Chapter 21
Emmanuel uttered that in a daze.
“That’s why you risked your life?” asked Mackenzie with
a frown.
“Of course. I can’t believe it’s so difficult to bring my
wife home even after I’m married. I’m such a failure.”
Emmanuel laughed self–deprecatingly.
He had read many trending novels about live–in
sons–in–law, but he found himself more pitiful than
them. At least those mothers had seen their
daughters–in–law before.
Mackenzie sighed inwardly, feeling utterly conflicted.
“By the way, I’ve negotiated with Mr. Webber. We only
need to pay them three million, and they’ll get lost. I’ve
helped Terence Group save two million. The boss will
praise you, won’t he?” Emmanuel added with a smile.
Mackenzie’s lips curled into a disdainful smile. So, he
thinks I work for someone?
“All right. Stop spouting nonsense. Don’t talk about the
company’s affairs in public,” Mackenzie warned. She
then called a taxi and went home with him.
To her surprise, Emmanuel was so drunk that he fell
into a deep sleep the moment he got into the car.
When they arrived at Yociam Residence, Mackenzie
could not wake him up, no matter how hard she tried.
“Miss, do you need my help?”
The driver was a middle–aged man. He had been
stealing glances at her from the rearview mirror
throughout the journey.
To have such a beautiful woman in his taxi was a first
for him.
3/7
Moreover, he was helping her send her unconscious
partner home. Will I have a chance to take advantage
of her? My life would be worth living if I could have a
moment with her.
Just then, he met Mackenzie’s icy gaze. Her hostile aura.
was enough to make him shudder.
“Don’t be nosy if you want to live,” she snapped. That
ended the driver’s imagination, and he quickly drove
off after dropping them off.
Having refused the driver’s offer, Mackenzie had no
choice but to carry Emmanuel home alone.
Although she was trained to fight since she was young,
there was a limit to a woman’s strength. Moreover, no
ordinary woman could carry someone as heavy as
Emmanuel.
It took her considerable effort to help him into the
elevator. When they arrived at the seventeenth floor,
Emmanuel staggered and fell, causing Mackenzie to
fall with him.
“Ugh. This b*stard!”
Mackenzie was two times lighter than him, but it was a
great fall. She grimaced in pain as she lay on the floor.
She was the eldest daughter of the Quillen family, yet
she was being pressed to the ground by a man.
Not only that, but he also reeked of sweat and alcohol.
As someone particular about cleanliness, it made
Mackenzie scowl with disgust.
This is unforgivable!
On top of that, she did not expect Terence, who was
waiting in the house, to walk out with a bodyguard
upon hearing the commotion outside.
The moment the bodyguard saw the scene in the
elevator, his jaw dropped.
Oh my goodness! Are they serious? Isn’t this Ms.
Mackenzie? She’s being pressed to the ground by a
man?
“What are you looking at? Help me lift this guy up!”
Mackenzie shot the bodyguard a look, making the
latter scurry over in fright.
“Don’t help him up!” hollered Terence.
He was elated.
After all, he had been worried about Mackenzie’s
misandry, and she would not let Emmanuel touch her.
Never did Terence expect to see such an exciting
scene that night.
Although Mackenzie did not have a choice, it was still
her first time being in close contact with a man.
“Not bad! This is a good start! Continue staying in this
position.”
Terence laughed heartily and brought the bodyguard
away. Let’s not disturb the couple building their
relationship.
Mackenzie was livid.
If that elderly man were not her biological grandfather,
she would have taught him a lesson.
In the next second, she shoved Emmanuel away. Still
feeling angry, she turned around and gave him two
kicks.
“How dare you fall asleep? Hmph! You’ll spend the
night out here!”
Chapter 22
Early the next morning, Emmanuel awoke feeling a
cold gust of air blowing against his skin, causing his
body to tremble profusely.
He absentmindedly ran his hand across the
goosebumps on his arms. Sneezing twice in rapid
succession, he realized he was lying on the hard, cold
surface of the floor.
1/6
Did she seriously leave me lying on the corridor outside
the house?
Fortunately, luck was on his side as the unit on the
seventeenth floor was the only unit on the top floor.
Had there been more, anyone who passed by would
have been amused at his peculiar situation.
