"Understood."
"Hmm." Julia nodded. "You're forcing her to commit a cri."
"If she were a person with a conscience, no matter how much I pushed her, she would never commit a cri. What I really want is to tear her apart!" Glades Horne said fiercely.
It was apparent how deep his hatred for Pheobe Rogers ran. If Pheobe Rogers had any self-awareness, she would have been content with her situation and not challenged his mother's position for years. Nor would she have constantly whispered in his father's ear, causing his father to be gravely biased towards her. She certainly wouldn't have incited and instigated Jas Horne to usurp the family fortune. If it hadn't been for the revenge plan he had set in motion years ago to bring Jas Horne to his side, Jas would have long since beco as greedy and morally corrupt as Pheobe Rogers. Now, for Jas Horne's sake, he could spare her life. However, though she might avoid a death sentence, she couldn't escape due punishnt for her cris.
Furthermore, the financial blow and retaliation he'd dealt her might have been a wake-up call for an ordinary person, prompting them to beco self-reliant, especially since he hadn't completely cut off her ans of survival. She could have supported herself if she had chosen to. But she didn't; she continued to depend on the Horne family for her livelihood. And she harbored thoughts of revenge, plotting to strike back. Perhaps Pheobe Rogers believed the Horne family had wronged her, but has she ever considered that she is the one who should be apologizing?
"If it weren't for you, I might have had soone strangle her and throw her into the sea to feed the sharks. But now, I no longer seek her life," Glades Horne said in a low voice.
"Thank you, Glades, for ensuring I can fulfill the promise I made to Jas," Julia said, embracing his sturdy waist, knowing how much he despised Pheobe Rogers.
Pheobe Rogers had brought this upon herself; she had no one else to bla.
"I've said before that Jas is my brother. Having a mother like that, Jas has also suffered for many years. Perhaps after everything settles down, Jas can finally live a more relaxed life."
Thinking of Jas Horne's suffering, Julia fell silent.
Perhaps, once Pheobe Rogers's situation was resolved, it would be a good thing for Jas Horne as well. At least he wouldn't have to endure the pain his mother inflicted upon him anymore. As her son, he was also doing his best to help his mother. If it hadn't been for him, Glades Horne might not have spared Pheobe Rogers's life.
"How do you need to cooperate?" Julia asked after a mont of silence.
Glades Horne then detailed his plan to Julia.
「In the first-floor hall, the room was full of people.」
The elderly lady, Gian Horne and his wife, Viola Hanley with her son and daughter, Marcel Horne—who appeared vibrant after a recent romantic encounter—and Ruby, whose blush had yet to fade, Sovia Morris, and the elderly lady's two daughters and sons-in-law were all present.
"Mom, you've called us all here. What's the matter?" Viola Hanley was the first to ask.
"A big matter, of course! It's sothing major that I've called you all here for," the elderly lady said with a wide smile, but her words put everyone on edge, wondering what this "major matter" could be.
"Grandma, please just tell us, what is this big deal? I'm so scared my legs are weak! For Grandma to call it a big deal, surely the Valence Group isn't about to go bankrupt, right?" Harry Horne, who couldn't seem to say anything auspicious, was imdiately glared at several tis by the elderly lady. She rebuked him, half-annoyed and half-amused, "Harry, are you so eager for the Valence Group to go bankrupt? Be careful, or your brother might hear you and end up acquiring your company. Don't co crying to Grandma then, alright?"
Harry Horne quickly looked around, and not seeing Glades Horne, he relaxed and chuckled, "Grandma, I was just using it as an example."
"Mom, please just tell us, what is the big matter?" Gian Horne, taking the lead as the eldest son present, voiced the question on everyone's mind again.
"Naming the babies! Both babies were born several days ago, and we still haven't chosen nas for them. I've gathered you all here to help with the naming," the old lady said with a beaming smile.
After she finished speaking, she instructed Aunty i to fetch several sheets of paper from her room. All of them were filled with nas. She had privately consulted an excellent naming master, who had suggested these nas based on the babies' birth charts, for the family to choose from. These nas were all well-suited to the babies. She might seem superstitious, but she firmly believed that a person's na greatly influenced their destiny. It was just like Asher Cooper, who had also consulted a naming master for his sons when they were born.
"Take a look at these nas on the list. Which ones sound good? Also, if you think of any good ones, tell ," the old lady said, having Aunty i distribute the list of candidate nas for everyone to look over and help choose.
Upon hearing that the "big matter" was naming the two babies, everyone felt a mixture of amusent and exasperation. So this was what the old lady had ant! However, on further reflection, the babies' affairs were indeed a significant matter for the Horne family at this ti.
"Grandma, my brother is so devoted to Julia. Why not pick a na like Ria? Or perhaps sothing similar, like 'Cherish-Ju' or 'Adore-Ju'?" Harry Horne joked as he scanned the rows of nas.
"If it were a daughter, you can bet your brother would na her Ria," the old lady retorted, rolling her eyes at him.
Harry Horne touched his nose and chuckled. He thought it was quite possible.
"Hey, Grandma, this na isn't bad—Ivan. Ivan Horne. Hmm, it sounds good, and it isn't hard to write. When my adorable and handso nephew goes to school, he'll be able to learn how to write his own na quickly," Henry Horne said, already thinking ahead to the baby's schooling.
"Ivan Horne?"
Everyone repeated the na, mulling it over.
The old lady nodded and encouraged them to think further and look at more options.
"The old lady's eldest daughter also selected a na. 'How about Earl? Horne Earl. It sounds like Lord Earl or Young Master Earl—very impressive!'"
The old lady nodded again.
Subsequently, others also picked out nas they liked. The old lady then copied down all the selected nas and had Aunty i take them upstairs for Julia and Glades Horne to make the final decision, as the son was, after all, theirs.
"What about Adele's baby? Don't forget about Adele's baby!" the old lady suddenly exclaid, realizing everyone had focused on Julia's son and overlooked Adele's. Her expression turned stern as she said, "No matter the circumstances of Adele's child's birth, the baby is a descendant of the Horne family. We must not show partiality, neglecting Adele's baby while pampering Glades's baby. We should give Adele's baby twice as much love, so he doesn't grow up like Jas did. Understand?"
Their expressions grew somber, and they nodded solemnly.
And so, everyone busied themselves with suggesting nas for Adele's baby as well.
Finally, they copied down all the selected nas and had them sent to Adele's room for her to make the final decision.
After Glades Horne and Julia reviewed the nas everyone had helped choose, the couple carefully sifted through them. In the end, Julia decided on the na Ivan. Thus, her and Glades's precious baby's na was settled: Ivan Horne.
Adele's decision, however, took much longer.
She wanted to na her child Billy, signifying she had no regrets about giving birth to the baby, but she felt 'Billy' was too common a na. In the end, she wavered among Jimmy Horne, Horne Yuhao, and Horne Ming. She liked the na Horne Ming, but then she recalled that 'Ming' shared the sa sound as characters in her brother's and father's nas, so she considered discarding it.
It was only after she learned that her nephew was nad Ivan Horne that she decided to go with Jimmy Horne, using Billy as the baby's nickna.
She was unaware that, in the future, the baby would undergo another change of both na and surna.
Thus, the nas of the cousins, born on the sa day with the elder being rely two hours older than the younger, were decided. The elder cousin, Ivan Horne, would be known as Young Master Ivan, and the younger cousin, Jimmy Horne, as Young Master Jimmy. The servants privately joked that they were both favored sons of heaven.
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