Chapter 107: Chapter 107: Warning: Rhys Hawthorne’s Heart in Turmoil
Just after hanging up the phone, someone knocked on the door of the president’s office.
Rhys Hawthorne had just pressed the pause button when a tall man, whose appearance bore some resemblance to his own, walked in.
Rhys stood up, his back straightened, and respectfully turned off the screen of the tablet, saying, "Father."
"You’re back just in time, we can have lunch together." Tristan Hawthorne glanced at his watch, "It’s about time, let’s go."
"Father, I..." Rhys was about to find an excuse when Tristan’s sharp gaze fell on his face.
Though Tristan was over fifty, he maintained a perfect physique due to regular fitness training and a passion for extreme sports. His facial condition was excellent, with only a few crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes.
The intangible authority of a man who had spent years in the business world was palpable. When he looked at Rhys, an invisible pressure pressed down, forcing Rhys to swallow his words.
Having lunch, and then returning to Kenton was still feasible, as long as he arrived at night.
He obediently said, "Yes, Father."
"Miss Low came back specially from abroad. I don’t necessarily want you to date her, but at least meet her; you can’t lack manners."
Rhys followed the equally handsome man, speaking slowly, "Father, does my wife have to be someone of equal family background?"
The man paused in his steps, turning to look at him with a deep, probing gaze, "What do you mean? Are you already in a relationship?"
"No, I just want to know where your bottom line is."
Tristan withdrew his gaze, speaking gravely, "You should understand the family situation, both your second and third uncles are unmarried to this day, your elder brother is not my biological son, your second brother... passed away in his prime. You are the only one to inherit the Hawthorne Family; if your second brother were still alive, I could leave the choice of your wife alone, but you bear the heavy responsibility of the Hawthorne Family. Your future wife doesn’t have to be beautiful, but she must be well-read, dignified and courteous, from a family of equal standing."
When he said this, he intensified his tone, "I’ve known you to be obedient and hardworking since you were a child, a sensible good kid, not one to let me and your grandfather down."
Rhys’s heart sank.
Seeing his son’s heavy expression, Tristan added another line, "You needn’t feel too burdened mentally. If you don’t like this Miss Low, that’s fine; you’re just twenty-four this year, you can think it over more. If you don’t like any heiresses in Portoros, we can select other ladies."
"Yes."
After lunch, the composure Rhys had disappeared as soon as he got into the car. He glanced at his watch; it was already past two.
Departing at this time meant he’d arrive in Kenton around seven or eight.
"Faster."
"Yes, however, Third Master, Kenton has already issued a thunderstorm warning today; I estimate the flight will be delayed."
The driver glanced at the man with a grim expression in the rearview mirror, "Third Master, actually there’s no urgent matter in Kenton, you could go tomorrow morning too."
Rhys tightly closed his eyes, his hand constantly fiddling with the black prayer beads, unable to calm his agitated mood.
The lightning storm night tonight made him uneasy.
It was as if a voice from some intangible place was calling him to hurry to Victoria Monroe’s side.
"Don’t change the plan, fly as usual."
Kenton.
This live-streaming reality show had only been online for half a day and was already trending across various social media platforms, and the hot searches were dominated entirely by Victoria Monroe.
Victoria just wanted to do her best with the things she could manage.
She had forgotten that she was also pregnant; after busying herself in the kitchen for half a day, she just wanted to rest a bit, when her vision darkened, and she suddenly fell with no warning.
Julian Fordham had just come down from upstairs and his heart leapt into his throat when he saw this scene.
Without thinking, he rushed over to catch her, his soft voice echoing gently, "Are you alright?"
Victoria was not only dizzy, but her vision was still black. If she pushed Julian away now, she would definitely fall again.
She could only grasp Julian’s wrist tightly, steadied for a moment, and only released her grip when the dizziness slightly alleviated.
Julian asked with concern, "Do you want to call a doctor to take a look?"
He was not an entertainer, he couldn’t treat Victoria like a stranger in front of the cameras.
But no one associated the two as a couple.
Victoria pushed Julian away, "Thank you, President Fordham, I’m alright, there’s no need to make it complicated."
Despite her words, Julian still took out a candy from his pocket. Knowing Victoria would refuse, he forcefully placed it in her hand.
"Take it, don’t faint again later."
Victoria accepted the candy but didn’t eat it nor throw it away, afraid others might overinterpret her actions, "Thank you, President Fordham."
Hearing her distant words, Julian felt a pang in his heart. Clearly, he could tell everyone in this reality show that Victoria was his wife, and they could flaunt their love.
Because of a single mistake on his part, one misstep led to another.
During the meal, Julian surprisingly joined them at the table, ignoring Rachel Hayes’ longing gaze, and seated himself next to Victoria, even picking a chicken wing for her.
Rachel hired online trolls to amplify Julian’s gesture of catching Victoria, swaying public opinion to claim Victoria was seducing Julian.
At this moment, Victoria was unaware that the internet was already in an uproar.
She took advantage of the trip to the restroom to remove the mic on her body, waited in a place without cameras, and Julian soon arrived.
She grabbed his collar, unable to suppress the anger on her face, she spat fiercely, "Julian Fordham, are you crazy?"
"Victoria, I just got off the plane, I didn’t know you were filming."
"Julian Fordham, I just want to complete this episode nicely, since you’ve already made your choice, stop acting like we’re familiar in front of the cameras! Your indecision is truly disgusting to me."
Julian looked at her with unbelievably gentle eyes, "Victoria, I will solve all these obstacles soon, hate me, detest me, it’s all fine, after we get the divorce certificate, I will pursue you again, okay?"