Gerald followed Grace's parents into the lavish living room, still recovering from the drastic shift in Mr. Zhao's demeanor. He glanced at Grace with a raised eyebrow, and she offered him a reassuring smile, though he could tell that she was as nervous as he was.They settled onto the soft plush couches, and after a brief moment of awkward silence, Mr. Zhao cleared his throat, his stern expression softening—a rare sight to see.“Gerald, I want to apologize again for my earlier behavior. It was unbecoming. I hope you can understand a father's concern for his daughter,” Mr. Zhao said, though Gerald couldn't tell whether it was a genuine apology.“I understand, Mr. Zhao. A parent's concern is natural. I just want you to know that I would never do anything to harm Grace. She is... very important to me,” Gerald nodded and said with a straight face.Grace’s face heated up like a bright tomato, and she felt giddy inside. Madam Zhao, who had been observing Gerald, cleared her throat to speak
Grace and Gerald sat together in a comforting silence for a few minutes, enjoying the moment before Grace took a deep breath and stood up.“It's getting late. We should get some rest; it's going to be a long day tomorrow,” she said to Gerald, flashing a small smile.“Alright then,” Gerald stretched his arms and rose to his feet. “Where should I sleep?” he asked as he glanced around.Grace hesitated for a moment as her mind raced, but eventually, she sucked in a deep breath. “You'll sleep in my room.”“Heh?” Gerald blinked, his thought process slowing down. “Your room?” he repeated, as if unsure of what she said the first time.“Yes,” Grace nodded with a serious expression. “If we're going to present a united front to my family, it needs to start now. The family needs to see you as more than my boyfriend, so... I thought this could solidify our relationship and show them that we stand together.”“Solidify?” A devious smirk spread across Gerald's face. “What exactly do you mean by that?
“Calm down,” Grace pleaded with him and he sighed, taking a step back and letting her take control of the situation. “Uncle, that was unnecessary” She turned to face her uncle, doing her best to calm the rage simmering in her chest. “Gerald is my guest, and he deserves to be treated with respect.” “Respect?” Her uncle's eyes narrowed as he looked at her, “You’re defending him? it ‘s quite amusing that you’re so eager to protect him with what’s at stake here.”“What do you mean?” Grace’s eyebrows creased together as she asked.“You don't know?” A small chuckle escaped his lips. “Tell me something dear niece, what will you do if you decide to marry this man? Surely you know that marrying outside the family would mean giving up your position as CEO. You wouldn't be a part of this family anymore.”His words were like a bucket of cold water that splashed on Grace’s face. Her mind raced as her uncle's words echoed in her mind but she calmed down and stood her ground.“Marrying Gerald wo
Grace held her breath as the phone continued to ring. After a few minutes, the call finally connected and her grandfather's familiar voice came through the speaker.“Grace, my dear? How are you?” he asked with that caring voice that she always loved.“Grandfather, I..I need to talk to you.” She said, fighting to keep her voice steady.There was a brief pause on the other line before he spoke again. “Of course, tell me what's troubling you.”Grace took a deep breath and glanced at Gerald, who nodded at her in encouragement. “Grandfather.* Grace began, trying to steady her emotions but she broke down trembling as tears slipped down her cheeks. “I…I’m in over my head right now. Uncle Zhang and Chang, they are threatening to take everything. He says that he believes that you are not well and he will use every means necessary to take over the company. I don't know what to do. I'm losing my mind.”A long pause followed. Grace eagerly awaited her grandfather's response but there was nothi
“How could they be one step ahead of me?” Grace clenched her fists as the reality of the situation dawned on her. She had to do something quickly, or she would lose heavily in this business war. She stepped out of the car with Gerald following closely after her. They approached the entrance, only to be stopped by a guard. “Miss Zhao, I’m sorry, but Mr. Chen isn't expecting you,” the guard said as he blocked their path. “It's really urgent; I need to see Mr. Chen now!” Grace's frustration was through the roof as she spoke through gritted teeth. “Sorry.” The guard shook his head. “I can't let you in without his permission.” “But why can't…” Before Grace could continue her argument, Gerald's strong arm grabbed her shoulder, stopping her from arguing further. He gazed at the guard with such authority that the guard started to feel very nervous. “Call Mr. Chen. Tell him that Gerald is here.”
Gerald's outburst silenced everyone for at least a moment. All eyes turned on him—some surprised, some irritated, some indifferent. Grace looked at him with gritted teeth, wishing he'd stop this tomfoolery, but Gerald refused to back down.“I’m not here to see you, Liu,” Gerald pointed at him. “I’m here to see your father, Mr. Chen. I treated him years ago, so he should know me. I have something important to discuss with him.”“My father?” Liu raised an eyebrow in contempt. “You think you can just walk in here and demand to see him because you claim to know him? Preposterous! Do you take me for a fool?”“It’s the truth,” Gerald stepped forward. “I treated him once and we had a good relationship, if you could just…”“Enough!” Grace interrupted with a pained look on her face. “Gerald, stop this at once.You’re making things worse.”“You have to trust me.” Gerald turned to her in desperation. “I didn’t know his son would be here. But I do kno
Before Gerald could utter a word, Liu, Zhang, and Chang rushed to meet Mr. Chen.“Father!” Liu greeted with a small bow. Zhang and Chang followed suit, eager smiles on their faces.“Mr. Chen, it's an honor to see you again,” Zhang said smoothly, extending his hand for a shake. “We were just discussing some important matters with Liu regarding our families' future collaboration.”Mr. Chen gave a polite smile as he shook hands with both Zhang and Chang. “I appreciate your visit. It's always a pleasure to see the Zhao family.”Zhang and Chang exchanged secret glances, interpreting this as a sign that Mr. Chen favored them.“However, I’m afraid I can't entertain guests today. I'm feeling very tired, and I would like to get some sleep,” Mr. Chen said in a tone that brooked no argument.“But don't worry,” Mr. Chen continued, a reassuring smile stretching across his lips. “Liu will relay everything you've discussed to me. I'll make sure to send a message with my response soon.”Zhang and Cha
Mr. Chen led Gerald inside the grand mansion, guiding him to the lavishly decorated sitting room where the rich scent of fresh tea greeted them.“Please, make yourself comfortable,” Mr. Chen said warmly, gesturing to a seat across from him as he took a seat himself. He reached out for a small bell and rang it. Moments later, a servant appeared with a tray of piping hot tea and assorted snacks, which made Gerald’s eyes shine and his stomach growl. They sat in silence, enjoying the refreshments, before Mr. Chen cleared his throat, breaking the quiet.“So, Gerald, I saw you had quite the encounter with my security team outside,” Mr. Chen said, an amused smile playing on his lips. “I’m not going to marvel at your impressive combat skills. I mean, half of them are still groaning on the ground. But what exactly happened out there?”Gerald chuckled lightly, setting his teacup down. “Well, Mr. Chen, I didn’t come here intending to start a fight, believe me. I came with only peace in mind, but