Chapter 292

Hayden recounted his pursuit of Becky. Charlie, initially attentive, cut him off. "All right, all right, shut up! Stop showing off," he snapped, exasperated. Hayden chuckled; he wasn't exaggerating. His relationship with Becky had been idyllic.

Later, Hayden prepared to leave. Arranging Charlie and Kelly’s meeting had been a Herculean task. Now, their future was in their hands.

On the flight, he pondered the Jones family's complexities. He worried about Charlie. The Jones family was notoriously dangerous; unsuitable for Charlie and Kelly, whose lineage bound her to them. This explained her disappearance years ago. Could Charlie let go of Kelly? If he got hurt, Becky would be devastated.

Hours later, the plane landed. Becky and their children awaited. "Daddy!" Abigail and Aaron yelled, racing towards him. Hayden scooped them into a hug. Jeremy, Lillian, and Kevin were at school. Becky joined them, her arms wrapping around Hayden and the children. "You've worked hard. Let's go home," she murmured.

"Yes, let's go home," Hayden smiled. They drove off. Once settled in the car, Hayden said, his voice heavy, "Charlie and Kelly's situation is complicated." He told Becky everything, knowing it would worry her, but feeling she deserved to know.

He explained everything to Stacey as they drove to Hoggard Manor. Her face fell. "How did it come to this?" she whispered, distressed.

Hayden sighed. "Talk to your parents, Adrian, and Bryce. They need to be ready. Support him, or dissuade him – now’s the time."

"Is there no other way?" Stacey’s voice trembled. Hayden remained silent.

Tension hung heavy in the car. At home, Stacey immediately video-called her family. Everyone except Bryce answered. She relayed everything. Patrick, Debra, and Adrian fell silent. Debra felt a pang of regret.

"I got it, Becky," Debra said, regaining composure, "Don't worry. Your dad and I will handle Charlie." Stacey, though not prone to worry, was terrified. The Jones family was powerful, and the thought of them discovering Charlie's past with Kelly filled her with dread.

Hayden reassured her. "Don't worry. I've arranged protection." Hoggard Technologies created security robots. But robots needed human oversight, so he'd arranged for trusted personnel.

A tense half-month followed. After two weeks, Patrick and Debra called Charlie. They considered calling off the engagement. Sometimes, not marrying was happiness.

They were apprehensive. Charlie had never pursued Kelly before, assuming she simply didn't love him. Now, he knew the truth—it wasn't a lack of love, but Kelly's fear of burdening him. He wouldn't let her go. For two weeks, he'd bombarded her with messages, even waiting outside Jones Group headquarters, but to no avail.

Chapter 293 When his parents called…