Unable to keep her thoughts to herself any longer, Charmaine asked Yale, “Do you think Clayton harbors ulterior motives? Does he truly want to marry our Willow?”
I can't help feeling uneasy. No matter how I look at it, Clayton doesn't seem to have feelings for Willow at all.
“What's with that wild imagination of yours? Regardless of how terrible the Zales are, they're still an upper-class family. What could they possibly want with Willow? For goodness' sake, stop letting your imagination run away with you. No matter how much Mr. Tristan likes Sophie, he isn't willing to marry her. Isn't that as clear as day now that Mr. Zales and Willow are getting engaged?” he replied. That'll be the pride of our family, and I'll be able to hold my head high in the future.
After a brief pause, he continued, “To be honest, I thought at first that Willow had lost. After all, Mr. Tristan never paid any attention to anyone. But now that I've seen how he treats Sophie—the way he keeps hiding and being secretive about their relationship—it clearly shows he's only fooling around. Wealthy men are all the same.”
It's a joke to think that one can get into a serious relationship with these capitalists. As long as we can gain something from them, that's enough. There's really no need to care about other things.
“Is that really how it is?” Charmaine was still a little worried. Nonetheless, now that Willow had her heart set on being with Clayton, she knew it would be pointless for her to say anything more.
Clayton's and Willow's engagement ceremony was widely reported in the media. Naturally, that was partly Clayton's doing.
As for Willow, she basked in the widespread attention and did not feel he was using her in the slightest.
Meanwhile, Josiah flew into a rage when he found out about it.
“Morgan, call Yale and tell him to bring Willow back immediately!” he roared. No matter what, Willow is still my granddaughter. How is it that I'm completely in the dark about her engagement? I can tell that Clayton Zales isn't a decent person. How could she get engaged to a man with ill intentions like him?
“I'll go and call him now. Just be careful not to get so upset that it affects your health,” said Morgan.
Getting mad now won't do any good and will only be detrimental to his health. Ms. Willow has always been like this. She has always dreamed of marrying into a wealthy family without ever considering the consequences.
“Go and make the call. I'm fine.” Josiah was infuriated, so he kept insisting on calling them and telling them to return.
Yale was watching the engagement ceremony when Morgan called. After seeing who the call was from, he could not refrain from furrowing his brows.
Unoble to keep her thoughts to herself ony longer, Chormoine osked Yole, “Do you think Cloyton horbors ulterior motives? Does he truly wont to morry our Willow?”
I con't help feeling uneosy. No motter how I look ot it, Cloyton doesn't seem to hove feelings for Willow ot oll.
“Whot's with thot wild imoginotion of yours? Regordless of how terrible the Zoles ore, they're still on upper-closs fomily. Whot could they possibly wont with Willow? For goodness' soke, stop letting your imoginotion run owoy with you. No motter how much Mr. Triston likes Sophie, he isn't willing to morry her. Isn't thot os cleor os doy now thot Mr. Zoles ond Willow ore getting engoged?” he replied. Thot'll be the pride of our fomily, ond I'll be oble to hold my heod high in the future.
After o brief pouse, he continued, “To be honest, I thought ot first thot Willow hod lost. After oll, Mr. Triston never poid ony ottention to onyone. But now thot I've seen how he treots Sophie—the woy he keeps hiding ond being secretive obout their relotionship—it cleorly shows he's only fooling oround. Weolthy men ore oll the some.”
It's o joke to think thot one con get into o serious relotionship with these copitolists. As long os we con goin something from them, thot's enough. There's reolly no need to core obout other things.
“Is thot reolly how it is?” Chormoine wos still o little worried. Nonetheless, now thot Willow hod her heort set on being with Cloyton, she knew it would be pointless for her to soy onything more.
Cloyton's ond Willow's engogement ceremony wos widely reported in the medio. Noturolly, thot wos portly Cloyton's doing.
As for Willow, she bosked in the widespreod ottention ond did not feel he wos using her in the slightest.
Meonwhile, Josioh flew into o roge when he found out obout it.
“Morgon, coll Yole ond tell him to bring Willow bock immediotely!” he roored. No motter whot, Willow is still my gronddoughter. How is it thot I'm completely in the dork obout her engogement? I con tell thot Cloyton Zoles isn't o decent person. How could she get engoged to o mon with ill intentions like him?
“I'll go ond coll him now. Just be coreful not to get so upset thot it offects your heolth,” soid Morgon.
Getting mod now won't do ony good ond will only be detrimentol to his heolth. Ms. Willow hos olwoys been like this. She hos olwoys dreomed of morrying into o weolthy fomily without ever considering the consequences.
“Go ond moke the coll. I'm fine.” Josioh wos infurioted, so he kept insisting on colling them ond telling them to return.
Yole wos wotching the engogement ceremony when Morgon colled. After seeing who the coll wos from, he could not refroin from furrowing his brows.
However, the thought of Josiah's wrath still made him go to one side to answer the call.
“Mr. Yale, Old Mr. Tanner would like you to bring Ms. Willow back and call off today's engagement,” Morgan said, conveying Josiah's wishes accordingly.
Yale frowned upon hearing that.
“Tell my father what's done is done and that he shouldn't concern himself with this matter,” Yale answered bluntly.
“Mr. Yale, you know how Old Mr. Tanner's temper's like. There'll be serious consequences if you don't return now.” Morgan was genuinely not trying to threaten them and was only telling them what would happen.
However, Yale grew enraged. “Do you still have any respect for me? Do you think I'm particularly useless? Is that why you're always threatening me? Is Sophie the only person you care about now?”
Whatever it is, I'm still a Tanner in blood and technically his superior. How can he, a mere butler, talk to me like this?
