Even though Holden was the rightful heir to the Smith family, he suddenly felt like an outsider. His entrance seemed to disrupt the cozy, joyful atmosphere.
Old Mr. Smith’s expression turned serious. “Holden, you’re back.”
Holden gave a half-smile, replying, “Grandpa, Grandma, Merry Christmas.”
Both Old Mr. Smith and Nicola stiffly nodded in response.
Holden then turned to Samuel and Reuben, the two younger uncles, and said cheerfully, “Merry Christmas, Uncles.”
Their faces looked a bit off, and Samuel turned his head away, huffing without saying anything. They had both gotten seriously beaten up by Holden before, especially Samuel, who had just recovered from his injuries and was still jittery, scared that Holden might suddenly go off on him again. He didn’t have that many lives to spare. Even if he had ten more, it wouldn’t be enough for Holden to beat him up.
Sarah watched this unfold, seeing Holden politely greet his uncles, only to be collectively isolated and bullied by them. She felt a pang of sympathy for Holden.
Damn it. Her sugar daddy was such a kind, generous, elegant, and charming guy. How could they isolate him like this and treat him like he wasn’t family?
The reunion dinner ended up feeling tasteless, as if Holden’s arrival had ruined the good vibe of the family gathering, leaving everyone feeling uneasy.
After dinner, Old Mr. Smith coughed and said, “Holden, I need to talk to you.”
Holden smiled, “Sure.” He pushed Old Mr. Smith’s wheelchair to the study.
Watching Holden’s dutiful figure made Sarah feel even more concerned for him.
Once the study door closed, Old Mr. Smith’s expression turned cold. “Samuel and Reuben are your uncles; you can’t completely disregard their feelings.”
Holden replied, half-smiling, “Oh?”
Old Mr. Smith felt anger bubbling inside. “While I was unconscious, you took the chance to eliminate all the executives in the company who didn’t support you. What’s next? Do you plan to kick your uncles out completely? In just a few years, you’ve gained complete control. If I upset you, would you get rid of me, too?”
“Not at the moment,” Holden replied with a smile. “After all, maintaining a decent image brings in ongoing benefits. Who would want to do business with a cold-blooded, heartless lunatic?”
“Leave your two uncles and their mother alone. Your father’s issues have nothing to do with them; they haven’t done anything wrong.”
Holden looked at Old Mr. Smith and said, “If it was related, do you think they’d still be alive? As long as they give up everything that should’ve belonged to me, I won’t take their lives. I’ll give them a few hundred million and send them far away.”
Old Mr. Smith was about to blow a gasket. “A few hundred million? Are you trying to pay off beggars?”
Just one of the antique vases in the Smith family was worth over a hundred million, and Holden thought a measly few hundred million would be enough to dismiss his wife and two sons?
Holden smiled politely, “If you don’t agree, there won’t be any of that money. Do you really think your wills are worth anything without my permission?”
Old Mr. Smith raised a finger at him, saying, “Holden, you’re going to end up just like your father! You both are heartless!”
“Thanks for the compliment.” Holden opened the study door and walked out, saying, “Merry Christmas.”
Sarah was waiting for Holden in the living room.
Nicola was itching to pick a fight with her, trying to force Sarah and Holden to divorce. She knew that the only way to secure her and her son’s future was for Sarah to leave Holden and let Linda marry him. Otherwise, once Old Mr. Smith passed away, they’d surely be kicked out of the Smith family by Holden.
But today, Sarah ignored her completely. No matter how many snarky comments Nicola threw her way, Sarah just nodded along, saying “mm-hmm.”
Nicola felt frustrated and annoyed. Just then, Holden walked out of the study.
Sarah guessed Holden must have been scolded by Old Mr. Smith. After all, with a stepmother, there was bound to be a stepfather. And with a step-grandmother, even a biological grandfather turned into a step-grandfather.
Sarah stood up, looking at him with concern. Holden ruffled her hair with his big hand, messing up the curls she had spent an hour styling with a curling iron.
“Go back to our room,” he said.
Sarah grabbed his sleeve and followed him into the room. She could tell Holden wasn’t in a good mood.
“Did Grandpa scold you?”
Holden had a slight smile on his lips. “What do you think?”
Sarah sighed, “I really don’t know how you grew up in a family like this.”
Holden paused for a moment, “Just like today.”
Sarah asked, “Huh?”
“They’re all having fun, and I’m just a bystander,” Holden said, a smirk playing on his lips. “That’s how it’s always been.”
Sarah felt a pang in her heart. It seemed like Holden’s presence was just too strong for this kind of situation to happen to him.
But Holden himself didn’t seem to care much. Maybe it was because he’d never really sought out their affection.
But seeing the slight concern in Sarah’s eyes puzzled him for a moment. She had dressed nicely today for the family gathering, her long, thick curls cascading down her back. She wore no makeup, just a light pink fur sweater and a calf-length skirt, her eyes as clear and pure as fresh snow.
In her flat shoes, she looked delicate standing in front of Holden.
He reached up and pinched her cheek, asking, “Feeling sorry for me?”
Sarah quickly dodged, “… No way.”
If we were talking about who was more pitiful, she had it worse, right? Her ending was so tragic. At least Holden was loaded, enjoying endless wealth and loneliness.
Sarah, on the other hand, had been forced to ruin her reputation, disfigure herself, and attempt suicide.
But regardless of what lay ahead, in the present moment, she genuinely felt that Holden was very lonely.
He was the standard definition of a tragic, strong character.
Sarah was a bit curious about Holden’s past experiences, but she didn’t want to poke at his scars.
After they both took a shower, changed into their pajamas, and got into bed, Sarah asked, “When you were little, did your step-grandmother treat you as harshly as I do? Did she make you, the poor little gray prince, suffer a lot?”
Holden just stared at her. He thought Sarah might have read too many romance novels and was completely brainwashed by all those classic tropes.
There were definitely good and bad things in his past.
Nicola and her son were certainly not good people in Holden’s eyes. In the Smith family, even the crazies couldn’t survive, let alone good people.
Someone like Holden had a coldness in him; he was born to bully others, not to be bullied. But if Sarah wanted to feel sorry for him, he wouldn’t tell her to stop. After all, Holden was a pretty terrible person. He wasn’t going to pass up any chance to gain an advantage.
He nodded and chuckled lightly, “What? Do you feel sorry for me, my dear wife? You want to hug me?”
The next second, Holden’s body stiffened. Sarah wrapped her arms around his waist, giving him a warm hug.
The girl’s body was soft and fragrant, and she pressed against him, which made him uncharacteristically warm. His eyes darkened. He feared Sarah might forget he was actually a very aggressive man.
Holden’s big hand gripped Sarah’s slender waist. “If it were another man, would you comfort him like this too?”