Chapter 65: Tensions and Revelations

Chapter 65: Tensions and Revelations

Emily's tone and demeanor were friendly, as if she were simply chatting with her sister-in-law, but Susan Manley could sense the underlying threat—Emily was essentially warning her that she could expose her family's dirty laundry at any moment!

Seeing Susan's stunned expression, Emily smiled again.

"What's wrong? Big Brother and Xun Chen can't be on the news? Or would you prefer to be in the spotlight yourself?"

She paused, her eyes glinting mischievously. "I seem to recall that dress you wore to the charity gala... it looked a bit familiar, didn't it?"

She didn't explicitly say "knock-off," but the implication was clear—it was the last bit of courtesy she extended.

"As it happens, the designer of that brand recently worked with me. He's still quite upset about his design being copied."

With each sentence Emily spoke, Susan's face grew darker. By the time Emily mentioned the knock-off dress, Susan looked like she could barely breathe.

The knock-off incident had flown under the radar, with no one realizing at the time. Susan herself had been duped into buying it, thinking she was getting a deal.

But she had forgotten that this young lady had been surrounded by high fashion and jewelry since childhood, her discerning eye naturally sharp...

"Grandfather is waiting upstairs," Susan hurriedly changed the subject, trying to steer the conversation away from her fashion faux pas. "We should go up."

Emily shot her a final playful smirk before stepping into the elevator.

Susan followed, but after being put in her place, her expression was harder to control.

"Be sure to read the room when you see Grandfather," Susan said, her tone laden with the authority of a big sister-in-law. "Does Grandfather know about your plans to remarry? If he disapproves, all your efforts will be in vain."

Emily gave her a fleeting glance, her gaze cool.

"I haven't put in much effort," Emily responded as she stepped out of the elevator, "but I'll be sure to pass your concerns on to Ethan."

After all, he was still in his probationary period—he ought to put in some effort.

When they entered the room, Old Mr. Harrison was busy feeding his massive macaw with a piece of fig.

The brightly colored macaw, older than Emily herself, tilted its head and was the first to greet them, squawking, "Happy New Year! Happy New Year!"

The old man turned around as Emily entered, his face lighting up with a broad smile.

"Why were you so late? Was the driver delayed?"

Emily greeted him with a soft "Grandfather" and shook her head.

"The driver was on time. It was me who was running late."

Susan Manley followed, wearing the perfect smile of the eldest daughter-in-law, also greeting him with a polite "Grandfather."

But she couldn't help but feel a twinge of disbelief at how warmly he was smiling at Emily.

Old Mr. Harrison merely nodded at Susan, offering no further conversation.

The macaw, however, was much more enthusiastic, squawking at Susan, "Red envelopes! Red envelopes!"

The old man turned to Emily, scrutinizing her for a moment. "Ethan didn't come with you?"

"He hasn't arrived home yet," Emily replied calmly.

The old man frowned. "On New Year's and he's not even at home..."

He sighed, turning back to Emily, "You know how he is—don't hold it against him!"

Susan Manley: "?"

After a brief pause, the old man continued, his voice tinged with curiosity, "What they're saying online—it's true, right? You and Ethan have reconciled?"

Emily was momentarily taken aback, almost as if she didn't recognize the old man.

"Uh... yeah," she managed to reply.

The old man nodded, his face beaming with satisfaction. "That's what I thought! First love is the best love—'seeking his wife' is the way to go!"

Emily: "?"

For a moment, she felt like she was watching an elderly person struggle with modern technology.

Hearing words like "first love" and "seeking his wife" from Old Mr. Harrison made her world feel a bit surreal...

"Have you processed your remarriage yet?"

As a dedicated fan of the "seeking his wife" CP (couple pairing), the old man seemed ready to march them down to the civil affairs bureau himself.

"Not yet," Emily replied slowly, her mind wandering. "It's a bit complicated, no rush."

"You never finalized the divorce, so what's so complicated about getting remarried?" The old man looked displeased. "Who said it's complicated? Nonsense!"

Susan Manley: "…?"

Susan cast a puzzled glance at Emily, feeling as if her world had become a bit unreal too...

After exchanging New Year's greetings, the conversation naturally turned to marriage and children.

The old man then asked Emily and Ethan if they had seen the "How to Have a Smart and Beautiful Baby" article he had sent them on WeChat.

Emily couldn't bring herself to tell him that Ethan had already blocked those messages on both of their phones…

Susan Manley chimed in, "Emily is still young, Grandfather."

She glanced at Emily's slender waist.

"Besides, it's normal for young women today to not want to have children too soon—they're all worried about losing their figures and not looking as beautiful."

Emily: "…"

Without looking at Susan, Emily slowly peeled an orange, her voice calm, "Not everyone loses their figure after having a baby."

In a fairy's dictionary, the phrase "losing one's figure" simply doesn't exist :)

"But that's not the most important thing. Raising a child well is. What if they grow up spoiled, only knowing how to eat, drink, and play? You can't exactly put them back in the womb, can you?" Emily asked, her tone innocent as she blinked at Susan.

Susan Manley: "…"

The old man nodded thoughtfully. "That's true."

Although Emily didn't name names, her description of "only knowing how to eat, drink, and play" had a rather clear target.

