Six days later, Eric and his family of four left Country S and headed for Country W.
After a twelve-hour flight, Ella, Elias, and Dorian were utterly exhausted. As soon as they arrived at Lucas’s house, they collapsed into bed and fell into a deep sleep.
Ella, however, was in relatively good shape. After a short nap of a few hours, she felt refreshed and energetic.
After dinner, Ella sat in the living room with Lucas, Eric, and Luke, chatting.
anwhile, Dorian and Elias were outside in the hallway, playing with their skateboards.
"I really dislike this marriage arrangent. It’s not that I discriminate against actresses... but Jessica is just too fake. Aiden told she’s already pregnant, and knowing him, he’s a man who values emotions deeply. He lost his parents early, so it’s natural for him to want his child to have a family..." Lucas’s expression was filled with displeasure and helplessness.
Aiden wasn’t around—he was with Jessica. Ella didn’t particularly like the woman either.
Her delicate brows furrowed. "Dad, have you ever thought about investigating Jessica’s past relationships? She’s quite clever, getting pregnant so quickly. She knows Aiden’s weakness—his deep sense of responsibility—and she’s using the baby to trap him."
"I’ve already looked into it. Before she got together with Aiden, she had broken up with her ex-boyfriend, Zachary."
Lucas’s displeasure deepened. "I’ve raised Aiden as if he were my own son. Just like Luke, he will inherit the Anderson Corporation. I don’t favor one over the other. Ideally, elders shouldn’t interfere in matters of marriage, but Jessica has a poor reputation in the industry. I worry that Aiden is being deceived."
Eric remained silent, as this wasn’t his matter to handle. However, Ella turned to him.
"Eric, have soone investigate Jessica’s ex-boyfriend, his background, and his upcoming activities."
Eric nodded and made a call to John, instructing him to look into Park Sang-ji.
"Dad, our children and grandchildren will have their own fates. Don’t think too much about it. Let see if I can persuade Aiden. Maybe we can help him before the wedding. If Jessica has truly changed and behaves herself, then there’s no harm in him marrying her. Besides, with you and Luke’s strong presence, do you really think she could overpower you?" Ella said with a smile.
Luke scoffed, his strikingly handso face exuding coldness. "I just don’t think she’s good enough for Aiden."
Ella blinked playfully. "Big brother, has Mia been in contact with you lately?"
Luke averted his gaze awkwardly. The re ntion of that woman made him uncomfortable.
"She resigned from my company a while ago. She rarely calls . I have no idea how she’s doing now," Ella murmured to herself.
Mia’s background was ordinary, but... she had been trained under Eric. Her character shouldn’t be too bad, right?
"I think Mia called once," Eric suddenly said. "I was in L City at the ti. She ntioned that she might be getting married."
Luke’s face turned as dark as ink, but he didn’t say a word.
Ella was a bit disappointed. She truly wouldn’t mind having a sister-in-law from a modest background. However, if Luke chose to marry soone from a well-matched family, it would indeed benefit their family’s future.
In the end, everything depended on Luke’s decision.
Lucas cast a glance at Luke and said indifferently, "Marry whoever you like. I won’t interfere. But of course, I do have one requirent—the person’s character must not be terrible. If Ella doesn’t dislike her, she can’t be too bad."
"My personal matters are none of your concern," Luke replied flatly.
Seeing his attitude, Ella didn’t press further. They were all adults—when it ca to relationships, they should make their own decisions.
Two days later, Aiden finally brought Jessica ho for dinner.
Jessica had noticeably changed, behaving ekly. She didn’t say anything inappropriate or act overly flamboyant.
Ella, however, didn’t bother speaking to her. Instead, she pulled Aiden aside for a private conversation.
Inside the study, Ella recounted the first ti Jessica had called her.
Aiden frowned, his expression tinged with displeasure. "Ella, you may be my cousin, and I do see you as my own sister, but that was a long ti ago. Jessica was immature before, but she’s grown now. You don’t need to hold on to the past."
Ella lightly tapped her fingers on the table. As if receiving so kind of signal, the little girl in her belly stretched excitedly, kicking her hard enough to make her wince.
"Second Brother, I know you trust her unconditionally, but... I’m really afraid you’re being deceived. How about this? If she behaves perfectly for the next ten days, I will personally apologize for doubting her and stay out of this matter. But during these ten days, you have to cooperate with us."
Aiden didn’t like the implication. The woman he chose—how bad could she really be?
"This is also Dad’s idea," Ella added.
Aiden let out a long sigh, utterly resigned. He had always regarded Lucas as a father figure.
"Fine. I’ll take that bet. If Jessica doesn’t make any missteps in the next ten days, then you all need to leave us alone," he said in a flat tone.
Ella nodded, watching his tall figure retreat. She shook her head repeatedly—her second brother might have a high IQ, but his emotional intelligence was seriously lacking.
No wonder Lucas had chosen Luke as the key heir to the Anderson family instead of Aiden.
When it ca to emotional intelligence, Aiden wasn’t just a little behind Luke—he was miles apart. If he were to take over the Anderson family, he would undoubtedly fall prey to a woman’s sches, and the entire legacy could crumble in his hands.
Perhaps it was because Lucas had always been indifferent toward won, and Aiden had subconsciously followed his example. Having little experience with won, how could he possibly recognize the most dangerous ones?
A woman like Jessica, even if she married into the Anderson family, would stir up endless trouble, creating one ss after another. No one wanted to live like that.
That’s why Ella hoped that this ti, by taking action herself, she could truly put that vixen in her place!
Three days later, Lucas hosted a banquet at the Venice Grand Hotel to entertain Eric’s uncle and his family, as well as so of Jessica’s relatives.
Jessica’s parents had flown in from Country W. The mont Ella saw Mrs. Bennett’s face, she imdiately took note of her sharp, almost chiseled features. Her beauty had a fox-like allure, with high cheekbones and an overly pointed chin.
This kind of woman was never easy to get along with. On top of that, there was an unmistakable arrogance in her eyes—like Aiden wasn’t good enough for her daughter. Even though she spoke the Country W language fluently, she couldn’t help but shower endless praise on Jessica.
"My Jessica, oh, she took the stage at six, won her first award at nine, and by eleven, she was signed by M&R in H Country. She beca a huge star, but of course, companies always try to exploit their artists, so my daughter decided to leave. And now, just like that, she’s getting married! As her mother, I can hardly bear to let her go."
Mrs. Bennett spoke with a smile, while Jessica, looking slightly guilty, tugged at her sleeve. "Mom, don’t exaggerate so much. Let introduce you—this is my future father-in-law..."
As Jessica went through the introductions, Mrs. Bennett and Mr. Bennett remained outwardly polite, but there was an underlying air of condescension about them.
Jessica was secretly fuming. She had told her mother countless tis how powerful Lucas was in Country W, but Mrs. Bennett still refused to take it seriously. If this continued and damaged her image, what was she supposed to do?
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