Robert arrived quickly and examined Olivia. “Olivia, you’re not young anymore. You should really learn to control your emotions.”
Owen asked nervously, “Robert, is she okay?”
“She needs a good rest. She got overly agitated which caused her to go out of breath. Be careful in the future though. Her heart is a little weaker than normal so she can’t withstand such pressure again.”
Owen said sullenly, “Okay. I was negligent this time. I won’t let it happen again.”
Robert nodded. “Olivia is generally fine so don’t worry too much. All right, I have to get back to the hospital.”
“Thanks. I won’t walk you out then,” replied Owen.
Robert waved his hands and replied, “It’s fine. We’ve already known each other for so long.”
After he left, Owen glanced at Oscar and Stephanie in displeasure. He said in a low voice, “Did you guys hear that? If anything were to happen to your mother today, you guys can forget about coming back to the Clinton residence ever again.”
Stephanie’s eyes were reddened. She said, “Dad, I didn’t do it on purpose. If it wasn’t for this jinx, Mom would have never gotten angry.”
Owen glared at her and lowered his volume even further. “Your mother is sleeping so I don’t want to wake her, but you need to remember that Amelia is your sister-in-law. You’d better apologize to her for being rude.”
Stephanie scowled at Amelia, who was standing at one side. “You want me to apologize to this jinx? I won’t. I’ve never accepted her as my sister-in-law anyway.”
Then, Stephanie ran off.
Owen clenched his fist, looking displeased.
Amelia walked over and said, “Dad, don’t be mad at Steph. She’s still young and may not understand you. Plus, she really cherishes Oscar, so she’ll naturally find fault with me.”
Owen looked thoughtfully at her and sighed after a while. “Amelia, you’re pregnant. Don’t tire yourself out. Go back and rest.”
When Amelia glanced at Olivia, he continued, “I’ll take care of her.”
Amelia knew Owen did not really like her, so she left without another word.
Owen then turned to Oscar, who had been silent the whole time. “Oscar, I don’t know what’s going on in your mind, but I want you to stay away from Cassie. You’re already married with a child and you’ve seen how much your mother likes Amelia. You just can’t be with Cassie.”
Oscar had a complicated look in his eye. After a while, he replied, “Dad, I really want to marry Cassie. She’s someone that I’ve always desired to be with.”
Owen tightened his fist in anger. “You would put your mother’s life on the line for that woman?”
Oscar lowered his head and replied slowly, “I’m really sorry about Mom, but Cassie’s already carrying my child. I can’t let the child be born without a father, so I need to give her an official status. Moreover, as Mrs. Yard said, I’ll have their family’s support if I marry Cassie. Don’t you want the Clintons to become stronger?”
Owen was speechless.
Back then, he had also been an ambitious young man, eventually growing Clinton Corporations to become one of the top companies today. Even though he had slowly decreased his involvement in the business, he still wanted the company to develop further.
Aside from its strong foundation, a marriage of convenience was the next best option to help Clinton Corporations become stronger. Merging two companies would help push for expansion into overseas markets, creating even more opportunities in the future.
Since Owen had never really liked Amelia, he was indeed enticed by Oscar’s words. Other than her beauty, she was just like any other normal girl.
Beautiful ladies are not hard to find. When Oscar had insisted on marrying Amelia back then, he did not approve of their marriage. However, the Clintons were previously mocked when Cassie broke off the marriage, and marrying Amelia would put a stop to the ridicule. Thus, he had allowed Oscar to have his way.
Yet, Owen now wanted Oscar’s marriage to be beneficial to the family business. Only by engaging in a marriage of convenience could their company continue to improve.
“You can marry Cassie but you have to get your mother’s approval first. Otherwise, that is out of the question,” Owen piped up.
Oscar nodded. “Dad, don’t worry. I’ll talk to Mom. Cassie is still that same girl that she’s known since young. Someone is trying to frame her with the photos.”
Owen frowned and replied sincerely, “Oscar, you’re smart. I just hope that you can put more effort into dealing with your relationship issues and not just focus on work. Cassie has been living overseas for four years and would have definitely changed. If you really fell for her words so easily then I think handling Clinton Corporations over to you may be a bad decision.”
Oscar stood silently as he pondered.
Owen patted him on the shoulder and said, “I’ll just give you a piece of advice. You have to put your heart into both business and relationships. Sleep on it—whether Cassie is really suitable for you or not. Although I’m not very pleased with Amelia, she’s pregnant with my first grandchild after all. There’s nothing else more important than that. Just give it some thought. I don’t want to see you suffer because of your marriage.”
He continued after a while, “I’m willing to do anything for your mother because I think she’s worth it. At the same time, she does even more for our family. Can the woman you choose manage and care for your family, and will she stand beside you in times of trouble?”
Owen patted Oscar on the shoulder again. “Just sleep on it.”
Oscar raised his head to look at his father. His eyes held a mix of emotions.
He then nodded and said, “I got it, Dad.”
Owen replied, “I’ll stay here with your mother. You go on.”
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