Chapter 36

Felicia's expression soured. The projects meant nothing to her; she only cared about the dowry.

The old lady regarded Felicia. "My dear Felicia, I'm not asking you to reject Edward outright, am I? We can stall while we assess Severin and Henry's relationship. If their relationship is strong, and Severin can secure the Liberty City project, you could accept him as your son-in-law. If their relationship is unsatisfactory, you can persuade Diane to marry Edward. If she remains unwilling, then there's nothing we can do."

Felicia nodded, grasping the old lady's intentions.

Megan considered this, then said, "Don't worry, Grandma. Diane's stubbornness stemmed from reluctance to leave Selene, not from her feelings for Severin. Now that we welcome her home, I'm sure she'll return. She's a filial daughter; she'll leave Severin for Selene's future."

The old lady chuckled. "That's for later. We'll only try to separate them if necessary. My priority is securing the project! If Severin fails, you can always try persuading Diane to be with Edward."

Megan smiled awkwardly, thinking, This old lady is a sly fox. She keeps her options open.

After dinner, Severin and Diane took Selene to the hotel lobby.

Henry smiled at Severin. "Mr. Severin, please feel free to contact me if you need help."

Severin reciprocated. "Mr. Henry, please don't hesitate to call if you need anything."

Diane rolled her eyes. "What would Mr. Henry need your help for? Don't bother him!"

Henry laughed. "That's not necessarily true. Severin is no ordinary man!" He got into the car with Charmaine and left.

Severin approached the front desk. "Did Lucy and the others bring the money?" he asked the beautiful receptionist.

The receptionist produced a large red-and-white woven bag. "It's all here!"

Severin smiled. "Wonderful. Thank you very much."

"You're welcome," the receptionist replied. "Everyone's talking about the incident with the Orwells. You were amazing! Women like Lucy deserve a lesson! Even we were rooting for you when they refused to return the dowry!"

Severin smiled. "Really? I didn't expect it to spread so quickly. I wanted to keep a low profile." He slung the bag over his shoulder. "Honey, my clothes are getting tight. Let's buy some new ones for you, Selene, and me."