“What a cruel woman!”
Emmanuel hurriedly got to his feet and recalled what
happened last night. It was obvious that Mackenzie
had left him to his own devices outside last night.
That wasn’t all, for he also discovered a few shoeprints
on his clothes. The size of the prints perfectly matched
the shoes Mackenzie wore, so he was pretty sure she
did this to him.
I just helped her complete a mission. How could she do
this to me? What an ingrate. Is she a cold–blooded
animal?
Click.
Right then, the door opened to reveal Mackenzie, who
was prepared to head to work even though it was.only
half past six in the morning.
Their eyes met.
At once, Mackenzie feigned nonchalance and walked
past Emmanuel.
Emmanuel immediately gripped her wrist.
Her skin was so smooth that he nearly lost his grip on
her.
“Do you have a death wish?” Mackenzie shot him
daggers.
How dare he touch me? He must be tired of living!
3/6
Emmanuel quickly released her wrist and retorted
angrily, “Do you even have compassion? Even if I’m a
pig, shouldn’t you take care of me considering the fact
that I am obviously in need of medical attention? It’s
just a few more steps to get inside the house. How
could you abandon me and leave me to sleep outside
the entire night? What if my injuries become more
serious?”
He seemed really upset, but Mackenzie burst out
laughing to hear him compare himself to a pig.
“Serves you right!” Mackenzie told him.
She didn’t bother explaining herself and turned to
leave.
A vortex of anger swirled inside Emmanuel.
Even though I have an aversion to hitting women and
had promised Mom to take care of my wife, I was
tempted to take action against her when she provoked
me!
“Wait up! When will you come home with me?”
Emmanuel asked hurriedly before she stepped into the
elevator.
“Early next month, I think,” came Mackenzie’s answer as
the elevator doors slid close.
It was a long time away, but at least she had agreed to
the meeting.
Emmanuel marched back into the house, seething
with anger. He was looking forward to taking a hot
shower to soothe his aching body when Roselynn’s call
arrived.
Last night, Emmanuel promised to let her know the
exact time when he would be returning with his wife by
today.
He had no idea she would call him at seven in the
morning.
I don’t understand women at all.
“Hello, Roselynn.”
“Manny, have your wife confirmed when she’ll be
coming home?”
“Early next month!”
Emmanuel felt anger sweep over him when he recalled
Mackenzie’s earlier attitude.
He was worried that the woman would remain
poker–faced when visiting Alessandra back at home,
leading to a disagreement between the two. This was
a common phenomenon, as mothers–in–law and
daughters–in–law were often at odds with each other.
Chapter 23
He was aware that his aunt and his cousin’s wife had a
tendency to clash with one another. It seemed that
every time they encountered one another, a heated
argument would ensue, and on rare occasions, it
would escalate to a physical altercation, leaving his
poor cousin trapped in the middle of it all.
His cousin could still side with his mother and would
sometimes reprimand his wife, but Emmanuel knew
that he would meet his doom tomorrow if he had the
guts to yell at Mackenzie.
If she goes too far or speaks to Mom disrespectfully, I
may be forced to confront her. If this leads to a
disagreement, Mom may find out about our
arrangement and be distressed by it.
Even though Mackenzie had agreed to come home
with him, Emmanuel was still frustrated and anxious. It
felt like bringing a bomb that might explode anytime
home.
“Manny, what’s wrong? Did she refuse to visit us?”
Roselynn snapped.
I don’t care how capable his wife is. Now that she has
become a part of the Lowe family, she must conform
to the expectations laid out for her and cannot act
however she pleases. If she’s already acting up when
we expect her to visit, how will Manny and Mom endure
her antics in the days ahead?
“Of course not, Roselynn. Don’t get it wrong. She’s just
too busy,” Emmanuel quickly explained.
No matter how furious he was, Mackenzie was still his
wife.
“Good, then.”
Roselynn was in a great mood having confirmed their
visit. She couldn’t help but switch the conversation to
something else that was on her mind. “Manny, I
received an invitation to attend a high–society party in
Yeringham. I heard that many rich scions will be there!”
“Oh, I see. You want to see handsome guys there,
huh?”
