Erin blushed slightly, nodded, and backed out of the room, leaving Darius alone. After changing, he sat on the couch and sighed, feeling a little tired. He massaged his temples and thought about the very first family gathering he was about to attend. No matter what, he didn't want to disgrace the Reid family. The Reid family's reputation would definitely be smeared if he suffered any embarrassment. Darius leaned back and crossed his legs at the knee. At this moment, Bridget returned. She stood outside the room and called out happily, "Sir, I'm back!"Darius raised an eyebrow in surprise and turned to look in the direction of the door. "Come in!" At his words, a pretty face appeared in his line of sight. He smiled at Bridget and said, "You're back sooner than I expected. I thought Bruce's punishment would've kept you confined to your bed for longer."Bridget shook her head. "Of course not. It's not something I haven't experienced before, anyway. Bruce looks fierce but is a softie on t
Darius' eyes widened as he stared at James in disbelief. "Plain" was the last word he would've used to describe his current outfit, but when he compared it to his grandfather's diamond-studded suit…his lips twitched. He didn't know what to say in response to that, nor did he want to say anything. So, he merely smiled. "Grandpa, this outfit may not meet your expectations, but I'm perfectly happy with it.""Alright, then." James' lips twitched. He still didn't look too pleased, but he added, "It's fine as long as you like it."Darius sighed in relief. He'd been worried James would've forced him to wear a diamond-studded suit. Soon, however, he realized he was dumb to have ignored James' words—his plain suit only brought about endless trouble. When he entered the banquet hall, all the spotlights focused on him, making him the center of attention. He raised an eyebrow and tried to control his expression so he wouldn't display any of his shock, but it didn't work. His shock stemmed from th
After all, if not for Darius' return, Patrick would've been the next heir to the Reid family. Everyone knew how capable he was, but they knew nothing about Darius. And so, they focused their attention on Patrick and ignored Darius.Darius picked up a wine glass and stood there with one hand in his pocket. He took in the golf ball-sized diamonds embroidered onto Patrick's suit and smiled. "I can tell you've gone all out to get my grandfather's seal of approval."An ugly look crept onto Patrick's face at his words, and he narrowed his eyes. Then, he shook his head and regained his composure, putting on a smile. "No, of course not. I would never do anything to butter Grandpa James up—I truly enjoy wearing such clothes."Darius smiled. "If so, why aren't your other outfits done up in the same manner? As far as I'm aware, Grandpa has plenty of outfits that are designed in this manner."Patrick's expression turned steely, and his gaze turned menacing, but he still made sure to keep his smil
"Times have changed, and it's been years since the Reid family has changed under my leadership. All it's done is become wealthier. I couldn't understand why we were stuck, but I now know the answer to that." James sighed and looked at Darius through the monitor. His impression of Darius had suddenly undergone a transformation, but Bruce was the only one who caught it. However, he didn't say anything—his impression of Darius had changed as well.After a moment, Bruce glanced at his watch and said, "Sir, we should head to the banquet hall. It's almost time to begin." James nodded, put his hands behind his back, and made his way to the banquet hall. The gathering was due to start in three minutes, and they were the only ones missing. They walked along the silent corridor to get to the banquet hall, and Bruce didn't make a sound as he trailed James. This was normal—James wasn't much of a talker. However, when they were halfway down the corridor, he suddenly stopped and turned to look at
"Well, now that I've heard your concerns, rest assured that I'll convey them to my grandfather. Let's see what he has to say." As soon as Darius' words fell, the door to the banquet hall swung open. James strode in, dressed in a black, diamond-studded suit. It gleamed under the lights, making Darius' lips twitch. Still, he couldn't deny the diamond-studded suit gave off a different vibe on his grandfather. On other people, however, it was unbelievably ugly. He smiled and walked forward to meet James. "Grandpa, I got into quite the argument with the other attendees. It seems they have some questions for you." He turned to reveal the woman who had spoken.This was her first time simultaneously having James, Darius, and Patrick's eyes on her. She couldn't help turning pale as she gulped and stammered, "Grandpa James, you may not recognize me. I'm…"James held up a hand to stop her. "Sarah Reid, right? What was the argument about?"Sarah gulped. She shot Patrick a nervous glance, but he
Despite James' smile, no one present would think it was a reflection of his true emotions. To them, James had always been someone out of their league; how could he possibly smile at them sincerely? The people who'd been opposed to Darius quieted down and looked at James.James' gaze swept over them. He'd only invited a little over three hundred people to the gathering. This was far from everyone in the Reid family, but he'd only picked those who were more important. His smile widened when he was sure all eyes were on him and expectantly waiting for him to speak. "I'm pleased to welcome each and every one of you to the Reid family manor for this banquet. I'm sure we all know why this banquet is being held—to celebrate the return of my long-lost grandson! Putting aside your true thoughts about him, I believe his return is something truly worth being happy about."No one expected James to be so blunt about this matter, and their gazes went from him to Darius, then to Patrick, and back t
Darius' tone was calm, and he smiled. "I know my absence over the years has given everyone plenty of opportunities to show what they're made of. It's a good thing, and I don't want this sort of competition to stop. However, I hope everything we do is for the betterment of the Reid family." He paused, then continued, "I believe you all understand what I mean. I've already experienced a number of unpleasant battles since my return to the Reid family…" Darius swept a cold gaze over the crowd and eventually fixed it on Patrick. "I have yet to look into them because I know they're just results of internal strife." He cocked his head and smiled again. "I've tried my best to treat all members of the Reid family with friendliness and an open heart; I hope to build long-lasting relationships with all of you, if only because the same blood runs in our veins. However, if you have other thoughts or find wealth to be more important than blood, I don't mind changing my attitude." Besides James a
"Why aren't you leaving when everyone obviously doesn't want you here? I would've been absolutely humiliated if I were you!" Patrick's voice was loud enough for everyone to hear him, and it attracted everyone's attention. The crowd looked like they were itching to see them get into a fight.Darius raised an eyebrow, surprised to see Patrick suddenly appearing before him and trying to pick a fight. He stared at Patrick silently. Based on his experience, Patrick wasn't done. Sure enough, Patrick's anger seemed to grow when he didn't receive a response. He clenched his fists and started to tremble slightly. However, before he could speak, a woman beat him to it. "Darius, you're crossing the line. We're all relatives here, but you make it look like we're beneath you. Even if you're directly related to Grandpa James, you're still just another member of the Reid family! You'll need our support to have things go your way!"Darius snorted at her words. "That actually sounds sensible. I would