Susan Manley was left speechless, her face flushed as she discreetly glanced at the old man's expression.

"Grandfather, I spoke with Xun Chen yesterday—he said he misses you!" Susan quickly changed the subject, laughing lightly. "He's upset he couldn't come home for New Year's since they don't get time off overseas!"

The old man sipped his tea, his expression indifferent. "If he doesn't get time off, he should focus on his studies. He'll be starting high school next year, won't he?"

He paused for a moment, adding, "He should take after his second uncle. Ethan was already applying to Wharton at sixteen."

Old Mr. Harrison was a practical man, even when it came to his own family. He had always been distant with his disappointing eldest son.

That side of the family was hopeless, each generation worse than the last.

Such incompetent relatives could live comfortably on family wealth, but if they thought they could touch the core of the Harrison empire, they were sorely mistaken.

The Harrison family valued competence over birthright. The old man knew this well—he understood that the future of the family rested with his youngest grandson.

As for the next generation, he would be counting on them to produce an heir worthy of the Harrison name...

After sitting with them for a while, Emily began to feel bored.

To her left, someone kept trying to pick a fight, while to her right, the conversation revolved around baby-making…

After a quick visit to say hello to Old Mrs. Harrison, Emily found an excuse to leave.

As she reached the front door, she noticed a familiar car parked in the driveway.

A tall, broad-shouldered man stepped out, his long coat carrying the scent of travel.

Emily froze, watching Ethan from a distance.

It was odd—he had only been gone for a week, yet she felt as though she hadn't seen him in ages…

Ethan spotted her too, quickening his pace. The closer he got, the deeper the smile on his lips and the warmer the light in his eyes.

"Why are you waiting out here?" Ethan asked, assuming his wife had come out to greet him, clearly pleased. He took her slightly cold hand in his, rubbing it between both of his to warm her up. "Are you cold?"

Emily looked at him, her lips pressing together.

She didn't know why, but seeing him now, a wave of unexpected emotion washed over her—a sense of vulnerability she couldn't quite place.

Her lips quivered as she pinched the back of his hand.

"I want to go home."

Ethan squeezed her hand. "Give me a minute. I'll say hello to Grandfather and Grandmother, then we can go together."

After all, nothing was more important than his wife :)

"No need," Emily murmured, her long lashes lowered. "I'm a bit tired."

Ethan studied her face, his smile fading slightly.

"What's wrong?" he asked gently, cupping her pouting face in his hand. "Who upset my darling?"

She didn't respond, only giving a soft, haughty "hmph."

Before Ethan could ask further, Susan Manley appeared, draped in a shawl.

"Ethan, you're here," she greeted with a smile. "I was just telling Emily to wait a little longer with Grandfather, but she said she was tired and insisted on leaving early."

—implying, of course, that his wife was being difficult.

"I was the one who asked Emily to come out," Ethan replied smoothly.

He looked at Susan for a few seconds, his gaze assessing.

"Last time

Emily and Grandfather met, they had a nice, long chat. So, why wouldn't she want to stay today?"

He smiled, but there was no warmth in his eyes. "Could it be that someone's trying to chase her away?"

Susan froze, her words caught in her throat.

In the past, Ethan had always been protective of his wife when they visited the old house, but never like this—he wasn't just defending her; he was ready to pick a fight.

Susan forced a laugh. "Why would I do that!"

She tried to smooth things over, "Emily, don't take it the wrong way. I'm sorry if I upset you—I was just joking around! You know how easy it is to misinterpret things, haha…"

Emily: "…"

A fake apology that was really just another dig at her for being overly sensitive.

Ethan frowned.

He wasn't about to accept such an apology.

Noticing movement on the stairs, Ethan continued calmly, "Since Big Brother is here, perhaps he should apologize to Emily as well."

Daniel, who had just reached the top of the stairs, froze mid-step.

"The incident at the photography exhibit," Ethan clarified.

Daniel: "…"

He had heard the entire conversation.

It was clear Ethan was intent on putting them in their place and standing up for Emily.

Daniel knew he couldn't continue to blame Susan Manley, so he had to take the fall himself.

After the photography exhibit, Ethan's simple actions had led to three consecutive months of losses for Daniel's companies…

Ah, the lengths men would go for love.

Daniel sighed heavily, his expression dark.

"Emily, I was out of line last time. I'm sorry. We're family—please don't hold a grudge."

With Daniel's concession, Susan Manley's face turned beet red.

But Emily felt something stir inside her.

She glanced at Ethan, admiring his strong profile, and realized how d*mn charming he looked when he was using his power to stand up for her…

"What are you all doing out here?" Old Mr. Harrison approached, glancing at the group. "Why aren't you inside?"

Ethan nodded respectfully, "Father."

"Let's continue this inside—everyone's here now."

Both Daniel and Susan Manley frowned. Ethan's tone made them feel like there was still unfinished business to settle.

Ethan led Emily by the hand into the house. "Wait to go home? You should be here for this."

Emily glanced at him, puzzled, but followed him inside.

Once everyone was seated in the grand hall, Ethan got straight to the point.

"Emily and I have decided to remarry."

His solemn announcement didn't surprise anyone.

Ethan then produced a document.

"This time, we've decided to annul the prenuptial agreement."

He turned to Emily, his voice firm. "Everything I have, I share with my wife."