[YOUNG RESIDENCE]
lissa stared at the empty seat at the head of the table where her father would usually sit for every al.
"Dad isn’t going to have breakfast again?" she asked, turning her attention to her mother, who was seated across from her. "Mom, is Dad going to be fine?"
Jasmine’s concern was clear in her eyes when Lawrence suddenly erged from the entrance. Turning their heads, all they saw was a visibly distraught man who looked a lot more distressed than usual.
When Lawrence sat down in his spot, he raised his brows at his daughter and wife.
"What is it again, lissa?" he asked with a tinge of annoyance—a rare tone from him when talking to his daughter. "If it’s another dress or a bag, just don’t ntion it to . My plate is full right now, and I have no ti for such things."
lissa frowned while Jasmine clicked her tongue.
"Honey, why are you being so harsh on your daughter?" Jasmine said, expressing her dissatisfaction. "No matter how distressed you are, it’s not right to vent on your daughter."
"I’m not venting; I’m simply telling lissa not to bother for now," Lawrence hissed, loosening the tie he had spent so extra ti fixing. "I have a lot of things to do and a lot of things to fix. Derek getting fired from the Summit Partners project is one of them."
Bitterness quickly shone in his eyes as he thought of the news he had recently heard. Of course, Lawrence wasn’t happy with this. He was affected by this dismissal after all.
"It was our family who built the bridge for the Lancasters and the Summit Partners, but they just kicked out Derek like that," he hissed. "I knew this was going to happen when I heard Travis Lancaster was on the project."
"Not to ntion, our company..." Lawrence pinched the bridge of his nose, propping his elbow on the table. His head throbbed once more with the mounting problems he was having at the mont.
Derek’s dilemma aside, his company’s problems were just piling one after another. All because he had touched his capital just to buy those lands to give to Lola! Right now, the effect of that decision was slowly affecting him, his company, and his entire life.
"Never mind," Lawrence scowled as he rose from his seat. "I don’t have an appetite anymore."
"Hon—" Jasmine stood up as well, but her husband had already started walking away. The words she wanted to say to stop him from leaving died in her throat.
In the end, Jasmine could only stare at the exit where her husband had disappeared.
"Why is Dad being an to ?" lissa frowned, kicking the air irritably. "He didn’t have to be that harsh, even when he’s stressed."
Jasmine sighed as she gazed at her daughter. "lissa, just try to understand your father. A lot of things are happening. Besides, it’s the first ti he’s been like this."
"Why did he have to buy all those lands when he couldn’t even afford them?" Unappeased, lissa clicked her tongue. "Who cares about what Lola is going to say? He could’ve just given her a few and delayed the rest."
"Have you forgotten it was Chairman Lancaster’s instruction?" Jasmine sat down. "lissa, your father made his decision because of you. So that the Lancasters had nothing to say about you or our family."
And sohow, that did the trick of calming lissa.
"Even so, hearing Derek got fired from the project with the Summit Partners must’ve upset your father. After all, he’s right. We are the reason the Summit Partners even responded to the Lancasters," Jasmine mused, her brows rising. "Those wolves from the first branch of the Lancasters must have done sothing to kick him out of the project."
lissa pursed her lips, staring at her mother. Another deep breath escaped her as she thought about the situation. She hadn’t told her parents that she didn’t get into the series Lawrence had invested in because of her. Nor had she told them that the sa series their family invested in was Lola’s project.
All she told them was that Lola sohow managed to get into the production and was using her position to bully her. It was also what Derek knew.
"lissa, dear." Jasmine’s gentle hum snapped lissa back to her senses. She quickly pushed herself up from her seat and transferred to the seat next to her daughter. "How about you go to the Summit Partners again, hmm?"
She reached for her daughter’s hand, smiling sweetly at her. "The Summit Partners favored you; that’s why they accepted the NL Group to begin with. But with what is happening, we can’t just sit around and watch."
"Your fiancé is being surrounded by those wolves in their family, who want to take him out of the picture," she continued. "I’m very certain that those from the first branch of the Lancaster family had done sothing to take Derek out of the project."
"This is the ti we step in, hmm?" she humd again, looking at her daughter with expectation. "Just think, this isn’t just about Derek, but also about you. He’s going to be your husband, but if you let him get bullied by the first branch of the Lancasters, Travis Lancaster might truly end up becoming the CEO of NL Group."
"Caullen Lancaster is already the CEO of their subsidiary," she added, tugging on her daughter’s hand. "You need to do sothing and make sure your husband reaches the top... and stays at the top. That’s what wives do: support our n. Like how I have been supporting your father in everything."
Reluctance flickered in lissa’s eyes as she thought of her last date with Derek. Thinking about it discouraged and disappointed her.
lissa shook her head mildly and quickly recomposed herself.
"Okay," she smiled. "I’ll try my best, Mom. I’ll see what I can do, but I can’t promise. After all, I don’t even know what the Summit Partners see in ."
"You don’t have to know what they see in you. They love you for who you are."
Hearing that brought a smile to lissa’s face until she thought of sothing. "By the way, Mom, didn’t you say you’re going to arrange a eting between and Mrs. Bennet?"
"Oh." This ti, the smile on Jasmine’s face faltered. She had been sending Mrs. Bennet ssages, but to no avail. She hadn’t gotten a response. "About that, Mrs. Bennet is still busy. But for sure, she will be reaching out soon."
But deep down, Jasmine was worried whether Mrs. Bennet was even interested or not.
No, no, don’t think like that, Jasmine told herself while maintaining a smile on her face. I just have to make sure to rope Mrs. Bennet in with us. If everything else doesn’t work out, a deal with the Bennets is our last hope.
Reviews
All reviews (0)