Emmanuel knew Roselynn well. It could be said with
confidence that he was the person who knew her best.
Roselynn was a person who was driven to always strive
for perfection. She was quite the romantic, having
been entranced by the world of romantic dramas and
films since she was a teenager in high school.
In the beginning, she fell for Nick Jonas from The Jonas
Brothers. Later, she took an interest in Jamie Dornan,
famous for his role as Christian Grey.
Recently, she was infatuated with Alex Pettyfer.
Anyway, the men she loved were tall, rich, and
handsome. They must be nothing short of perfect.
However, perfect men didn’t exist in the world.
Thus, she was still single in her thirties. It wasn’t because she was anything less than appealing or desirable; it was because her ideal partner seemed
too perfect to exist in the real world.
Alessandra and Emmanuel both cautioned Roselynn
that the male characters she adored in television
shows weren’t actually real, and urged her to adjust
her expectations accordingly. Nonetheless, Roselynn
still enjoyed the opportunity to lay her eyes upon
attractive men at different events.
“Hey, this is a rare opportunity. I must attend the party.
Perhaps I’ll get to meet my own CEO there!” Roselynn
revealed her objective directly to her little brother.
She even threatened him menacingly, “If you’re free,
come as my plus one. Whether or not I get married
depends on your efforts!”
Emmanuel was speechless.
I can’t marry you. Why would I put in any effort?
The invitation Roselynn received entailed her to bring a
plus one. The party was happening tomorrow night. It
was a Saturday, so Emmanuel agreed to be her
companion for the night.
I’ll try my best. If Roselynn still remains single, it isn’t my
fault.
Emmanuel also felt that it was a great opportunity for
him to see the world. He wasn’t ignorant at all. Now
that he had married Mackenzie, a senior executive of a
company, he knew she frequently attended these
high–society events. He decided that attending these
events would not only help him understand her better
but also give them more common topics to talk about.
It has been widely suggested that in a marriage, the
couple would begin to influence each other in such a
way that they eventually become similar to one
another.
Emmanuel was prepared to make a change,
6/9
The following day, he paid his family a visit.
Even though he was only gone for a few days,
Alessandra behaved as if he had been gone for years.
She was relentless in her interrogation, primarily
concerning his marriage.
“Manny, your wife is going to pay us a visit early next
year. Should we invite your Uncle Benny’s family and
other relatives to welcome her?”
Alessandra wanted to hold a grand party to welcome
her daughter–in–law home.
Cold sweat beaded on Emmanuel’s forehead as he
replied hastily, “No, Mom! Don’t invite anyone. Let’s just
keep it simple. We can just enjoy a meal together.”
Alessandra furrowed her brows as she contemplated
the situation. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she said
hesitantly. “She’s a senior executive, right? That means
she’s used to better things and enjoys eating
delicacies. I’m afraid she won’t appreciate it if I prepare
something simple.”
Emmanuel flashed a bitter smile. It looks like Mom is
pretty accommodating to her daughter–in–law, but
that doesn’t always mean that this situation will last. If
she is the only one consistently making all the
concessions and sacrifices, it may create tension and
resentment that can result in issues down the line.
“Mom, you don’t have to be so careful. We can just
show her our real selves!” Emmanuel insisted.
Alessandra was still unconvinced. She was about to
speak her mind when Emmanuel suddenly shrieked in
19ILÖNDALA eziandens
Chapter i
pain.
Chapter 24
“Roselynn, what are you doing? It hurts!”
When Roselynn stepped out after changing, she was
shocked to discover that her brother had a band–aid
on his body and a bandage on his back. She couldn’t
help but impulsively reach out and give him a slap on
the shoulder.
Emmanuel was a living, breathing human being, and it
was only natural for him to cry out in anguish when he
was unexpectedly struck by sudden pain.
Alessandra had been engrossed in matters regarding
her daughter–in–law and paid no attention to her son.
Belatedly realizing he had been concealing his injuries,
she asked anxiously, “Manny, how did you get hurt?”
Not wanting his family to worry, Emmanuel lied, “Don’t
worry, Mom. I accidentally fell down, that’s all.”
“Fell down? This is a lie. You obviously got hurt. Did
someone hit you or throw something at you?”