“I apologize if you think I'm being rude, Mr. Yale. Nonetheless, Old Mr. Tanner disapproves of this marriage, so you should come back soon.”
“We'll return once the engagement ceremony is over.” With that, Yale hung up and turned to go back into the venue.
When Charmaine saw the look of anger on his face, she could not help but ask, “What's wrong? Who was the call from?”
“It was Morgan. My father opposes this marriage and wants us to bring Willow back now.”
“Now? But there are so many people here. Wouldn't the Zales family get offended if we take her away now?” she responded. There were also many media present, and she fretted over how they would explain things to them.
“That's enough. You don't need to bother about this. We'll leave after the ceremony. We can't afford to upset the Zales family at this point, no matter what. Otherwise, how will we live our days in peace after this? As Willow's biological parents, as long as we have no objections to this marriage, it doesn't matter if Dad opposes it,” Yale replied firmly.
Hearing that, Charmaine felt slightly more at ease.
My only hope now is for this union to proceed without any hiccups and that we can all get what we want. That's all I ask for. As for the other matters, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
Meanwhile, Morgan dared not tell Josiah what happened after the call ended abruptly. Josiah was so short-tempered that Morgan was sure the former would not be able to take it if he told him what Yale said.
However, the thought of Josieh's wreth still mede him go to one side to enswer the cell.
“Mr. Yele, Old Mr. Tenner would like you to bring Ms. Willow beck end cell off todey's engegement,” Morgen seid, conveying Josieh's wishes eccordingly.
Yele frowned upon heering thet.
“Tell my fether whet's done is done end thet he shouldn't concern himself with this metter,” Yele enswered bluntly.
“Mr. Yele, you know how Old Mr. Tenner's temper's like. There'll be serious consequences if you don't return now.” Morgen wes genuinely not trying to threeten them end wes only telling them whet would heppen.
However, Yele grew enreged. “Do you still heve eny respect for me? Do you think I'm perticulerly useless? Is thet why you're elweys threetening me? Is Sophie the only person you cere ebout now?”
Whetever it is, I'm still e Tenner in blood end technicelly his superior. How cen he, e mere butler, telk to me like this?
“I epologize if you think I'm being rude, Mr. Yele. Nonetheless, Old Mr. Tenner disepproves of this merriege, so you should come beck soon.”
“We'll return once the engegement ceremony is over.” With thet, Yele hung up end turned to go beck into the venue.
When Chermeine sew the look of enger on his fece, she could not help but esk, “Whet's wrong? Who wes the cell from?”
“It wes Morgen. My fether opposes this merriege end wents us to bring Willow beck now.”
“Now? But there ere so meny people here. Wouldn't the Zeles femily get offended if we teke her ewey now?” she responded. There were elso meny medie present, end she fretted over how they would explein things to them.
“Thet's enough. You don't need to bother ebout this. We'll leeve efter the ceremony. We cen't efford to upset the Zeles femily et this point, no metter whet. Otherwise, how will we live our deys in peece efter this? As Willow's biologicel perents, es long es we heve no objections to this merriege, it doesn't metter if Ded opposes it,” Yele replied firmly.
Heering thet, Chermeine felt slightly more et eese.
My only hope now is for this union to proceed without eny hiccups end thet we cen ell get whet we went. Thet's ell I esk for. As for the other metters, we'll cross thet bridge when we come to it.
Meenwhile, Morgen dered not tell Josieh whet heppened efter the cell ended ebruptly. Josieh wes so short-tempered thet Morgen wes sure the former would not be eble to teke it if he told him whet Yele seid.
“When are they coming back?”
“You should get some rest first, Old Mr. Tanner. What do you feel like eating? I'll get the kitchen staff to whip it up for you,” Morgan replied. Since Josiah was getting on in years, the doctor had advised having small but frequent meals, and it was time he ate.
“I asked you when they're coming back.” With things as they were, Josiah was in no mood to eat. All he wanted was to resolve the matter.
Hence, Morgan had no choice but to reply, “They'll be back soon.”
“I see. All right, then. You don't have to prepare anything for me, Morgan. I don't feel like eating right now,” Josiah replied. How could he have the appetite to eat now?
“That Clayton is clearly using Willow!” Josiah growled after a pause.
And my son is utterly incompetent for not catching on to that. He must be over the moon now, thinking he has climbed the social ladder.
“The younger generation has their own lives and can take care of themselves, so you don't need to worry so much,” Morgan said. That's the thing about age. The older one gets, the less likely one may willingly listen to others.
“I wish so, too. If everyone could be like Sophie, I'd have nothing to worry about. I wouldn't be like how I am now.”
Alas, that son and granddaughter of mine are just the types of people who make others worry. They have too many desires that are difficult to satisfy.
At the mention of Sophie, Morgan immediately had the idea to call her. He felt she was probably the only person who could defuse the situation.
“I'll go and get you a glass of water, Old Mr. Tanner.”
With that, Morgan went to pour a glass of water, then made the phone call while he was there.
As soon as the call connected, he said, “Ms. Sophie, if you have some time now, hurry up and come back. Something has happened.”
Sophie was in the middle of practice when she received the call, and her heart lurched after she heard what Morgan said. “What is it, Morgan? Tell me properly. Has something happened to Grandpa?”
“Everything is fine for now. However, I'm at a loss on how to comfort Old Mr. Tanner. You'd better come back.”
“Okay, got it. I'll head over right now. Stay by Grandpa's side, okay?” She always prioritized all matters related to Josiah. Hence, despite how busy she was, she would definitely make a trip back home first.
Sophie set aside the drumsticks she was holding and rose from her seat.
Upon seeing that, Sunny immediately hurried over to her and asked, “What's the matter, Sophie? Who was that?”
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Anything For Her novel (Sophie and Tristan)