The Billionaire's True Heiress From Fake Jewel to Real Crown novel Chapter 679

York fell into a heavy silence.

Cindy truly did pale in comparison to Claire. But it was precisely her shortcomings that York found comforting. He happily basked in her adoration, her blind worship, and her need to cling to a stronger man.

Claire made him feel inadequate. Even though she was younger, York always felt like the lesser person when he stood beside her.

"You really are smitten with that girl, aren't you?" Frederic sneered when his son remained quiet.

York did not necessarily love Cindy with all his heart, but he was reluctant to just throw her away to go on blind dates with another heiress.

"Dad, if we jump ship the moment things get rough, I doubt the Dean family will even want anything to do with us."

Whether they wanted anything to do with them or not was not York's call to make.

Frederic rolled his eyes at his son. He returned to the master bedroom and instructed his wife to reach out to Henrietta Dean.

"You want to pursue an alliance with the Dean family too?" Olga asked, staring at her husband in surprise.

"Too?"

That single word gave Frederic a sudden, sinking feeling.

"Who else is trying?"

"Octavia," Olga replied, uttering a name both of them knew entirely too well.

Frederic furrowed his brow. "Did Lance set his sights on Mabel, or is this Octavia's own scheme?"

"Who knows? Octavia was incredibly aggressive about it a while back."

"I heard Henrietta humored her for a couple of social visits, but then she completely cooled off."

"But Octavia went after Henrietta because she has a son. Our boy is currently engaged to the James family's daughter. Why on earth do you want me to approach Henrietta?"

"Wait, do you mean..."

Olga stopped speaking, the realization of her husband's ruthless plan finally dawning on her.

Were the Byrons planning to break their engagement with the James family and find a wealthier bride just to salvage that sinking project?

If that was their angle, she honestly had to applaud their sheer audacity. Did they think the Dean family was a pack of fools? Did they think just anyone could marry into their dynasty?

When Olga finally leaned in to ask what kind of boyfriend her daughter was looking for, Henrietta decided she had heard enough.

"My girl is stubborn and rebellious. She prefers younger men. Someone cute, neatly groomed, with that sweet puppy dog devotion."

"I do not pretend to understand these childish fads the younger generation comes up with."

"She also says the boy's family cannot be destitute, but she refuses to run a charity case."

"Once married, she wants to continue living at our estate. It wasn’t just about him being a trophy husband; the real kicker was that their firstborn would be required to take the Dean surname."

"As for having a second child, that will entirely depend on her mood."

Reese looked genuinely stunned. "Henrietta, those are steep demands. No traditional man would ever agree to that."