Roselynn snapped. Her voice grew increasingly
agitated as she demanded, “Manny, be honest with
- me. Did your wife beat you? Is this domestic violence?”
Emmanuel nearly coughed out blood in exasperation.
He quickly replied, “Roselynn, how could you think that
way about my wife? This has nothing to do with her!”
He couldn’t bring himself to say that Mackenzie hadn’t
hit him, since she had quite obviously kicked him twice.
His waist was still aching as a result.
“Manny, be honest with me. How did you get hurt?”
Emmanuel was Alessandra’s only son, so she was
determined to get to the bottom of things. She was
afraid that her son’s stubborn pride would prevent him.
from confiding in her.
“Some scoundrels tried to take advantage of
Mackenzie, so I fought with them and ended up getting
hurt,” Emmanuel explained.
He wasn’t entirely fabricating the story as the ruffians
were indeed stirring up trouble on Mackenzie’s project.
She was the reason he had to fight them.
“Oh, I see. Good job, Manny! I love that you’re so
protective of your wife!” Roselynn relaxed and gave
him the thumbs–up.
After all, the male leads in TV dramas were all manly.
“It’s almost time, Roselynn. Let’s go!”
Emmanuel didn’t want to hear his mother’s nagging
and instantly changed the topic by urging Roselynn to
leave.
Alessandra grabbed his arm and said, “Manny,
remember to find Roselynn a good man at the party.
He doesn’t have to be rich as long as he’s a person of
integrity!”
A mother knew her daughter best. Naturally,
Alessandra knew why Roselynn was still single and
unmarried despite being in her thirties.
Before arranging blind dates for Emmanuel, she had
already introduced a lot of men to Roselynn.
Alas, Roselynn was harsh in her criticism of all those
4/6
men, declaring that none of them measured up to the
male leads of her favorite television shows. She said
they were either too short, too ugly, or too meek.
Naturally, all those men were scared out of their wits
and quickly made their escape.
If she was unwilling to be flexible and open to different
possibilities, she would never get married, ever.
“Got it, Mom,” Emmanuel hastily replied.
Finding Roselynn a suitable husband would be a more
difficult task than finding me a wife.
The siblings hailed a taxi and went on their way.
Throughout the journey, Roselynn was already
swooning over the possible eligible bachelors at the
party.
Chapter 24 HOW DID You Get hurt
“Manny, have you heard of the four prominent families
in Yeringham?”
“Yeah.”
Emmanuel nodded and gave a cursory reply, but he
knew that the four prominent families of Yeringham
didn’t exist.
This was not a television show, so it was impossible to
determine the number of families in Yeringham that
were involved in commerce.
Chapter 25
The corporate world was ever–changing. The rise and
fall of families happened in the blink of an eye, so it
was impossible for any family to remain one of the four
prominent families forever.
Therefore, the four prominent families of Yeringham
were nothing but a term for the convenience of the
gossipmongers. They were only meant to describe the
four wealthiest families of the current time.
“Do you know which four families they are? I heard that
the outstanding young heirs and heiresses of those
families will be joining the banquet this time.”
Roselynn was thirty years old, and she was a beautiful
and mature woman. Yet, she was fawning over men
like she was an eighteen–year–old girl.
“Um, I only know about the Quillen family,” Emmanuel
replied honestly.
He was only a gynecologist who had just retired from
the army. How could he possibly know everything
about the corporate world?
He only knew about the Quillen family because that
family had remained the wealthiest family in
Yeringham for ten years.
“You dummy! The rest of the four prominent families
are the Verkade family, the Zelinsky family, and the
Lenoir family!”
Roselynn poked Emmanuel’s head. “Remember this: My
employer is the daughter of the Lenoir family, and
she’s the one who gave me the invitation.”
“Oh, I
See.”
Emmanuel nodded. He had seen his sister’s supposed
employer by chance before.
She was a woman in her early twenties named
Claudette Lenoir. Although she came from a
prestigious family, she had chosen to work her way up
from the bottom of the ladder after her graduation.
However, the position she was in was not her actual
position. She was only starting from the basics to
familiarize herself with the company. Everyone in the
office knew that she was the heiress of the company.
