Although the old Mrs. Henley was the head of the Bloomer family, and her word carried weight in family matters, she couldn’t simply kick Leo out of the Bloomer family or force Sophia to divorce him. After all, this wasn’t ancient society; the old Mrs. Henley’s commands meant little in the face of the law.
As Jessica had anticipated, the old Mrs. Henley redirected her frustration towards her, saying, “Jessica, this is all your doing, bringing in such a useless son-in-law who dares to disrespect me!”
In the Bloomer family, Jessica feared the old Mrs. Henley the most without a doubt.
“Mom, I’ve tried numerous times to get Sophia to divorce that useless Leo. But Sophia is determined, and I really can’t do anything about it,” Jessica complained.
Previously, the old Mrs. Henley didn’t approve of Sophia and Leo divorcing because their marriage was already a joke in the Bloomer family. If they divorced, it would only add fuel to the mockery from the first-class and second-class families in Langstel.
However, after returning from Old Mr. Browne’s banquet, the old Mrs. Henley had to admit that Leo now had some utility for the Bloomer family. Regardless of how Leo managed to befriend Old Mr. Browne, the fact remained that Old Mr. Browne valued him. The Bloomer family could leverage this to strengthen ties with the Browne family, avoiding unnecessary detours on the path to becoming a first-class family.
Ignoring Jessica’s complaints, the old Mrs. Henley commanded, “I don’t care how you do it, but make sure Leo takes care of the matter I just mentioned. Otherwise, I guarantee your good days in the Bloomer family will come to an end.”
Leo could easily disregard the old Mrs. Henley’s commands and threats, but Jessica couldn’t. She quickly nodded and responded, “Mom, I’ll persuade Sophia to talk to him. Leo may disrespect anyone, but he wouldn’t dare disrespect Sophia.”
With no other option, the old Mrs. Henley had to rely on Jessica to handle this matter. As Jessica left, the old Mrs. Henley couldn’t help but admire the Cloud Dream Mountain villa for a while.
Living in the Cloud Dream Mountain villa area had been a lifelong dream for the old Mrs. Henley. However, now that Jessica had moved in, her dream remained unfulfilled, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.
Sometimes, in the quiet of the night, the old Mrs. Henley pondered a question. If she treated Leo and Sophia a little better, would they invite her to live in the Number Nine villa?
But such thoughts were fleeting. As the head of the Bloomer family, she couldn’t compromise or show goodwill to a son-in-law. The matter of the Cloud Dream Mountain villa was temporarily set aside. The old Mrs. Henley planned to seize the opportunity later, take it from Leo and Sophia, and move in with Bruno.
The old Mrs. Henley returned to the Bloomer Residence in Huntstone City. As soon as she got out of the car, Fanny, who hadn’t gone back to Langstel, hurriedly approached, her face brimming with excitement and joy.
“Fanny, how many times have I told you, a young lady should behave like one. Your restless demeanor needs to change!” the old Mrs. Henley lectured.
Fanny rushed up to the old Mrs. Henley, gasping for breath. “Grandma, someone… someone is here!”
“Who’s here?” The old Mrs. Henley was a bit displeased with Fanny’s abrupt statement.
After catching her breath, Fanny finally managed to say, “The man who brought the engagement gift last time is here again!”
The old Mrs. Henley first looked puzzled but quickly realized. She asked eagerly, “You mean the man who brought a ten-million-dollar engagement gift to my birthday banquet?”
“Yes, Grandma, he’s in the living room right now!” Fanny was delighted; she had been waiting for this for a long time.
“Take me to the living room immediately!”
Fanny hurriedly assisted the old Mrs. Henley, and the two entered the living room together.
In the living room, the old Mrs. Henley saw the man who had brought the engagement gift to her birthday banquet.
“Hello, may I ask which family you represent?” the old Mrs. Henley asked directly.
Last time, the man had left after delivering the gift, and the old Mrs. Henley hadn’t had a chance to inquire about his identity.
The man replied, “I am a steward from the Browne family.”
The Browne family’s steward?
The old Mrs. Henley couldn’t help but be stunned. In all of Langstel, the only first-class family with the name Browne was the August family. However, August only had one daughter and no sons.
Could this engagement gift be on behalf of Tiger Browne, August’s brother, who was doing business abroad? Tiger Browne did have a son.
Was this the case?
The man continued, “The old Mrs. Henley, you should remember that last time, I brought a gift to the Bloomer family on behalf of my master.”
“Yes, I’ve been keeping the engagement gift safe,” replied the old Mrs. Henley.
Fanny, standing beside the old Mrs. Henley, couldn’t help but ask eagerly, “Excuse me, has the young master of the Browne family come today?”
As she asked, Fanny’s face blushed, like a shy woman waiting for her man to come and propose.
The man looked displeased, giving Fanny a sidelong glance. “I’m talking to the Bloomer family’s decision-maker. Others should keep quiet.”
“I’m not just anyone; I’m Fanny. The engagement gift from the Browne family is for me!” Fanny explained hastily.
The man looked at Fanny as if she were foolish, then turned to the old Mrs. Henley. “The old Mrs. Henley, I came here today with a simple purpose: to tell you explicitly that you cannot touch the engagement gift I brought last time. You must keep it safe. Otherwise, there will be severe consequences!”
Perplexed, the old Mrs. Henley asked, “Sir, what’s the story behind this engagement gift? It’s been a long time since you brought it, and why hasn’t your young master met my granddaughter yet?”
The man responded indifferently, “My purpose in coming today is just to convey a message. I don’t know about other matters.”
Having said that, the man turned and prepared to leave.
Fanny had been waiting for this day for so long. During the old Mrs. Henley’s birthday banquet, when the engagement gift appeared, Fanny instantly believed it was meant for her, as Sophia, her only competitor, was already married.