In Romeo’s eyes, the two families already had a connection through their rtives, making them effectively one family. Moreover, since Richard was Keh’s uncle, it was only natural for him to be involved in the marriage discussion.
As soon as Romeo finished speaking, the temperature in the room plummeted. The rxed and pleasant atmosphere vanished instantly, reced by an overwhelming chill that spread through the space.
“Oh? You want me to choose a date?” Richard smiled suddenly and asked, “Do they even deserve it?”
The words wereced with inscrutable emotions, leaving Romeo momentarily stunned. He hadn’t anticipated Richard would be so disrespectful. The atmosphere became tense and heavy in an instant.
Richard maintained his calm demeanor. His handsome face revealed no discernible emotions, exuding a semnce of a smile that hinted at the authority he wielded. An air of nobility enveloped him, radiating a chilling superiority that made everyone in the vi uneasy.
Tiffany remained silent, but her hands unconsciously tightened. She couldn’t determine if Richard’s remark about whether “they deserved it” referred to her or Keh, and it seemed to imply both.
After a long pause, Romeo found a way to ease the tension. “I must not have thought this through,” he said, “Mr. Hampton, you’re busy; why would you waste your time on such trivial matters?”
As he spoke, he turned to her and waved, calling out, “Tiffany, you’re considered half a member of the Harper family now, so you shoulde and meet the rtives.”
Tiffany smiled sarcastically, thinking, ‘Meet the rtives? What kind of rtive would I be?’
Calling Richard “uncle” as Keh’s fiancée left Tiffany feeling frustrated. She couldn’t determine if Romeo was genuinely confused or just putting on an act. She had made her desire to cancel the engagement abundantly clear, returning everything that needed to be returned and following all the required procedures.
Despite her repeated emphasis on the matter, Romeo feigned ignorance. It felt as though he was intentionally cornering her.
Any lingering goodwill Tiffany had once felt toward Romeo vanished. Just as she was about to speak, she saw Richard stand up abruptly. His handsome, pale face was now as cold as ice. He said, “That won’t be necessary,” before walking out without another word.
From beginning to end, Richard’s demeanor had nothing but an imprable coldness. Upon seeing this, Alexia’s eyes lit up instantly. She recalled thest time at Romeo’s birthday banquet when she had gone to great lengths to arrange an embarrassment to humiliate Tiffany.
But her ns had been foiled in just a few words, thanks to the mysterious Richard, who effortlessly came to Tiffany’s rescue.
This time, even Romeo had been refuted, so Alexia didn’t dare to speak up, fearing that Richard might step in for Tiffany and cause trouble for her. But now, it seemed Richard had no such intention at all.
Alexia was overjoyed, unable to hold back any longer. She walked out from behind the sofa, sneering. “Oh, look at that! Seems like no one’s here to protect you now!”
“Shut up! Watch out if you keep running your mouth, or I’ll sew it shut!” Tiffany shoved Alexia aside, ignoring Romeo’s repeated calls to stay as she left the vi without a second thought.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.
As Tiffany stepped outside, she saw Richard had already entered his car. The windows were tightly shut, making her unable to see inside. However, one of his men, whom she had seen many times before, caught her eye. This man once called her “Mrs. Hampton” back at Royal Bay.
Before getting into the ear, the man silently said to her, “Mrs. Hampton, Mr. Hampton is easy to please!”
Tiffany blinked, her thoughts racing, ‘Easy to please? That man is cold and fierce-where’s the easiness in that? No way I’m going to try!’
Besides, this couldn’t be smoothed over with a few casual words. Tiffany had chosen to stand on the opposite side, even going so far as to hurt him, albeit unintentionally. But what was done was done. If she tried to go over and appease Richard, she would be the first one thrown out.
Just as Tiffany stood still, a chilling voice came from the back seat,manding, “Drive.”
“Yes!” The driver responded, his back drenched in cold sweat, and immediately started the car to leave the Harper family’s manor.
Tiffany gave a wry smile, thinking she had known it would be this way.
Inside the car, the atmosphere had dropped to freezing point. Both the driver and Richard’s trusted subordinate, John, sensed the tension of an impending storm.
In the back seat, Richard spoke indifferently, “John, what did you just say to her?”
John silently cursed himself for the blunder. He had been trying to prevent Richard from discovering what he had said earlier, so he resorted to mouthing the words instead. He hadn’t anticipated that it would still be noticed.
Cold sweat beaded on John’s forehead. He dared not remain silent, nor could he afford to lie. Gritting his teeth, he confessed, “I just told her that you’re easy to please…”
It was over; he was doomed. John could almost envision the grim fate that awaited him.
But after a long moment, there was silence from the back seat. John thought, ‘Hmm? What’s going on?’ Cautiously, he nced through the rearview mirror and saw Richard, usually seen as an untouchable figure, pinching his face with a furrowed brow, deep in thought.
John thought, ‘Well… he almost thought it was an illusion.
After a long while, Richard lowered his hand, and his expression returned to normal. He still wore that cold, unapproachable demeanor. “Don’t let it happen again.”
“Yes!” John nodded, not daring to say anything further.
*****
When Tiffany returned home, she recounted her experience of being summoned by Romeo, including everything that had transpired during the visit.
Upon hearing that his precious daughter had been pressured into agreeing to the marriage, Charlie became furious. “What’s going on with the Harper family? Do they think they can keep pushing me around like I’m a soft target?”
Although they initially agreed on a one-yearmitment to the engagement, it was understood that the marriage would be called off without any objections if they couldn’t develop feelings for each other during that time.
However, Charlie also knew that Keh had previously protected Sandra, leading everyone to believe they were a couple. Now, he was showing simr care towards another girl, viting their original one-year agreement.
Given this unreasonable situation, the Harper family’s attempt to force Tiffany to agree to the marriage was nothing short of robbery. Charlie was angry and ready to confront them and cause trouble right away.
Thalia quickly stopped him. “Are you out of your mind? If you confront them like that, do you think they’ll admit anything? It’ll be a bigger joke and create more trouble for us.”
“Then what do you suggest we do?” Charlie replied anxiously. “We can’t just stand by and let our precious daughter be wronged.”
“Let’s give them a taste of their own medicine. If Keh can be fickle, why can’t our daughter choose someone she likes?” Thalía finished, casting a smug nce.
Charlie couldn’t help butugh and p his thighs. “That’s right! What a brilliant idea!” He thought it would not only be a way to get back at the Harper family and annoy them, but it wouldn’t interfere with Tiffany’s romantic future. It was a win- win situation.
After saying that, the two pairs of sparkling eyes turned towards Tiffany, their faces beaming with delight. “Sweetheart, do you have someone special?”
Tiffany was speechless and could only stare in disbelief as her parents exchanged excited words and swiftly outlined their ns for her. The idea was great, but she had no idea where to find someone special.
Tiffany quickly shook her head, saying, “Not now, so don’t worry. It’s gettingte, so you both should get some rest.” With that, she hurried back to her room, feeling like it was the first time she had made a hasty retreat.
Thalia thought for a moment before breaking into a smile. “I think that Mr. Hampton would be a great choice.”