When Charlie heard that Charlie had a new client, he did not think much of it.There were a total of two business lines under Claire’s company. One of them was renovation design, and the other one was renovation undertaking.Amongst these two, renovation design was Claire’s main business because she was good at designing.As for renovation undertaking, the role that Claire played was more of that of a supervisor, and she had to outsource the specific work to a renovation company to get it done.Now that the renovation design work for Emgrand Group had already been long completed and since the renovation undertaking had already been carried out in an orderly manner and was already gradually getting on track, a part of Claire and her staffs’ time were free, so they had begun looking for other projects.After breakfast, the couple left the house together in the car. Charlie drove Claire to the old town.After driving for some distance, Charlie then said to Claire, “Wife, why don’t y
Helen nodded and pointed at Sophie, who was next to her, as she said to Claire, “Miss Wilson, let me introduce you to my daughter, Sophie.”As she spoke, she also said to Sophie, “Sophie, this is Claire Wilson, the boss of the design studio that I told you about.”Sophie nodded slightly and said politely, “Hello, Miss Wilson!”Claire hurriedly said, “You don’t have to call me Miss Wilson. You can just call me Claire.”As she spoke, Claire saw that Helen had already introduced her daughter to her. So, Claire naturally had to introduce her husband to them out of courtesy. So, she hurriedly turned her body sideways and said to Charlie, who was still in the car, “Husband, you should also come out and greet Aunt Dunn and Miss Schulz.”In fact, Charlie, who was sitting inside the car, had already seen Helen and Sophie through the car’s rearview mirror.Just as he was thinking about quickly driving away, he would not have expected that his wife, Claire, would actually ask him to go down
Sophie’s words suddenly made Claire feel even more embarrassed.She stroked the hair between her temples before she hesitated as she said ambiguously, “This… Well, I don’t know if it’s considered an arranged marriage…”Sophie could not help but say, “The both of you did not know or understand each other before you got married. So, there is naturally no emotional foundation between the both of you. At the same time, the both of you only got married at your grandfather’s request. Isn’t that a typical arranged marriage? This is just like Marie Antoinette’s marriage to Louis XVI in ancient history. The both of them did not have any feelings for each other, and they only got married at Louis XVI’s mother’s request.”With that said, Sophie suddenly thought of something as she asked offhandedly, “It seems as though Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette never had any romantic feelings between them throughout their whole lives. Could it be the same case for the both of you?!”Claire felt even more
However, the discovery just now had given Sophie a little more confidence deep in her heart.This was because the biggest obstacle did not seem to be as difficult to overcome as she had initially imagined. This instantly gave Sophie the feeling as though she could see the light at the end of the tunnel.Therefore, Sophie walked out of the house and went into the courtyard while her mother was busy chatting with Claire about the plan. After that, she took out her cell phone before she sent a text message to Charlie on WhatsApp: [Benefactor, I really would not have expected you and your wife to be in an arranged marriage!]Meanwhile, Charlie had just left the old town, and he was driving toward the airport.Charlie was still thinking about the circumstances of his meeting with Helen and Sophie when he was on the way there. He could not help but sigh as he thought to himself, ‘It seems as though Aurous Hill is indeed very small. If everything were to continue developing this way, th
While Charlie was heading to the airport, Jaime had also learned of Quinn’s private jet’s departure time from his own channels.It just so happened that his spy at the venue had also told him that Quinn would only be arriving at the venue for the rehearsal after one o’clock in the afternoon.The timing of the plane take-off and the timing of her rehearsal happened to coincide perfectly, giving him full confidence in regards to Quinn’s itinerary.He felt that since Quinn would only land after twelve o’clock and close to one o’clock in the afternoon, he did not need to rush to the airport so early.So, he instructed his subordinates that he would be departing on time, at half-past eleven, to leave for the airport to pick Quinn up. However, what he did not know was that Quinn was already on a plane to Aurous Hill.Charlie arrived at the airport at half-past nine in the morning. Isaac had already arrived by the time he reached.Charlie drove his car inside the airport under Isaac’s
Charlie then took the initiative to pull the passenger car door open as he spoke up, “Let’s go. I’ll take you to Shangri-La.”“Okay!” Quinn hurriedly got into the car with the bouquet of flowers in her hand.Charlie then signaled at Isaac, who also got into his car and drove ahead of them to lead the way as they left the airport.On the way, Charlie asked Quinn, “Nana, what time will Uncle Golding and Aunt Golding be coming here tomorrow?”Quinn said, “They should also be coming here at about this time, or perhaps a little later.”As she spoke, Quinn said again, “By the way, Brother Charlie, if you have nothing else to do in the morning tomorrow, we can come and pick them up from the airport together!”Charlie nodded and said, “Okay. You can confirm the time with Uncle Golding and Aunt Golding later. At that time, we can come and pick them up from the airport together.”Quinn immediately took out her cell phone and said, “There is no need to wait until later. I can send my fathe
