“Excellent! That’s wonderful news!”Eleanor broke into a broad smile.“Well then, what are you all waiting for?”She addressed every attendant in the hotel’s living room.“Quickly, make this place as comfortable as possible. Your boss will be arriving shortly. At the very least, show that you’re employees worthy of the salary you’re paid.”“Yes, ma’am.”The attendants immediately moved to carry out Eleanor’s orders.“Quinn, sit here with me.”Eleanor patted the seat beside her.Her expression was calm, a faint smile on her lips.But anyone who truly knew her understood that such a gesture was never as simple as it appeared.“But, Grandmother…”Quinn hesitated.It wasn’t that she wanted to refuse.But within the Hayes family, it was common knowledge that where you sat beside Eleanor reflected your standing in the family.The closer the seat, the closer you were to the matriarch—and the more trust you commanded.Quinn knew Barbara desperately wanted that position.She didn’t want to cre

What?Quinn lifted her head, her eyes widening as her face turned deathly pale.She had just felt a sense of relief, yet the servant’s words struck her ears like a bolt of lightning.Catherine, sitting beside her, wore the same expression.Aside from the two of them, nearly everyone in the room immediately turned toward the servant, brows deeply furrowed.“Don’t make things up. Tell the truth.”Her tone was cold and calm. Eleanor was the only one who seemed unaffected.“Yes, ma’am.”The servant nodded.“I’m telling the truth. He also brought many people with him.”Brought many people?The question instantly surfaced in everyone’s mind.Why would a member of the Mercer family arrive with so many people if he only intended to do business?But the thought barely had time to settle before laughter exploded throughout the room.“Hahahaha!”“So funny! This is absolutely hilarious!”Henry burst out laughing uncontrollably, his index finger pointing straight at Catherine’s face.“Didn’t you j

“This is getting more and more interesting!”Henry struggled to keep a serious expression on his face as he inwardly cheered at what he had just heard from the matriarch.“I never expected Mother to be this bold!”It was completely beyond his expectations.Although he hated Quinn to the core, he had never imagined that his mother would be willing to “sell” her granddaughter.Still—if that really happened, he would be more than delighted.“M-Mother, y-you… you can’t be serious, right?”Catherine’s voice trembled.“No one would ever do something like that to their own granddaughter. Especially not hand her over to a bastard like him.”“Oh? You still have the nerve to say that to me?” Eleanor snapped, her tone razor-sharp.“Do you think I’m a fool? How long do you plan on lying to me? Are you going to keep insisting that this girl is my granddaughter?”Catherine’s body stiffened.Shock was written all over her face."Oh my God!"Her thoughts spiraled as her posture grew restless."What i

“I can’t.”Catherine pushed the documents away with her hand.Her face trembled as she sobbed.In her entire life, this was the first time she allowed others to see her cry.To her, tears were weakness, something she never wanted to show anyone.But this time, she couldn’t hold it back.“Think about this carefully,” Eleanor said.Unlike her daughter, her cold and indifferent expression did not change in the slightest.To her, Quinn was nothing more than a very useful tool to make money.“With that money, not only can you pay off all your debts to me, you can also start the garment business you’ve always wanted.”Yet Catherine seemed unmoved, continuing to cover her face with both hands.“Mother…”Quinn’s voice was barely audible as she looked at Catherine’s unwavering resolve.Even though she had been forbidden from addressing the Hayes family with familial titles, the woman who had raised her still warmed her heart.“Enough of this nonsense.”Across the table, Axel’s cold gaze locked

“Mr. Garvey, where exactly are we going?”After thirty minutes of complete silence, Gianna finally spoke up.Even though it only made her seem clueless, the slight tension on Martin’s face made her uneasy, as if something serious was unfolding.Besides, judging from their surroundings, she knew exactly where they were.The Mercer District? she thought. Isn’t this the territory of the Mercer family? What is Martin really looking for? What’s going on?Unlike Carven, this area wasn’t filled with extravagant mansions. Instead, the houses looked ordinary, yet undeniably well-off.To an outsider, they might appear like normal neighbors.But in truth, they were anything but ordinary.These houses belonged to people who served under the Mercer family.And at the far end, standing on an estate spanning nearly ten hectares, rose a towering five-story mansion.The Mercer family mansion.“Miss Gianna, I don’t want to waste time anymore.”Martin finally spoke as the Range Rover he had been followi