Jane furrowed her brow, she never expected Florence to have such audacity.
Patrick’s face was stern, he never thought that one day he would be so calculated by someone.
But there were some things Patrick could see clearly. He turned to Jane and said slowly, “Florence is just a pawn of Tristian.”
Because of the incident at Mike’s birthday party, Florence had already caused a great impact on the Doyle family and became infamous.
Although Patrick hadn’t met Tristian too many times, from the information he had investigated privately alone, he knew that Tristian was definitely not as crazy as he appeared on the surface.
In some matters, Tristian was very good at weighing pros and cons. So it was impossible for him to cooperate with a chess piece that had lost too much effect.
Perhaps in his eyes, Florence was just an appetizer and the main course would slowly appear later.
But looking at the current situation, Patrick knew that Tristian did not focus his attention mainly on them because he would soon return to the Duncan family where his real focus should be.
Suddenly Patrick wanted to see what would happen when Tristian met the Duncan family’s representative person?
“Tristian called me before and told me about Florence’s situation but now I’m still not sure what exactly that person wants to do. His actions are too mysterious,” Jane said frowningly.
To be honest, Jane didn’t really want too much contact with Tristian either.
Patrick saw the situation and reached out to hold Jane’s waist, bringing her into his arms. He gently kissed her forehead and said in a deep voice, “Tristian has already met Katherine.”
Whenever Katherine’s name was mentioned, Jane couldn’t help but feel a dislike towards her. Every time they met, she would do something annoying.
Playing with the buttons on Patrick’s chest, Jane tilted her head and said, “I heard that Katherine might marry Tristian.”
If the Maltz family and the Duncan family really formed an alliance, it would indeed be quite tricky to deal with.
However, upon hearing this, Patrick curved his lips and said, “Tristian is a businessman. He always prioritizes his interests, but the Maltz family holds no value for him.”
A hint of surprise flashed across Jane’s face, and she blinked her eyes, looking at Patrick with confusion. “No value? The Maltz family is still a prominent family. How could that be?”
Even if Tristian had taken over the Duncan family now, the strength and status of the Duncan family were not much different from the Maltz family. How could he be so confident that the Maltz family had no value to him?
“What do you think businessmen value the most?” Patrick didn’t directly answer Jane’s question but posed a question in return.
After contemplating for a moment, Jane lightly nodded and said, “Money?”
Listening to her, Patrick narrowed his long, narrow eyes and said, “Do you think the Duncan family lacks money?”
“What is it then?” Jane couldn’t think of anything else, nor did she want to bother thinking about it. Instead, she wrapped her hands around Patrick’s neck, turned around, and straddled his lap.
“Stop teasing me here.”
Patrick’s fingertips gently rubbed Jane’s waist as he spoke in a deep voice, “What the Duncan family values most now is actually connections. However, the Maltz family has always kept a low profile. They have accumulated considerable wealth over the years, but they lack extensive connections.”
Being a family that made their fortune through gambling, the Maltz family had a strong financial foundation, but they had limited external interactions during the few decades since their rise. As a result, they couldn’t expand their network.
It was only because of the respected Troy Maltz that the Maltz family gained a respected reputation.
In reality, there were very few prestigious families willing to associate with the Maltz family, let alone someone like Tristian.
“But I think money can be quite useful. With so much wealth, it can’t be entirely useless,” Jane whispered softly.
“Having money is indeed very useful, but in reality, how many of these families in Alodon are actually in need of money?” Patrick slowly spoke.
These few prominent families may appear peaceful on the surface, but the things they do in private are far from being questioned.
Moreover, wasn’t Patrick involved with Tristian because of that organization?
Jane listened and couldn’t help but let out a sigh.
In truth, she really didn’t like getting involved in these things. It was no wonder her grandfather resolutely took her to live in the countryside back then. It was so much better with mountains and rivers there.
Seeing Jane’s absentmindedness, Patrick thought she was worried about all the scheming and power struggles. He approached her and whispered softly in her ear, “It’s alright.”
Jane listened and couldn’t help but raise her gaze, giving a light laugh. “I’m not worried about these things. I was actually thinking, when we grow old, should we retire to the mountains and forests?”
Patrick couldn’t help but tighten his grip around her. “Alright, I’ll follow your lead. We can go wherever you want.”
“Finding a beautiful place surrounded by mountains and rivers to spend our old age, wouldn’t that be wonderful with our children and grandchildren around us?”
As she spoke, Jane seemed to have already imagined her future life as an elderly person.
Hearing this, Patrick’s eyes flickered slightly, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. “Having children and grandchildren around would indeed be nice. Do you prefer a son or a daughter?”
However, Jane didn’t catch the deeper meaning in Patrick’s words and thought carefully for a moment. “I actually prefer a daughter, cute and beautiful.”
His palm gently caressed Jane’s back as Patrick buried his head in the crook of her neck. “Just like you…”
The warm breath brushed against Jane’s skin, making her feel a bit itchy, causing her to instinctively shrink her neck.
When she lowered her head, she met Patrick’s lips. No, Jane suddenly realized what she had just said.
“Patrick…”
Jane murmured softly, her cheeks blushing.
“I’m here,” Patrick responded, lifting Jane by her waist and holding her in his arms.
Jane was startled by this action and quickly wrapped her arms and legs around Patrick.
She looked at Patrick, whose eyes were filled with melancholy, and couldn’t help but purse her lips, playfully saying, “I’m a bit tired today.”
“Isn’t that why I’m taking you to bed?” Patrick remained unfazed, walking towards the bed.
“Just to sleep?” Jane raised an eyebrow.
But Patrick didn’t say anything, as soon as Jane’s back touched the bed, he pressed down straight, capturing her lips with a passionate kiss.