"Oh my, Elliana, come over here to grandma."
The kindly old woman in front of her is Mrs. Bennett. Perhaps due to her age, she is wearing a thin cotton jacket and is in a wheelchair, evidently due to mobility issues.
Elliana obediently walked over to Mrs. Bennett, crouched down beside the wheelchair, and said, "Grandma." Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs NoveIＦire.net
"Good child." Mrs. Bennett held her hand, looking her over carefully, and said with a smile, "I heard from Norman that you two have got your marriage certificate. Oh, it’s finally official. Your wedding must be grand, it must be grand."
Eliza cheered, "I want to be the flower girl for Uncle’s wedding, and Uncle has to give me the biggest red envelope."
So far, the biggest red envelope Norman has given Eliza is probably a villa located in North City Park.
Shawn Bennett looked at his granddaughter asking for red envelopes, smiling, and said, "Hasn’t Uncle given you enough red envelopes? You should think about what to give him."
"Uncle lacks nothing, what can I give?"
The lively atmosphere of the Bennett Family, to Elliana’s eyes, was enviable, and she was also grateful she could be part of such a wonderful family.
"Alright, alright, you must be hungry. Let’s eat and chat slowly afterward," Mrs. Bennett urged.
The family sat down according to seniority.
"Eliza, where’s your mom? Has your uncle returned?" Mrs. Bennett only noticed the absence of two people after everyone was seated.
Eliza felt a bit uneasy and then said, "Great-grandmother, my mom is still outside, and my uncle seems to be out too."
Just as they spoke of him, here came Simon King, and beside him, apart from the complex expression on Julia’s face, was a woman dressed in a beige cheongsam.
This woman made everyone present freeze for a moment, and Mrs. Bennett, who had been all smiles, immediately darkened her expression.
The atmosphere at the dining table suddenly became heavy, and no one spoke for a while; even Eliza quieted down.
To break the silence, Julia said, "Grandma, today might be a family dinner, but our Bennett Family always welcomes guests."
"What guest?" Simon King glared at Julia and then led Mia Clarke to an empty seat, saying, "Mom, I’ve brought Mia Clarke to see you."
Mia Clarke quickly called out "Mom" to Mrs. Bennett and then "Dad" to the Mr. Bennett.
Originally, Mrs. Bennett was going to get angry, but today was different; it was Elliana’s first visit.
Mrs. Bennett, with a darkened face, said, "Add a pair of chopsticks, let’s sit down and eat."
Seeing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Due to the family hierarchy, Mia Clarke naturally had to sit next to Mrs. Bennett, but how could Mrs. Bennett be willing to see her?
"No need to change seats. Our Bennett family is informal; sit wherever you want." These words seemed to be about the Bennett family, but were actually criticizing Mia Clarke and Simon King’s lack of decorum.
Mia Clarke was the woman Simon King had an affair with while married. In the Bennett Family, perhaps only Eliza didn’t know about it.
In the end, Mia Clarke obediently sat at the very end, as Mrs. Bennett allowing her to sit was already beyond tolerance.
The meal was exceptionally quiet, causing Elliana to lose her appetite, and she only sipped her mushroom soup.
Mia Clarke’s presence changed the Bennett Family’s atmosphere, clearly showing how unwelcome she was.
Thinking of this, Elliana glanced at Mia Clarke, unexpectedly finding Mia Clarke also looking at her, perhaps wondering why she was here.
The unpleasant gathering disbanded within half an hour. Eliza continued dragging Elliana around for a tour, while Norman retreated to the third-floor study, expressionless.
She wasn’t sure what the man was thinking, but she knew he was in a bad mood.
Noticing she was a bit distracted, Eliza whispered to her, "Auntie, don’t worry, they’re often . Once Mia Clarke leaves, everything will be fine. I’ll take you to play in the back; mom says adults’ business is none of children’s concerns."
From Eliza’s words, she understood that such events were common in the Bennett Family.
"Boss, we received a message at noon, suggesting we hold our product launch early because White Orchid plans to release our product on the 15th."
This name was familiar, a well-known domestic cosmetic brand with a competitive relationship with Melody Harmony. Recently, White Orchid has been closely working with Roland.
White Orchid’s products were almost all endorsed by artists from Roland Company.
Norman pondered briefly and asked, "Who sent the message?"
Raymond Wood said, "Anonymous email, can’t be traced for now. However, we could investigate White Orchid. If it’s true, we still have time."
If it’s true, then we must consider the possibility of a company mole.
"Hmm, let Luna handle it. Anything else?"
Raymond quickly said, "Yes, Mr. Davis has indicated he will no longer cooperate with Melody Harmony. There were no issues with the last batch of raw materials."
At this moment, Norman fully understood Shawn Lyle’s intention, thinking that by not selling to Melody Harmony, they would be unable to obtain quality raw materials.
What Shawn Lyle didn’t know is that Melody Harmony’s cosmetics subsidiaries are not singular.
Any subsidiary could easily purchase raw materials from Adrian Davies.
He overestimated Shawn Lyle.
Raymond continued, "Simon King has completed divorce proceedings with his wife; their assets have been divided in half, which is to some extent his achievement over the past month."
"Got it. I’ll handle it myself the day after tomorrow. Make arrangements for Radiant Light’s matter early."
"Yes, Boss, I will return to the company for now."
As Raymond opened the door, he saw Elliana standing there. She looked as if she had been crying, but also not quite.
He stepped aside quickly, "Miss Lyle, please go in first."
At this moment, Eliza pulled Elliana inside, releasing her hand once she was in front of the man.
"Uncle, Auntie was terribly wronged, scolded by Mia Clarke, and then by Uncle King. I can’t console her, so it’s up to you, Uncle."
The man’s expression immediately tightened, but seeing Eliza’s swollen face, he asked, "Eliza, what happened to your face?"
"It’s nothing." Eliza quickly covered her face, "I accidentally bumped into the wall."
Saying that, she walked out without hesitation, saying to Raymond, who was still at the door watching the "scene," "Uncle, aren’t you leaving? It’s illegal to peep, you know."
Once the door closed, Elliana stood frozen, the events still vivid in her memory, leaving her feeling unsettled.
The man beckoned her over gently, "Elliana, come here."
She walked over in a daze. The man pulled her into his arms, gently stroking her hair, asking, "Tell me, what happened?"
"Nothing..." She shook her head, not because she didn’t want to say, but didn’t know where to begin.
Seeing her reluctance, Norman’s expression darkened, his deep eyes fixed on her, and a cold word escaped his lips, "Speak."