother caught up in their fight."Theodore, could you go upstairs for a bit? I'll come look for you in a little while, okay?"Lucy's voice was so soft and kind. It made Theodore's worries melt away. With a smile, Theodore headed upstairs without a backward glance. Charlotte's hand, which was hidden in her sleeve, clenched into a fist. Lucy somehow had everyone in the palace eating out of her hand. If Charlotte did not put her in her place soon, things were going to get even tougher for her.Right then, Lucy said, "Charlotte, you look really nice today."She meant it. She was telling Charlotte that her outfit was fancy and elegant. The dress looked expensive, and Charlotte would have been the star of any fancy dance wearing it.
At dinner time, Lucy's arrival had the palace maids bustling about.Theodore had gone all out and prepared a lavish banquet to celebrate Lucy's long-awaited visit.A selection of pricey fruits, freshly flown in from the tropics, adorned the table.Lucy felt a bit out of place.The table was heaped with food she could not possibly eat alone, but the invitation was too generous to refuse.Theodore wanted to give Lucy the very best.He carefully offered her slices of steak and a platter of the fancy fruits."Lucy, try this steak. I cooked it myself just for you. It's a sirloin steak, brought by a visiting noble. I've tasted it—it's really tender and delicious," Theodore said as he served her, making sure to check in on her."Lucy, I've heard that Matthew's company has run into some trouble recently. Is that right?"Lucy smiled at Theodore, saying, "Thank you. I haven't kept up with Matthew's company lately, but I'm sure he can handle any challenge. Don't worry about it!" Theodo
Luckily, once Charlotte sat down, she did not throw any biting remarks or sarcasm Lucy's way like before.Lucy let out a sigh of relief.She had been feeling really tired lately. The idea of wasting time and energy arguing with someone like Charlotte just seemed pointless.Lucy did not give her any more disdainful looks. From then on, it was best if they kept to themselves. As long as Charlotte did not bother her, Lucy did not have any complaints. However, if Charlotte tried to stir up trouble again, Lucy would not let it slide.Dinner went pretty well, cozy and warm. Juliana saw what was going on with her daughters. She felt bad for the tough times Lucy had been through and wanted to make it up to her. At the same time, she tried to calm Charlotte down and fix her bad attitude. However, Charlotte did not seem to listen, and it looked like she was getting worse.Thus, Juliana decided to just wait and see, hoping Charlotte would not do anything too crazy.After dinner came the f
Even far away in Charleston, Matthew was famous. His name was known by everyone.Charleston was a long way off and always clashing with Leon Corporation. However, once Matthew took over, Leon Corporation shot up like a rocket, leaving the Charleston royal family in the dust.The Charleston royal family's capabilities were clearly inferior to Matthew of Leon Corporation.At first, the Charleston royal family wanted to show they were better than Leon Corporation. However, after they saw what Matthew could do, they stopped trying. They ended up looking up to him with respect and fear.Charlotte, who was part of the Charleston royal family, had heard a lot about that man. She was really curious about him, especially before she saw his picture.Who was that guy who could stand up to a royal family with just company?Charlotte had always pictured Matthew as an older guy, maybe in his 40s or 50s, with a big belly and just a few strands of hair left from working too hard—a typical middle