While Alaric had gotten himself free, Julian didn't mention how he arranged Alana. Hence, Alaric turned and looked at Julian worriedly, wanting to stay here and listen.
Alana asked Julian proactively, "Dad, how about allowing Alaric to stay here and listen to what you plan for me? And I have something to tell him."
Julian nodded, looking at his baby girl, and said fondly, "Alana, I don't mean that I must choose one of you to take charge of my business. I'm still young so I can continue managing the Hughes Group. And I can hire an expert to do it hereafter. I do hope you won't be too tired..."
Julian wished his daughter to be a little princess instead of a tough businesswoman. This image of Alana was totally different from his expectation.
Actually, Alana knew how much Julian loved her, and thus she wasn't surprised that he would say so but looked at him steadfastly, "Dad, I want to tell you that I really like the feeling of struggling in the world of business. I'm not afraid of bitterness but worried if I'm not capable of managing well."
"You are excellent enough." Julian acknowledged her most in the first place. He always knew that Alana was suitable to be his successor due to her stable and sensitive character.
He just didn't want her to be too tired.
Alana smiled and said surly and confidently, "If you think I can undertake it, I will take over your company."
Before Julian said something, she went on, "Dad, you know I'm such a boring girl. I don't have many hobbies except studying and reading. Now that I don't have any other things to do, then I just work."
"I have thought about it carefully. I think that working is a kind of hobby to kill my time."
After hearing his sister say so, Alaric suddenly saw himself as trash. He always knew that Alana was a straight A student who told him she loved studying.
And now she said working was a kind of hobby to kill her time...
It was unreasonable, wasn't it? No one would treat studying and working as hobbies, let alone a way to spend time...
Perhaps it was the essential difference between a top student and a slacker like him?
But his father wasn't concerned about this. As Alana finished, he suddenly put on a long face and asked, "Who said you were boring?"
Someone actually said his baby girl was boring. Who gave him the gall to say that?
In Julian's opinion, it was unreasonable to describe his daughter as "boring". Instead, his daughter was calm, meek, and reserved.
Alana hurried to explain, "Nobody. I feel that myself."
Compared to other girls, Alana saw herself as a home-bound girl through and through. Except for necessary outdoor activities, she would stay at home all day.
For sure, she was not the kind of girl who did nothing at home. Every morning, she had a running routine with Julian; and every evening, she went for a walk with her parents after dinner. She was the most obedient and sensible child that all parents longed to have.
Her so-called "home-bound" meant she didn't go to bars for singing, dancing, or partying, except the party with the children whose fathers were close to Julian.
However, even though it was Alana who described herself as boring, Julian didn't like it.
He looked at his daughter and said seriously, "You are not boring at all. You are my best girl. Unique one. Honey, never talk about yourself like that."
Julian used a few exaggerated words in succession to describe his daughter which made Alaric "Whoa" continuously in his mind. When it came to Alana and Emelia, his father could recall a set of sweet words.
"As for Alaric, he is a man, and he stays at home. We have no need to accompany him. He can live his life."
Both Alana and Alaric became speechless.
They never expected that their father would make such a decision. Alaric felt more disconsolate.
He stared at Julian and snorted, "Why didn't you say that when you decided to send me abroad?"
"Your mom said so, but I didn't agree. I couldn't separate from your mom, you know." Julian replied sourly.
Alaric lost his words again.
He understood now. If he went abroad, his father would force his wife to stay at home with him.
If his sister went abroad, his father couldn't be more anxious to accompany her, with his wife.
All in all, his father decided it.
But Alaric thought it was not certain for Julian to get his wish, because it actually depended on Emelia. If his mother said no, his father could only stay at home.
Alaric thought his mother was sensible and never pampered them. Only his father was biased toward his elder sister.
He reckoned that his mother would think it too exaggerating and refuse the proposal.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: There He Is Again, My Ex-Husband