When Quinn heard that her parents were about to go for a meeting, she hurriedly said, “Dad, Mom, you guys should not be in such a hurry to hang up.! I’ve not shown you the bouquet of flowers that Brother Charlie has given me!”After she had said that, Quinn hurriedly switched the camera view as she pointed the camera at the bouquet of flowers on her lap.Rachel, who was on the other end of the video, smiled and said, “Oh! It is such a big bouquet of roses. Charlie is indeed thoughtful! I’ve already been together with your father for so many years, but it seems as though your father has never really given me any flowers before.”Yule said awkwardly, “We are already an old married couple. So, why would we still pay any attention to all these things?”Rachel gave him a look before she said, “So, this is the difference between you and Charlie. Why don’t you just take a look at how romantic Charlie is? He prepared a bouquet of roses even though he is simply picking Quinn up from her fli
As she spoke, Quinn asked him again, “By the way, Brother Charlie, you’ll be going back to Eastcliff during the Tomb Sweeping Festival to participate in the ancestor worship ceremony, right?”Charlie nodded. “That’s right. Why?”“No reason.” Quinn said, “The Tomb Sweeping Festival is in April, right? That means I’ll be able to see you in Eastcliff again soon.”Charlie smiled slightly. “Yes. I’ll definitely come and visit you, Uncle Golding, and Aunt Golding at your house then.”Quinn said, “Your timing is perfect because I’ll be going to the United States in the middle of April.”“Going to the United States?” Charlie asked curiously, “Why are you suddenly going to the United States?”“It’s not sudden.” Quinn said, “Since I’m going to quit the entertainment industry after my concert tour this time, I’ve decided to hold a few more concerts. It can also be considered as my way of giving my fans an explanation. I also have a lot of fans in Europe, the United States, Japan, and Korea.
However, Jimmy realized something important even as he sighed in relief. "Wait, Mr. Wade… I know I should settle things in the family Stateside, but won't I be arrested upon arrival?""That's Julien's department," Charlie chuckled and turned toward the man. "Tell your butler not to send the evidence to the feds. If it has reached them already, ask to have it back and tell the feds they saw nothing."Julien promptly nodded. "I'll text him right now. You have nothing to worry about, Mr. Wade."Jimmy remained worried. "But sir, I think Nate's not going to let this slide. The man is cunning—he deliberately dug a pit so we'd fall into it, and he gathered all the dirt he could on us to be used as leverage when necessary."Charlie shook his head. "That's no big deal. Julien can make sure that you're fine even if the feds get the evidence."Julien nodded nearby. "Don't worry, Mr. Wade. The decision remains in your hands, either way. Just say the word, and it's 25 to life… otherwise, not e
The fact that Jimmy was a partner in Ares LLP already meant he had skill, while Matilda had herself been retired for years and definitely had lost her touch a little. So, having someone like Jimmy who had stayed on the frontlines all this while would definitely be no issue.And in turn, it was a good thing for Jimmy as it was better than the kennels either way.Charlie then asked Jimmy pointedly, "You say you're interested, but are you sincere about it?"Jimmy nodded without hesitation. "Yes, absolutely!""No regrets? We're talking about ten years here.""None, absolutely none!""Do you know what to say if anyone asks?""Yes, of course! I chose to further my career here in Oskia, and it was absolutely voluntary! That's what I'd say even if my family asked!"Charlie nodded. "Good. Then, you will have two weeks. Go home and set your affairs in order and report in for work afterward.""No problem!" Jimmy nodded repeatedly, actually surprised and grateful that Charlie would let hi
And yet, Julien was suddenly clapping his hands, and exclaiming excitedly, "Yes, right! We should get his wife and son over too for a happy reunion!"He then paused and quickly corrected himself, "Wait, no! I mean, they should each be caged with one empty cage separating each of their cages. They can see each other and talk, but there will be no touching. How dare he flex on me—I gotta teach him a lesson to remember!"Jimmy dropped limply on his rump, and Matilda beckoned for Paul to help him up while turning toward Julien as she pursed her lips. "Please, Mr. Rothschild… Even if you don't accept his apology, don't bring his family into this. It's against Oskian tradition—you'd insult your family's name!"Julien shrugged, not hesitating to retort, "What do your traditions have to do with me? If I mean to hurt him, forget his family—I'll drag his dogs over too!"Seeing that Julien was so furious, Charlie decided to stop him, or he might actually go through with it."That's enough, J
