Natalia brought the soup over. It was Mrs. Dottie's special recipe. She'd busted it out because Natalia hadn't been feeling too well. What with the cold and how busy Archie was, the soup was to warm them both up.
Natalia had already had some, so she just sat there keeping Archie company and watching him dig in. "With old man Kawn in such a state, I'm sure the Kawn family is getting messy!"
At that, Archie sneered.
"Forget messy, it's a disgraceful sight."
Natalia chuckled.
"There are a lot of Kawn family members. The second and first uncles aren't born from the same mother. Add to that all the branch families, and there has to be plenty of sibling rivalries. Thankfully the old man was fine this time. He should be preparing for after his passing for the sake of the family's survival, so it shouldn't get too out of hand."
Archie nodded. "I hope so."
He paused, then thought of something and looked at Natalia.
"What?"
"Nothing."
Archie seemed to find something funny. He chuckled, then said, "The Bissels sent someone over too. Know who it was?"
"Who?"
"Ontario Bissel."
Natalia froze.
"Seems like the youngest of the Bissels isn't too repulsed by Jessica. In fact, the two seem to be getting along just fine. If nothing goes wrong, the marriage might be set."
Natalia floundered for a while, not sure what to say.
"Does Ontario... know about Jessica's past?"
Archie nodded. "He knows. But according to him, everyone has a past. So he doesn't mind. He's ready to look to the future with Jessica, maybe even meaning to find true love."
The phrase "true love" blasted across Natalia's mindscape and she had no idea how to reply.
"A young master of the Bissel family marrying a woman who's already been married once. Fine. But marrying a woman who's already been married once with a reputation this horrible? And the Bissels are okay with it?"
Archie scoffed.
"He's not an only son. Besides, old man Kawn is giving up 15% of the company's shares as a dowry. Forget the Bissels, not a single man in Eqitin wouldn't be tempted."
Natalia shot him a look.
"Oh? Then you're tempted too?"
Archie paused.
He looked up at her seriously.
Then he smiled brightly and took her hand. "I'm only tempted by you."
"..."
She knew this man wouldn't take it seriously!
Rolling her eyes at him, she took her hand back. "Fine, back on track. With what you're saying, the marriage between the Kawns and the Bissels is guaranteed, then? Old man Kawn was willing to give up 15% of the shares as a dowry and the rest of the family has nothing to say about it?"
Archie thought about it and shook his head. "They found her back. That 15% was originally Yvonne Kawn's share. With her gone, those shares would naturally pass to her child. It's a pity that Wilhelm always thought this was a blood granddaughter when it turns out to be a fake. He's still alive and still gets his say over what to do with the share, but who knows with whom those shares would end up when he's gone. A fight will probably break out by that point. In summary, the Kawn family is a mess, and it might not be a good thing for the Bissels to get involved."
Natalia nodded, agreeing.
The two chatted a while longer until the night dragged on and they went back to their rooms to rest.
Meanwhile, the Kawn household.
With Wilhelm having just been recovered from the edge of death, the family heaved a collective sigh of relief.
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