Chapter 332
Chapter 332
“Really?” Old Mr. Lawrence asked cautiously, probing for reassurance.
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Ryan still resented him for what happened in the past; if not for his old age, Ryan wouldn’t even speak to him. “He’s over there. Go ask him yourself.”
Old Mr. Lawrence looked a bit hurt, but didn’t say anything else.
Things used to be so tense between them, so the fact that they’d managed even this much was already a big step forward.
“And what about Becky?” Old Mr. Lawrence probed.
“I’ll go talk to her,” Ryan finally replied after some thought.
Rebecca hadn’t grown up with him, and her close ties to the Quinn family made things complicated. With the Guzman and Quinn families not getting along for so long, if she ever inherited his shares, plenty of folks- probably from both sides–would raise hell over it.
Even if he somehow managed to get everyone on board, it would cost him an arm and a leg.
Might as well let Jeffrey step in at a dinner, throw his weight around, and keep them all in check.
When Ryan walked over, Rebecca, Jessica, and Riley had just finished a game with Samuel, and were getting ready for the next round. He stepped up and asked, “Rebecca, mind if we talk for a minute?”
Rebecca looked up, puzzled.
“Go ahead,” Jessica told her, “We’ve got things covered here.”
Jessica was sharper than Rebecca realized. ‘If you’ve got a rich dad, you better put him to work. He’s had a free ride for over twenty years–time he actually stepped up,‘ Jessica thought.
Rebecca went after Ryan.
She looked peaceful and sweet. “What’s up?”
“Next Saturday night, we’re having a family dinner at our place,” Ryan told her, keeping it kind of vague. “Figured you could meet some of the family elders. It’s just a dinner–whatever you wanna do about the whole ‘official family‘ thing is totally up to you.”
Rebecca almost blurted out that she didn’t wanna go.
That said, Miles was already keeping a close eye on her.
The Quinn and Guzman families were tangled up behind the scenes, caught between interests and conflicts, and Rebecca was getting pushed forward by unseen hands, one step at a time.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be there too,” Ryan reassured her. “Nobody’s going to give you a hard time.”
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Chapter 332
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“I’ll have to look at my schedule for next week,” Rebecca said, holding off on a definite answer. She knew the company didn’t really need her right now, but things could always pop up. “If I’m free. I’ll come by.”
Ryan felt a bit of relief hearing that. “Alright.”
Rebecca just nodded.
Meanwhile, Jeffrey was on board with it too.
Old Mr. Lawrence looked Jeffrey over–the sharp suit, the striking features–and finally couldn’t hold back his curiosity. “I hope you don’t mind an old man’s question.”
Jeffrey kept his tone polite, though a bit distant. “Go ahead.”
“So tell me, what does Becky mean to you?” Old Mr. Lawrence asked, watching Jeffrey intently.
Ryan’s answer was solid, but only about eighty percent convincing; the only way to really know was to size Jeffrey up in person.
The Guzman family had power and money. If Jeffrey was only interested in Rebecca because of that, there’s no way Old Mr. Lawrence would let Ryan give her those shares. But if it was truly love, handing them over wouldn’t be an issue.
After all, Rebecca had Guzman blood in her veins.
Jeffrey made no secret of how much Rebecca meant to him. “She’s my life.”
Old Mr. Lawrence blinked, not quite catching that. “What?”
Jeffrey said it again, firm and resolute, “She’s my life.”
Old Mr. Lawrence’s expression froze for a second.
Suddenly, his mind drifted back over twenty years, to when he had asked a much younger Ryan, “What is it about Amelia that makes you stand against me for her?”
Back then, Ryan had answered just as stubbornly, telling him, “She’s everything to me.”
“I know exactly what’s on your mind,” Jeffrey said, coolly. “As long as you don’t try to hurt Rebecca, I’ll play along. But if you treat her the way you treated Amelia, don’t be surprised when the Guzman family starts crumbling.”
Old Mr. Lawrence’s brow furrowed.
He almost called Jeffrey out for his arrogance, but then remembered just how much Jeffrey had accomplished over the years.
If Jeffrey ever decided to go after the Guzman family, with things as shaky as they were now, they’d stand no chance. Not to mention the Quinn family, who’d be more than ready to swoop in and stir up trouble.
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Chapter 332
That evening, the air was thick with everyone’s private thoughts.
No one could really let go of what was weighing on their mind.
Except for Samuel, who’d spent the whole night bouncing between different people, completely carefree and smiling from ear to ear.
As the birthday party was winding down, Samuel suddenly dashed over to Rebecca, tugging at her sleeve, his big, round eyes twinkling bright and eager. “Mommy! Can I make another birthday wish?”
“Of course you can,” Rebecca replied, happy to indulge him in almost anything.
“I want…” Samuel said as he glanced Jeffrey’s way, locking eyes with his dad for a brief moment.
Rebecca followed his gaze across the room.
Catching the wordless look between father and son, Rebecca smiled softly and said, “Alright.”
Samuel whipped around, a grin on his face. “But I haven’t even said my wish yet!”
Rebecca smiled warmly, her voice soft with motherly affection. “Whatever you wish for, Mommy will do her best to make it happen–even this one,” she teased gently, knowing exactly what was on his mind. Samuel hadn’t said it out loud lately, but she could see how much he missed Jeffrey.
Samuel’s eyes squinted into little crescent moons as he broke into a huge, happy smile.
He threw his arms around Rebecca, planting a sweet kiss on her cheek. “Thank you, Mommy!”
Rebecca gave his hair a gentle, loving tousle.
Ten minutes later, Samuel grabbed Rebecca’s hand with one little fist and Jeffrey’s with the other, all set to pile into the car and head home together.
*****
Ryan followed behind, absolutely hating what he was seeing. He couldn’t help grumbling to Amelia, “Jeffrey’s got way too many tricks up his sleeve–look at him, even dragging the kid into his schemes.”
Amelia glanced at Ryan, her expression halfway between amusement and exasperation.
“Should we do something to throw a wrench in his plans?” Ryan muttered, annoyed that Jeffrey was pulling ahead with Rebecca. “No way are we letting that sly fox get his way, right?”
“What, you can’t stand seeing the kid happy?” Amelia teased.
Ryan blinked, totally lost.
“I’m just worried Jeffrey’s up to some tricks trying to fool Rebecca,” Ryan muttered, still baffled.
“You’ve never raised a kid, so you don’t realize how normal it is for them to want their parents around,” Amelia explained. “Rebecca and Jeffrey were married for five years–she knows him better than anyone,
10:54 Tue, Oct 14
Chapter 332
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