Chapter 106
“No problem.” Nicholas agreed right away, completely at ease. He didn’t care how powerful or high status Sharon’s background was Hidrint feel insecure in the slightest.
As far as he was concerned, only weak men feared their wives becoming successful.
Sharon suddenly looked up at Wallace and said, “Wally, I don’t want to be head of the family anymore, if Richie doesn’t want it either, then you, Pat, Aaron, Marcus, or Jeffrey could take the role, “
Marvin raised his hand hesitantly, asking. “W what? Stari, did you forget someone?” He sulked inwardly, “What about med I’m the eighth brother! Did che just forget exist? Even a rich playboy has his pride, okay?”
Sharon smiled sweetly and replied, “Being head of the family means giving up your freedom. I don’t want that title to weigh you down, Ma
Marvin threw a hand over his face and thought, “Aw, Shari really does love me the most. I must’ve hit the jackpot with a sister like this!
He turned to glare at Nicholas and grumbled inwardly, And now this punk wants to steal my sister? God, I’d love to wipe him off the map?
Nicholas stayed calm, unfazed by the hostile look. He’d gotten used to it by now.
erds to tak
Wallace reached out and gently ruffled Sharon’s hair. “We all have our own careers. None of us needs to take on a title that doesn’t mean much. You’re the only one who actually fits the role
The rest of the brothers nodded. They were all pretty tied up with work anyway.
Sharon turned to Richard and mused, “If that old hag hadn’t forced Richie to swear that oath back then, he would’ve been the head of the family today
The more she dwelled on it, the angrier she got. She huffed inwardly, “Just wait. I’m going to make sure Mrs. Vance and her lot get what is coming to them. Let’s see how they like being pushed around for once.
Richard smiled, “it’s fine, Shari. I’m actually really happy that you’re the one taking over as head of the family. Happier than I’d be if I were doing it myself. You don’t need to feel like you’re taking my place.”
He knew exactly what Shari was thinking, and honestly, just having such a thoughtful little sister was more than enough for him.
He pondered, ‘Besides, what’s so great about being head of the family anyway? It’s not like that title’s going to put food on the table. Then again, a caring sister doesn’t exactly keep you fed either!
Sharon gave a helpless nod. “Alright then. From now on, I’ll look after all of you.” Her eyes curved into a gentle smile, her voice soft and sweet, but the words themselves were strikingly firm
All eight of her brothers turned their heads away at the same time. One of them couldn’t help but think, ‘God help me. She’s this soft and considerate and still manages to shine like that? I can’t even look straight at her!
Nicholas wasn’t surprised by how things turned out. Aber all, the nine of them had always looked out for one another. No one ever wanted to make things harder for anyone else. Their closeness was something most people would emy
Suddenly, a memory came to him–his grandfather once telling his parents to hurry up and have a second child, preferably a girl.
“I had a sister too, maybe it wouldn’t as long as she looked like Sharon, Nicholas mused as he looked up at the sky, “Yeah, that might actually be kinda great.!
He snapped out of it and thought, “Crap, what has gotten into me? But honestly, Ettle sisters are kinda adorable, aren’t they?”
The next second, Marvin threw an arm around Nicholas‘ shoulders and growled, “You Come with me. We have something very important to talk about.” He didn’t even bother hiding the emphasis on “talk”
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Wallace’s expression turned cold as he followed them out of the pavilion and down toward the path. Except for Mekare, kë
surrounding Nicholas in the middle Outnumbered, Nicholas suddenly looked a lot less contiamt.
Sharon turned to look and started to speak. “Richle, they–”
Richard cut her off immediately, “Don’t worry. He’ll be fine. If that punk can’t even make it through this, then he doesn’t deserve to be with you.
He covered his forehead with his hand, letting out a sigh in his head as he thought, they’re not even dating yet. it gonna be like later?!
aready siding with Him.
Meanwhile, at the pavilion path entrance, Marvin grilled his teeth and demanded, “How did you get Shari to fall for you? Spit it out now.”
Wallace spoke slowly, his tone cold. “You can start talking the day you and Mr. Edward Baxter agree you’re going to be the stay at home husband. Until then? Not a chance”
Surrounded by the protective circle of Sharon’s brothers, Nicholas stayed calm. His expression didn’t waver as he replied, “Whether I treat her well furs nothing to do with whether I live under her roof or not.”
One of the brothers scoffed, “Nice dodge. But to us, stepping into her world on her terms shows commitment. if you can’t even do that, why should we believe you’ll treat her right?”
Another chimed in, “Exactly. We all know that being Mrs. Baxter isn’t some easy job.”
“That’s what my grandfather told my father back then, too,” Nicholas answered, dragging out his words.
One of the brothers frowned, “Why are you dragging your dad into this? We’re talking about you.”
Wallace, however, raised an eyebrow. “And then?” He had heard that Nicholas‘ parents were head over heels for each other, and as far as he knew, Amold had never been caught up in any scandals–his reputation was spotless.
Nicholas shrugged. “My grandfather’s family wasn’t rich or powerful, not even a little. And when my dad married my mom, he’s been doting on her ever since.”
Wallace’s gaze darkened slightly. “And what does that prove?”
Nicholas looked at him steadily. “I’m saying the kind of home you grow up in matters. I’ve always admired the way my parents treat each other. That’s the kind of relationship I want too. So, I’ll treat Sharon the way my dad treats my mom”
by his own parents.
He spoke calmly, his gaze steady. He didn’t throw around lofty ideals or empty promises–he simply pointed to the example set by
Wallace paused for a moment. That actually hit harder than expected.
Sensing the shift, one of the brothers quickly chimed in, “Don’t let this little punk distract you, Wally. We’re talking about whether he’s willing to marry into our family or not. I mean, taking care of Shari is the bare minimum. Does he really need instructions on that?”
Snapping back to reality, Wallace cursed inwardly, ‘Damn it. He’s got me going in circles.
Realizing he’d come close but hadn’t quite managed it, Nicholas cleared his throat, a strange look flickering across his face. It hit him that Marvin, who everyone saw as a useless playboy, actually had some real brains.
After all, Nicholas had been outwitting his own father since he was a kid. He’d perfected the art of manipulation. And now, he was getting played by Marvin of all people. It felt like hitting a brick wall
Just then, someone snarked, “Well, would you look at that? The eight Vance brothers are ganging up to get the Baxter family’s one and only heir to give up everything and play house with his wife’s family.
“Can you imagine the kind of mockery this will stir up? The golden boy of the Baxters, throwing away his future just to be someone’s kept man. All that
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Chapter 106
for a girl? He’s gonna be the butt of every |
As the snarky remark rang out, everyone turn
famik, Arnold, and Brent’s dad had all shows uge.
heads sout spotted a big proup making their way over Floard, Ennie, Susan Parra from the Parce
For the first time in ages, every heavyweight from the Four Great Families appeared together. This kind of gathering was almost unheard of, maybe onc
in a century
Standing in the pavilion, Sharon looked on with an icy stare, certain that things were about to get interesting
