Chapter 31
On Saturday, Howard went out of his way to have the maid prepare an elaborate dinner.
Rachel and Sarah watched enviously. Howard had never been this eager to please anyone before, Only Hugh received this treatment.
Serena arrived with Hugh as planned. She carried two shopping bags, having browsed a few stores while waiting for him.
Hugh was dressed in a tailored suit as if he had come straight from a banquet. The faint scent of liquor lingered on him.
“You skipped someone else’s grand opening, but you sure didn’t hold back on the drinks. Eat something later to sober up”
Ignoring the others, Serena led him to a seat. Hugh massaged his temples, staying silent.
The two sat down as if no one else existed.
Howard, momentarily at a loss, signaled for Rachel and Sarah to sit down as well. He then instructed the maid to serve the rest of the dishes.
Alavish feast was served.
Seeing that Hugh wasn’t eating and seemed to be resting with his eyes closed, Howard had no choice but to shirt his attention to Serena
As he cut the steak on his plate, he spoke with feigned concern, “You should’ve told me earlier that Mr. Larson had been drinking. I would’ve had the maid prepare some soup to help sober him up.”
He added, “You seem to be doing well at Jansen Group, but those projects still aren’t making such progress. Since Mr. Larson is here, why don’t you ask for some advice?
Serena wasn’t surprised. There was no genuine concem in his words–only business.
However, Hugh slowly opened his eyes and gently took hold of Serena’s wrist. “What’s wrong? Running into trouble?” he asked.
Serena didn’t mind the physical contact. She even pushed a bowl of chicken soup toward him.
“Isn’t it obvious? You’re the one holding up Jansen Group’s projects. Dad can’t yell at you, so he takes it out on me instead.”
Howard’s expression went pale. “]—I didn’t mean it that way….
Hugh’s expression remained cold as he let go of Serena’s wrist. “I noticed you were too busy to visit Grandpa, so I stalled Jansen Group’s projects for a bit. I didn’t expect it to make things difficult for you both at work and at home.”
Serena raised an eyebrow. She clearly remembered that the projects had been put on hold before she even went to visit Calvin.
Hugh didn’t even blink while making things up.
Propping her chin up, she smirked. “So, what now, Mr. Larson? Are you going to keep making things difficult for me
Her words were respectful, but her tone carried a hint of teasing.
Howard held his breath, shocked by the way she spoke to Hugh.
Sarah scotted. Serena carried herself as it she were truly important, acting smug and overconfident in front of Hugh as if she had any real influence over him.
“Serena, what are you even saying?” Sarah asked, “You and Hugh are husband and wife, you should be devoted to each other. I’m sure he’s not deliberately making things difficult for you. Maybe the Larson family just doesn’t think highly of us, and Hugh had no choice but to –
“I’ll go with whatever you say.” Hugh calmly interrupted Sarah
Sarah’s face twisted in disbelief. The powerful and untouchable Hugh was being gentle with Serena. She wondered what Serena bad done to deserve that.
Serena knew Hugh was playing along with her act, which only gave her more confidence to push forward.
She sighed, feigning hesitation. “Speaking of which I may be the daughter of the Jansen family, but I don’t even own any shares in the company. Whether the projects move forward or not, I only get a commission. There’s no bonus for me.”
Howard stiffened. That was a clear refusal to help. His eyelid twitched as he quickly responded, “What are you saying? Don’t forget, when you got married, I gave you 3% of the Jansen Group’s shares as part of your wedding gilt.”
Rachel’s expression changed drastically. He had never mentioned those shares before.
Serenacontinued, “Shares are one thing, but all these years, as the daughter of the Jansen family, I’ve never been given any allowance.”
“I’ll give you 20 million. Spend it however you like,” Howard blurted out
“And my mother’s memorial,” Serena added, her sharp gaze landing on Rachel. “She’s gone now, yet I’m treated like an outsider. If her memorial isn’t placed in the family chapel, 1…I don’t even know if I can consider myself part of this family anymore.”
Rachel’s hands trembled as she clenched her fork and knife, her knuckles turning white.
The tension in the room thickened
Then, Hugh spoke, his tone unwavering. “My mother–in–law’s memorial. Does it not deserve a place in the Jansen family’s chapel
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