Holding up a thumb at Charlie, Julien exclaimed in approval, "You're right, my friend! That's far more exciting than having him jailed!"Just hearing that he would be sent to a kennel, Jimmy knew nothing would come of it—even if he didn't know the details, it was so obvious that Julien was thrilled by the very idea!Turning nervously toward Charlie, he was sobbing as he asked, "Mr. Wade…? What's this about a kennel…?"Julien chuckled coolly even before Charlie said a word. "A kennel is where you keep dogs, of course. Though there are literal dogs and metaphorical dogs, and you are the latter."Oh, don't worry. It's a really nice place where you get your own cage, and you'll be fed every day. You don't even have to work, so just sit tight and keep eating until the day you die."Jimmy's soul left his body in that instant.He was going to be locked in a cage?! That was way worse than being locked up and sent to jail! Where was the humanity around here?!Even as the thought struck h
Matilda was actually caught off guard by Jimmy's pleas, and even Paul found it hard to watch.Turning to Charlie, he said, "Please, Mr. Wade—my uncle can be a little despicable, but he is my father's brother. Please, let him have a chance to turn over a new leaf, seeing that he's earnestly repenting."While Paul spoke with Charlie, Jimmy was still confused and wondered why Paul would plead his case with Charlie instead of Julien. If there was anyone Paul should ask, it was Yolden since he was Julien's friend. So, why would he ask some young man instead of Yolden?That was when Charlie asked in curiosity, "You want to let him off? After he tried to take away your parents' legacy?"Paul smiled awkwardly. "I mean, I know the guy. He made sure to travel all this way to make a scene because he had nothing legal that could help him claim Smith Group Corporate Law from us. Otherwise, he'd have already filed the lawsuit in the States. Sure, it's a dirty move, but that's basically a des
As Julien finished, he realized something was wrong and turned toward Charlie before he knew it.Charlie held his gaze in turn, his expression quizzical and amused.Julien cleared his throat right then. "See, there are people who can order me around, but they have my utmost respect. However, a third-rate lawyer like you? Who do you think you are?"That was when Julien's butler called, and he reported respectfully as soon as the call was answered, "Sir, I've spoken with Nate Ellis, the owner of Ares LLC. He has since agreed to fire Jimmy Smith right away as well as disbar him nationwide."Julien asked, "Good. Anything else?""Well, Mr. Ellis also delivered some documents that can be used as evidence against Jimmy Smith, which he claims is enough for a lifetime sentence. If you deem it necessary, we can have it sent to the FBI.""Yes, let's go with that!" Julien replied, his tone satisfied. "And ask the director to handle it personally—I want this prick to never set foot stateside
Jimmy was sweating profusely in fear, but he argued back before he knew it, "That's impossible! Everything you say is bullshit! Gaiman simply thought he had a fair chance of winning and didn't want to pay Ares that much, and I have no idea who he partnered with, and I'm certainly not involved. Don't you try to slander me!"Nate chuckled. "Come on, Jimmy. We're all adults here, so there are things we shouldn't have to be so direct about. Mills Gaiman and your old classmate met in private many times, not to mention the private conferences you three had in secret, discussing your overall strategy and decisive points. Just so you know, Gaiman recorded every conversation, and I have the tapes with me."Jimmy's heart was left pounding as he blurted, "B-Bullshit! That's impossible!""Grow up, Jimmy," Mr.Goodman chuckled. "Every partner in every law firm always strives to rise higher, so I'm going to need as much leverage as I can. Otherwise, I'm not about to let them advance any further, e
Although the ringtone and vibration frequency were the ones Jimmy always used, this call somehow felt more urgent, leaving him exceedingly uneasy.When it abruptly stopped and left a missed call on his log, Nate Ellis soon sent a text: [Answer your damn phone this instant!]Just seeing the text left Jimmy feeling like his throat had gone dry, and as he gulped, it felt like his throat was being ripped, leaving him hurting.Still, he couldn't care less as his boss called again.Having seen the text, Jimmy didn't hesitate this time and promptly answered, watching Julien's smug face as he started tentatively, "Y-Yes, boss...?"Nate immediately yelled at him hysterically, "What the hell did you do?! Why did the Rothschilds call to complain about you?! And the complaint was from their heir apparent, at that! I worked hard for them and always toed the line for years, and I still haven't gotten a chance to meet the man, so how the fuck did you upset him?!"Jimmy's heart sank to rock bott
Fuming, Jimmy snapped at Julien, "If you insist on playing it like that, I will call my boss, and you can talk to him yourself!"Julien chuckled. "That's unnecessary. I've never met him. He would never recognize my voice."Jimmy laughed and nodded despite himself. "Impressive—you can really come up with anything! You don't have his number because he's beneath you, you refuse to call him because he's beneath you, and when I say I'll call him for you, you say he won't recognize your voice. Well, how do you suppose we should sort this out? At least prove you're a Rothschild, or anyone could claim that they are—"Julien held up a hand to stop him. "Then, how about this? I'll ask my butler to talk to your boss."Jimmy laughed even more loudly as if it were the best joke ever. "Hahaha!!! Butler, you say?! You really know how to talk! Alright, I'll wait and see what your 'butler' can do… I mean, what you can do. We'll see whether my boss calls me!"Julien ignored him and whipped out his