This was the first time Archer had seen Ivy so angry, and he immediately apologized. "I'm sorry. I didn't know it was that important." Ivy calmed down and explained, "This bracelet was given to me by the old lady who raised me." "I see. Why would Lucas have your grandma's possession, though?" "I used to owe someone a big sum of money, and they took this bracelet from me as insurance. Lucas repurchased it from them." Realization dawned on Archer. "I see! It's no wonder you like him so much!" "I used to look hideous and had no friends at all. Not only was he not disgusted by me, but he was also kind. My parents and siblings all want to test him, but, to me, he passed all the tests when we first met." "That's in the past. You've been out of touch with him for the past three years, and you don't know if he's changed," Archer said. "Of course, he hasn't changed. If he had become a bad person, he wouldn't have managed to open his own firm." "Tell your parents that, then. In a
Layla could not help but chuckle. "You've praised him so much that there's nothing left for us to say. We haven't met him, so we don't know if he's really as nice as you say." "He really is a great guy. I wouldn't lie to you," Ivy said, blushing. "Sweetie, I know you're not lying, but when people are in love, they're prone to idealizing the person they are in love with; it's normal to think with your heart rather than your head," Avery explained. "Are you planning to return to Taronia later on?" Ivy nodded. "I promised to bring him a gift. I can't go back on my word." "When do you plan on telling him?" "Telling him how I feel, you mean?" Ivy asked. Avery clarified, "I mean, when are you going to tell him who you really are? You can't keep things this way forever, can you? I've noticed that the two of you haven't made much progress even after all these days in Taronia. Dragging it out like this isn't productive." "But Hayden is still testing him, right? I can't reveal my i
"Mr. Woods, I will be the person in charge of all communication from now on," the man said. "You can call me Anson." "You are older than me, right?" Lucas asked. "I'm twenty-five this year." "I'm twenty-three," Lucas said. Anson chuckled. "All right. You can call me Mr. Orpwood, then. I'll stay here for half a year and leave after that." "I'm sorry, but I haven't decided if I want to accept this investment." Anson froze. "This is a lot of money, and you are unsure if you want it?" He had never met anyone who would refuse money. "I never thought your boss would invest so much in my company." Lucas put down the contract. "I haven't met your boss in person, so I don't understand why he trusts me so much." Anson smiled. "To ordinary people, this is indeed a significant amount of money, but this is nothing from my boss's perspective. Don't overthink it." "There are other shareholders in my company, so it's not just up to me," Lucas countered. "You mean Caspian? When he
"Her family might, indeed, oppose, but she'll probably insist on being with you. Can't you see that she's quite determined? She came all the way here just to find you. That alone proves she's no ordinary girl," Caspian said. "She's definitely not an ordinary girl, but I'm quite ordinary." Caspian clicked his tongue. "What's wrong? Are you feeling inferior now? Lucas, from what I remember, you're not that kind of person. Besides, we have a major investment now, so we're not poor anymore! Once this investment comes through, you'll be a rather accomplished entrepreneur. Even if Ivy's family is wealthy, they won't look down on you." Lucas picked up the contract. "This investment has something to do with Ivy." Caspian was stunned. "What are you talking about? That's impossible!" "Why? Do you really think we're impressive enough to attract this big foreign investment?" Caspian's expression changed drastically. "What makes you think Ivy's family is that wealthy? She seems pretty d
Ivy was at a loss for words and protested, "Mom, you may not know this, but Hayden arranged for a gorgeous woman to seduce Lucas. Luckily, Lucas didn't fall for it." Avery flashed her a faint smile. "I was the one who picked that woman." Ivy was utterly stunned. "You did?" "Your brother gave me some women's photos and asked me to help him choose one. So I chose Missy. She is truly very attractive! Her features seem innocent, but her gaze is quite captivating..." Ivy countered, "Mom, Lucas might prefer someone more down-to-earth. Extremely beautiful women might be too intimidating." "I think you are even more attractive than Missy! I suspect he might have lost all interest in other women after seeing you," Avery said. "... Mom, you're exaggerating. I might be moderately attractive, but Missy is still more beautiful." "You two aren't even the same type. You are not only beautiful but also intelligent and vibrant. Missy doesn't possess your vitality," Avery said. "All righ
Ivy followed her parents into the room where the dresses were placed and chose a pink gown. "Mom, I think I'll wear this one for the event!" Ivy was quite fond of the dress. "You can choose a few more outfits! The wedding will last two days, so you can wear a few different dresses each day!" Avery enjoyed dressing her daughter. Ivy laughed. "That's too much! It's not my wedding, so I'm just going to stick to one dress per day!" She did not want to steal the spotlight from the bride. Ivy picked up a light blue outfit. "This one will be great for the second day." "All right! Do you want to look at the room where your brother will spend his wedding night?" Ivy could not help but chuckle. "Of course! I'm curious about how you've decorated the room." "We didn't decorate their bedroom. That was Shelly's mother," Avery explained. Avery respected her in-laws; though Shelly's family tended to tiptoe around the Fosters and allowed the Fosters to make most of the decisions, the ro
"Darling, I'm not talking about you." "Lucas is someone's baby, too. If his mom learns that someone is looking down on him, she'll be devastated." "I'm sorry for being so prejudiced," Avery said guiltily. "I don't blame you for it, Mom. You guys haven't met Lucas in person yet, so being prejudiced is normal. If some guy came along one day wanting to take my daughter away from me, I would also be on guard." Ivy swiftly regained her composure. Avery smiled. "Indeed. It's quite hard for me to be fair with him." "If he refuses to come to Aryadelle with me, I won't be with him," Ivy promised. "Don't worry. I will never leave you and Dad." Avery nodded with a beaming smile. After checking the room, she took Ivy's hand and said, "Let me show you where we store the gifts." "Gifts?" "The gifts for guests," Avery explained. "The gifts this time are quite creative." "I saw the pictures. There's a picture of my brother, Shelly, and their two kids in the souvenir box. The design
"Ivy, you're such a good girl. Your big brother was worried you might be going through a rebellious phase. After all, you've only been home three years. Although you usually appear obedient, he's concerned that it might all be an act." Ivy could not help but burst into laughter. "I'm not that good of an actor. I was just as well-behaved before I came home. It's just my personality; it's in my genes." "If that's the case, then the guy you like, Lucas, is probably a decent young man." Frowning, Ivy considered Shelly's words. "His flaws are quite obvious. My parents and siblings don't think he's anything special. He's not good at communication, quite reserved, and even though he's started his own business, he hasn't achieved much." "Personality issues are manageable so long as they're not matters of character. Look at your big brother; he's not much of a talker either. If you want to be with Lucas, the main issue is his capability. Your family would probably find it hard to accept