Rowan had long heard the jolly chatter here and was coming over with Xyla hand in hand.
Liam immediately recovered to his serious front to flash a smile and exchange polite pleasantries. Both of them then took wine glasses from the waiter and emptied them.
After the drink, Liam asked, “When are you planning to go back to Southeast Aciatic, Mr. Irwin?”
“The joint hospital project has only made 1/3 of its progress. I’ll only go back after the hospital’s built!”
“Oh…” Liam calculated the time. “I’ll have Zephyr prepare in advance then! He’ll be giving you problems when he’s in Southeast Aciatic in the future!”
“What?” Rowan paused. “Who said he’s coming too?”
Liam widened his eyes in confusion.
Cordelia went between them with a smile. “Grandpa, I was just joking with Zephyr, saying that I’m going back to Southeast Aciatic!”
“Yeah!” Xyla said with a smile, “Cordelia’s your granddaughter-in-law. Of course, she’ll be staying in Centrolis with you!”
“But Zephyr says he’s marrying himself into your family!”
“Really?” Rowan’s eyes bulged.
“No way!” Xyla hit Rowan and turned to Liam. “Elder Mr. Hamerton, Southeast Aciatic is a very traditional place. I’d love to keep my daughter around me, but it wouldn’t go well with the custom. So… please take good care of Cordelia!”
“Xyla, let her come back with us!” Rowan said softly, “Let Zephyr take our last name too. I can teach him everything I know…”
“You crazy? Don’t even think about it!” Xyla warned him. “Cordelia is Zephyr’s wife. She has to be where Zephyr is!”
“But—”
“One more word, and you can return to Southeast Aciatic on your own!”
Rowan’s cheeks were puffed as he hung his head in silence.
Zephyr was tickled. It seemed that the Hamerton men were not the only ones scared of their wives!
Cordelia stayed in his arms. When the song came on, Zephyr held her hand on the dancefloor.
Cordelia looked into his eyes, seeing her reflection in them. She smiled sweetly. As her hand was held in his palm, the gentleness and warmth from his palm went straight to her heart.
The song slowed, and she rested her head against his shoulder, calling him softly next to his ear, “Honey…”
“Hmm, what is it?”
“I have something to tell you.”
She looked up at him and saw the love brimming his gaze.
“What?” he asked with a smile.
Cordelia pressed her lips together. “We… seem to never have said those three words to each other.”
Zephyr was stunned. It felt like his ears were bewitched as the soft and sweet voice echoed in them.
“Darling, let me be the first one to say it.
“Zephyr Hamerton, listen carefully…
“I love you… I said, I love you!”
After a moment, Zephyr looked at her with a silly grin.
“Keep smoking!” Matthew huffed. “You’ll smoke yourself to death one day!”
Yale looked at him and snickered.
“Son, are you going to let yourself go like this?”
Yale did not answer him but asked instead, “Dad, are you going to let Zephyr and Cordelia go like this?”
“I…” Matthew was caught speechless.
That was his plan. He could not beat them anyway, so he would behave and stay in his lane as long as they still treated him as their second uncle. As for Yale, he hoped his son could get some management position in the Hamerton Group.
Right now, it seemed that Yale had other plans.
“I won’t let them live in peace!” Yale got up and padded to the window. The main building was brightly lit, and one could easily tell how merry it must be over there.
Yale pressed the cigarette bud in the flower pot.
“Yale.” Matthew was worried. “What… What are you going to do? Cut it out. Your grandfather hasn’t been easy to handle recently. Don’t shoot yourself in the foot!”
“Dad, you’re so useless!” Yale suddenly trained his eyes on him. The sinister gaze felt foreign to Matthew.
“You’ve been fawning over grandpa for life, and what did you get? You conspired against Zephyr repeatedly, but it only made grandpa dote on the kid more!”
“Oh, so you’re better?” Matthew was enraged. “You got yourself caught just stealing a set of medicinal formulas! And you have the cheek to criticize me?”
A hasty knock sounded on the door, causing Yale to growl in annoyance, “Who is it!?”
The servant answered timidly, “Mr. Yale, it’s… it’s Ms. Carmichael. She’s in a hurry to meet you!”
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