After the Fall A Leap into a Stranger's Arms novel Chapter 166

Catherine broke into a sudden smile and turned to her dad. “Alright, Dad, I’ll move back home. But you have to change the whole ‘test’ thing. Three months is way too long. Let’s make it one month, okay?”

She gave Nestor a sly, knowing look, the kind that said she wasn’t backing down so easily.

Nestor saw she was finally willing to compromise, so he pushed back just a little. “How about two months, then?”

Catherine sighed and nodded, though she couldn’t help but mutter, “Aren’t you worried you might lose such a great son-in-law?”

That half-teasing, half-complaining remark made Nestor’s heart skip. His gaze flicked over to Lawrence. If The Blair Group actually lost Lawrence’s leadership now, things would really get messy.

Still, he had already set this challenge, and there was no easy way to take it back. All he could do was hold his ground. “If Lawrence really cares about you, two months is enough.”

Catherine didn’t argue anymore. She just lifted her chin and looked at her dad. “Since you’re making this a test, shouldn’t there be some sort of outcome at the end?”

Nestor blinked. “What kind of outcome?”

Without missing a beat, Catherine slipped her arm through Lawrence’s and rested her cheek against his shoulder. She looked straight at Nestor. “If he passes, it proves he’s not just capable, but that he lives up to your standards. When that happens, you have to throw us a proper, spectacular wedding.”

That caught Nestor off guard. Somehow, Catherine had flipped the whole thing back on him.

The truth was, after watching Lawrence all this time, Nestor had already accepted him in his heart. If he was going to put Lawrence through this test, the least he could do was give him a real place in the family afterward. If Lawrence passed, he deserved to become part of the Blair family for real, not just be put through hoops for nothing.

“Catherine, your dad’s company is in the middle of a transition. Where’s he supposed to find money for a big wedding?” Shirley was quick to object, clearly not expecting Catherine to use this as leverage for a fancy celebration.

“Yeah, if you want a wedding, you should wait until your dad’s company is steady again,” Alice chimed in, just as unhappy.

She looked up at Lawrence, and under the lights his usually sharp features seemed unexpectedly soft.

Nestor watched the two of them, a spark of hope in his eyes. “Do your best, Lawrence. I’m counting on you.”

Lawrence looked right at him. “Thank you for trusting me. I won’t let you down.”

Whether it was running the company or loving Catherine, he planned to give it everything he had.

Nestor could see the sincerity in Lawrence’s eyes and nodded, satisfied. Looking at this young couple, he realized they really did make a perfect match.

He also couldn’t help but feel the weight of age settling on him. The Blair Group would need a worthy successor, and maybe, just maybe, he’d already found him.