“I regret nothing!” Chris said, his disgust evident. “Eleanor is selfish and manipulative, willing to do anything to get what she wants. Only people like you would fall for her lies.”
Madam Langford slammed her fork down onto the table. “I’m done,” she snapped. “I’m not here to watch a drama… Chris, now that you’re married, it’s time you moved out.”
“Martha, you shouldn’t have said that,” Kara furrowed her brows. “You’re making it sound like you’re trying to divide the family.”
Chris shrugged and turned to Kara. “It’s fine, Mom. Serena and I have already picked out a villa. We’ll need your help and Dad’s, of course. After we’re married, we should have our own place.”
Kara’s eyes widened in shock, and her gaze turned to her husband, Caden. Chris might not have realized, but they knew the truth: they didn’t have much money at all. Caden was obsessed with gambling, which was probably why the company was left in Tyler’s hands.
Chris didn’t seem to notice his parents‘ discomfort and continued, “We’ve looked at prices. The estimated cost for renovations is around three hundred thousand dollars. Serena and l’agree that it’s just too inconvenient for everyone to live together.
That’s right,” Tyler said, nodding. “But you can’t always rely on your parents. I offered my wedding gift to my wife, and my property will be co–owned with her. A man should stand on his own two feet–relying on family is just a shame.”
Caden, who had been silent so far, exchanged a glance with Kara before leaving.
quickly
Kara took a moment to compose herself before putting on a forced smile. “Actually, living together as one big family can be a good thing. Your grandmother doesn’t have a good impression of Serena yet,” she tried to convince Chris. “If she keeps making demands, your grandma might dislike her even more. How about this? You can stay here for a while, it’ll give everyone time to get used to each other.”
Hearing Kara’s words, Tyler couldn’t help but chuckle. “But Kara, do you have the money to buy the villa for Chris? From what I’ve heard, Caden was being chased by creditors who almost sold the company’s bid to the other side. You should consider your financial situation more carefully.”
Kara’s face turned pale. “Some things don’t need to be brought up right now.”
This was exactly why, despite not liking Eleanor, Kara insisted on having Chris to marry her. Eleanor would offer a substa
Successfully unlocked! ling gift to the Langford family.
and that was important to them.
The Langford family, with no real power or financial backing, was basically a hollow shell. Who could stand that? Kara thought to herself in anger. It was all Chris’s fault-
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Chapter 19 Standing On His Own Teet
insisting on marrying Serena, a foster daughter of the Donovan family.
To Kara, unless Serena gave birth to a child to win Madam Langford’s affection, or it would be impossible to turn things around.
Chris had been eagerly anticipating the discussion, but hearing all this, his smile quickly faltered.
“Chris, your father’s money is tied up in a new project, and there’s no extra right now,” Kara made it clear. “You’ve married someone who isn’t exactly a favorite of the family. so don’t expect help from home.”
“Kara, you shouldn’t have said that, Tyler replied. “Chris is grown up now, and he should make his own decisions. He should take responsibility for his own choices.”
“Serena won’t mind,” Chris said, clenching his fists. “She’s kind and understanding.”
“But when you need money, she won’t be able to help,” Tyler said casually. “Chris, I remember how Eleanor took care of all your needs. If people hear about that, they might think the Langford family is broke.”
Chris was speechless. After a moment, he muttered, “I can take care of myself. Eleanor did all that willingly.”
Tyler chuckled. “I can’t believe we have a Langford who’shamelessly lives off others.”
“Eleanor’s just doing all of this to please me,” Chris shot back. “Tyler, are you saying that she’s supposed to take back everything she has given me?”
“Not at all,” Tyler replied, smirking. “But I heard you bought a lot of gifts for Serena. How much did you spend on Eleanor?”
“Eleanor doesn’t need anything, and she’s not short on money,” Chris retorted. “But Serena is different. All these years, she should have been living a life of luxury, but because of Eleanor, she’s been struggling. It’s Eleanor who should be grateful.”
Tyler snorted. “Serena’s just a foster daughter of the Donovan family, after all. Fake is fake.”
The atmosphere was starting to feel tense, so Kara tried to smooth things over. “Tyler, stop arguing with Chris. We’re family, no need to hide anything. What about your gift for Chris on his wedding?”
“I was just about to bring that up,” Tyler said. “I’m getting married too, and sending gifts between families feels pointless. So we’ll skip that.”
Kara’s face darkened. “If word gets out, that’s going to look bad.”
“Well, you can give me my gift first, and then I’ll pass it on to Chris. It’ll at least look like we’re following the proper customs,” said Tyler.
Kara glared at Tyler but didn’t say anything else.
Serena was a little downcast when the villa dream had been shattered, but she still tried to act fine with it. “It’s okay, as long as I’m marrying you,” she said to Chris. “I’m
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Chapter 19 Standing On His Own Feet
more worried that your family won’t approve of our marriage.”
“How could they not?” Chris said, pulling Serena into his arms. “It’s all because of Tyler -he insisted on getting married right now. He’s rich and covers all the costs himself, so he expects me to do the same. He knows I don’t have the money, but he still wants to make things difficult for me.”
Serena was stunned, but tried to ask casually, “But you’re the youngest son of the Langford family, how could you be short on money?”
me
“Because my parents wanted me to learn how to fend for myself, so they never gave
pocket money. I’ve had to save up everything myself,” Chris said. “And since I have so many social obligations, I can’t compare to my Tyler’s wealth. But don’t worry. Once we’re married, everything will be fine.”
“Okay,” Serena said with a smile. “Chris, thanks for the handbag you gave me. It makes it so much easier to connect with all those socialites.”
Then, as if remembering something, she made a face. “I don’t know how Eleanor used to handle them. I’m afraid I’ll mess up.”
“Eleanor?” Chris sneered. “She’s so stingy. She couldn’t even bring herself to buy a luxury bag, and she hates socializing. She’s always hovering around my friends.”
Chris stopped mid–sentence, as if something clicked. He suddenly realized that Eleanor’s life had revolved around him. But the thought passed quickly.
“Serena, our wedding dress is ready. Let’s go pick it up,” he changed the topic.
“Sure,” answered Serena.
But after arriving at the store, Serena’s gaze was drawn to a stunning classic silk satin wedding gown. With such a piece in the shop, her own wedding dress seemed so plain in comparison.
“How much is this gown?” she asked the shop owner.
“This is a custom design, not for sale. Our client reserved it a year ago,” the owner replied. “It’s handmade from silk, and the patterns are also hand–embroidered, so the price is around a few thousands bucks.”
“This is such an old–fashioned gown,” Chris said, holding Serena’s hand. “Only someone as tasteless as Eleanor would go for something like this. Doesn’t she realize it’s time to move with the times?”
I
Serena blinked, then smiled. “Yeah, I think my dress is perfect.”
“As long as you’re satisfied,” while packing up the dress for them, the owner casually remarked. “By the way, the client who customized that gown is also named Langford.”
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Chapter 20 Where He Got Such Confidence
Chapter 20 Where He Got Such Confidence
