Mila Anderson was distinctly cold toward her own son. He had once harbored resentment against Mila, but now he would rather return to Mila's world than set foot in the world of his birth mother, Pheobe Rogers.
How could Pheobe's heart not ache with anger and pain?
Glades Horne had adopted a very subtle method of appeasement. This ensured James Horne wouldn't attempt to take over Valence Group and wouldn't obey Pheobe Rogers, thereby using James to embarrass Pheobe. Although James sometimes still helped Pheobe—she was his birth mother, after all—whenever matters involved Glades, James always sided with Glades. In this covert battle of attrition, Glades naturally emerged victorious.
He never spoke of it, nor did he let anyone know. Everyone even thought he had come to terms with his father's infidelity and no longer resented it. They believed he was indifferent to Pheobe Rogers's daily visits. Little did they know he was waiting, plotting. Such battles take a very long time—a very long time indeed. He enjoyed watching Pheobe slowly unravel. Of course, for James's sake, he wouldn't take Pheobe's life. He did feel some brotherly affection for James, especially since the two brothers looked remarkably alike.
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Thinking that James seemed to have certain… feelings for him, and perhaps also for Julia Bluen, Glades felt a pang of self-reproach. His goodwill towards James was genuine; he simply hadn't expected James to develop in such a way.
It seemed he still needed to make an effort to guide James back to the right path.
The shrewd Glades had naturally noticed James's unconventional feelings, even though James acted perfectly normal. Glades didn't dare to point them out, unwilling to ruin James's life. Fortunately, James was also still attracted to women, so there was a good chance of guiding him back to a more conventional life.
He grasped the small, soft hand wrapped around his waist. Holding it was enough to soften his heart, gently pushing aside the resentment he held for his father, determined not to let it affect his marriage.
Releasing Julia's hand, he turned to face her, lowering his head until their foreheads and eyes met.
After a long moment, he said, "Julia, I'm fine."
Thank goodness, he had Julia.
With her by his side, he would live happily, unaffected by his father's infidelity.
After some playful banter and laughter, Julia went to run a bath for them and brought out fresh clothes for them both.
"Julia, did anything unusual happen while I was away?" Glades asked. "Dad knows he's wrong, but he's never admitted it. He always claims his relationship with Pheobe is true love, and that his marriage to Mom was one of convenience. He says he respects Mom, but doesn't truly love her. Yet today, he actually apologized to me. He admitted he was wrong and said he was sorry to Mom, and to me and Adele."
Glades still wanted to understand the reason for his parents' uncharacteristic behavior.
Julia lifted her gaze to meet his but didn't answer immediately. After a moment, she softly recounted the afternoon's events.
When she finished speaking, she clearly felt Glades's body stiffen—a sure sign of his anger. Yet, he didn't explode; instead, he suppressed it with visible effort.
"Glades, remember I suggested last time that we get Mom involved in some constructive activities to enrich her life?" Julia said. "That way, she wouldn't always be playing cards, she wouldn't be so bored, and she wouldn't keep dwelling on Dad's affair. To make Mom happy, the most important thing is to help her let go of everything. Dad and James's mother have been together for nearly thirty years. Even if none of us like it or want it, we can't change that reality. It's better for Mom to find a way to accept it."
Even if Gian Horne and Pheobe Rogers were both killed now, it wouldn't erase the pain in Mila Anderson's heart. She felt the most important thing now was to help Mila find happiness first.
"I've tried persuading Mom, but she still loves Dad," Glades said deeply, his tone conveying both helplessness and sympathy for his mother. "She said that love is the root of hate. If one day she stops hating Dad, it means she no longer loves him."
If Mother didn't still deeply love Father, would Father be living so leisurely and comfortably now?
He had long since cut off his father's finances, ensuring Gian Horne could no longer give money to Pheobe. He could also covertly target James's company, preventing James from providing Pheobe with an easy life.