Mary was also cognizant that Sheila did not want to attend.They extended an invitation mainly because Kent and Sheila had known each other for many years, and he had studied under Dr. Marvin for two years. There was still that bond, even though relations between the two families had soured due to Kent’s mother.After discussing it, the couple still decided to send the invitation to the Jones family.Whether the other party accepted it was entirely up to them.“Dr. Jones and Mr. York will be happy. Kent, you don’t need to worry about her. As long as we work together as a couple and put our efforts in the same direction, our lives will only get better.“We may not be as wealthy as the York family, but we’ll certainly live better than many ordinary people.”Kent nodded. “I know. Mary, I’ve already let it go.”Sheila did not belong to him. She never had.After returning from her run, Sheila rested for a while, took a hot shower, and then went downstairs for breakfast.Alex had al

Rowan grabbed Alex’s arm and said in an exaggeratedly affectionate tone, “You’re my real brother, aren’t you?”“Get off.” Alex could not stand his antics and pried his hand off. “I’ve got goosebumps all over my arm. Do you think you’re still a kid? You’re already in your twenties and still acting spoiled.“When you were little, it was cute. Now it’s just disgusting.”Rowan chuckled. “Aren’t you my real brother? I was bored, so I came here to drink tea, eat some seeds, and keep my dear brother company.”“Be serious. You’re still acting like a child. You were more mature when you were studying, but now, you’re regressing.”Though he spoke in criticism, his expression was doting.Rowan was Alex’s only younger brother and he doted on him more than anyone.Although the older ones also loved Rowan, Alex was the one who spent the most time with him.When they were young, their parents were busy with business, and the older brothers and cousins were already in school. Their gramps and

Rowan even had to borrow money from his brother to keep things running.Alex looked at him for a long moment, then patted his shoulder. “Rowan, I understand your urgency to prove yourself. I’ve had the same thoughts before.”He sighed. “Our older brothers and cousins are just too outstanding.”Moreover, the older ones entered society earlier, and the business sphere was not as tough back then as it was now.“Exactly. They are too outstanding. I’m under immense pressure. Others think that since I’m the youngest, everyone spoils me, and even if I do nothing, I’ll have endless money to spend.“No one knows how much pressure I’m under. Everything I do gets compared to you all. It was the same when I was studying. Even my teachers had taught you all.“If my grades were even slightly worse, people would point it out, saying my brothers were so excellent, so why was I so stupid? It pushed me to study hard. Luckily, I had some talent for academics and maintained good results.“I followe

Gladys exchanged glances with Teresa.The two of them had expected the gifts from the Yorks would not be modest, but they had not imagined they would be this lavish.The value of these gifts could rival the Joneses’ assets.The richest family in town was so generous with their spending.However, such generosity from the York family also reflected how highly they valued Sheila.The Jones family was already very satisfied with Alex. Now, they felt even more reassured, believing Sheila would be happy marrying into the York family.Sheila lightly nudged the man beside her and asked softly, “How much are these gifts worth? It’s too much.”“It’s not much. You’re worth every penny. I contributed a hundred million myself, and my mom, nana, and aunts added more. Altogether, it’s probably a few hundred million.“Our marital home will be the villa I live in. I also bought you two villas with front and back yards. Together, they’re worth another hundred million. You’ll get two new cars too

Without those three items, even after wiping out the direct lineage, one could only act as a proxy and never truly control the Longbottom family. Moreover, the fruits of decades of effort could ultimately be handed over to someone else.Back then, a young boy from the Longbottoms’ direct bloodline escaped with a nanny. The acting head sent people searching everywhere and eventually identified Laurence, the adopted son of Jane, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Johnsons in Annenburg.However, it was only speculation. Without meeting Laurence in person, they could not confirm he was the last surviving descendant of the direct bloodline.They tried countless times to gather information and meet him, even indirectly attempting to reach him through Serenity’s nephew, Sonny, but all attempts failed.The Longbottom family could no longer obtain any information about Laurence. It was said he was no longer at FC Manor, and his whereabouts were unknown. To Roxy’s family, he was like a tickin