Back then, she had some gynecological problems
which she had trouble seeking doctors for, so Roselynn
recommended she visit Emmanuel.
Emmanuel did not know why she had actually gone to
him instead, but regardless of everything, he cured her.
Back then, Emmanuel had expressionlessly asked her
to take off her pants. Claudette had been
embarrassed, but Emmanuel was unfazed. In fact, he
could barely remember her because he had seen too
many women’s bodies.
“Is that your only response? At least pretend to be
jealous!” Roselynn grumbled, displeased with her
brother’s reaction.
Her employer was young and rich, and that was something many people strived for and dreamed of.
Still hearing nothing from Emmanuel, Roselynn shot him a glare before crying out, “Oh, your wife is called Mackenzie Quillen, right? Could it be that she’s the
daughter of the Quillen family?”
How could people of their status know many details
about the wealthiest families?
They could only make guesses.
Emmanuel shook his head in amusement right away,
however. “How could that be? She’s worlds apart from
them.”
The Quillen family was the richest family in Yeringham.
If Mackenzie was the daughter of the Quillen family,
she would have a net worth of more than tens of
billions. How could she possibly be living in a house of
two hundred square meters?
Even though it was still a big house, it was nowhere
near as luxurious as the houses that the tycoons lived
- in.
“But I hear that the daughter of the Quillen family is
also twenty–seven years old. Apparently, she doesn’t
like men; she likes women…” Roselynn trailed off, finally
registering what she was talking about.
How could her sister–in–law be a lesbian if she had
married her brother?
Furthermore, Emmanuel told her that he had been
previously dating his wife for many years. If the
daughter of the Quillen family had been dating a man
for so many years, the media would have caught wind
of it a long time ago, and there wouldn’t be any rumors
about her sexuality.
Emmanuel was amused at how easily his sister was
persuaded. He did not even need to explain anything
else to her.
Even though Terence Group was the Quillen family’s
business, he was certain that it was nothing but a
coincidence that his wife had the family name of
Quillen. After all, even Daniel Quillen, the “prime
architect” of higher algebraic K–theory, also had the
family name of Quillen. It was not as if all Quillens were
mathematicians.
That was simply impossible.
However, what he did not know was that Mackenzie
was currently in a Bentley, heading toward the location
of the banquet–Regal Hotel.
The truth was that the banquet that night was a
celebratory dinner for her aunt’s promotion to
Yeringham’s deputy mayor.
Besides Terence, there were no other men in the
Quillen family. However, all of the women in the Quillen
family were capable individuals who were either the
top dog in the corporate world or influential figures in
the political world.
Mackenzie did not like being in crowded places, and
she rarely attended social events like these. However,
the Quillen women were always supportive of each
other. For the sake of her aunt, she had to be there.
Chapter 26
The Lowe siblings soon reached Regal Hotel.
The banquet that day was grand, and several floors of
the hotel were reserved for the occasion.
The guests were all dressed to their nines with
branded clothes and accessories. It was almost as if
they were at a fashion show instead.
in contrast, Roselynn’s appearance was dull, and
Emmanuel’s was even shabbier.
When they arrived at the entrance, Roselynn handed
the guard her invitation.
The guard let her in after a glance at it, but he stopped
Emmanuel. “Mister, where is your invitation?”
Emmanuel quickly turned to his sister. I thought she
said she can have a plus–one with her invitation.
Roselynn immediately put her hands on her hips and
glared at the guard. “Did you see what kind of
invitation this is? This is an invitation from the Lenoir
family. Is there any problem with me bringing a relative
in?”
“Miss, no one other than the host is allowed to invite
irrelevant individuals to the event,” the guard insisted,
but his coworker soon gave him a look to gesture him
to drop the case.
If things were to blow up, the guard would be
embarrassing the Lenoir family.
Furthermore, there were plenty of guests that day. It
would do no one any harm if they were to let a few
more people into the area.
“Go on in, then,” the guard finally said, relenting.
“Hmph! I’m glad they’re smart enough. I would’ve gone
to my boss otherwise.”
for you,” Emmanuel exclaimed.
“What’s the matter? Who’s here?”
“Oh!” Beatrix exclaimed as realization dawned upon
about?”
“Huh?”
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