Chapter 907
A faint trace of bitterness flickered across Jameson’s face, but he still smiled. “Lauren, I came all the way to Jayrodale just to tell you this–go after your happiness. Your mother and I will handle the family matters, so you don’t need to worry about us.”
Lauren’s eyes lit up with surprise. “Really?”
Jameson’s smile grew warmer. “Of course. You are my daughter, and I love you and your sister more than anything.”
Tears of joy welled in Lauren’s eyes. “Then, Dad, can you help Dr. Lloyd handle the trouble with the Golding family?”
Jameson’s smile wavered slightly, and the bitterness in his expression deepened. But he still forced himself to nod. “Don’t worry. At the very least, I can make sure you and Andrew get to be together. Now, go to bed. Your mother and I need to talk.”
Lauren obediently went to her room.
The moment she was gone, Jameson’s smile vanished. His face was left with nothing but exhaustion and helplessness.
Tiana let out a mocking laugh. “What a great display of fatherly love. Do you really think saying pretty words like that will change anything?”
Jameson sighed and gestured toward the hall. “This isn’t the place to talk. Let’s not bother the kids–come to our room.”
Once inside, Tiana slammed the door shut. “Jameson, let me make this clear–if you really allow Lauren to be with Andrew, the only thing you’ll get in return is the destruction of the Rhodes family!”
Jameson let out a cold chuckle. “Tiana, you’ve never been happy since marrying me, have you? I know–you regretted it the moment you said yes. Your heart has always belonged to someone else.”
He continued, “But let me remind you, we are no longer young and free. We are not the same reckless kids we once were, without responsibilities or burdens. Lauren is our daughter. She loves Andrew, and he loves her back. As her father, I refuse to crush their happiness with my own hands.”
Tiana scoffed. “Oh? And then what? You spare their love, and in return, you let the entire Rhodes family get buried with them? You know exactly how Joe feels about Lauren. The Driscoll family has already sent over their engagement gifts. What now? Are you seriously thinking of rejecting them? Do you actually have the guts to challenge the Driscoll family? And what about Kenny? If you don’t rely on the Driscolls for support, do you really think your position as head of the family will last? You think the Golding family won’t devour you whole?”
Her sharp, unrelenting words cut through the air, leaving Jameson silent.
After a long pause, he finally spoke, his voice calm but firm “If the family is struggling, if we’re being suppressed, then that is my own failure as its leader. But if I use that as an excuse to sacrifice Lauren’s happiness, then I would be unworthy of everything I’ve learned in this lifetime.”
Tiana let out a bitter laugh. “No wonder your daughters adore you. Look at you–the great, selfless father. You’d sacrifice everything, even your own life, and the entire family, just to protect their happiness. And me? I’m the cold-hearted mother, the one who actually understands what’s at stake. Jameson, is this what you wanted?”
Jameson’s face darkened, and he spoke in a low voice. “Tiana, that’s enough! Lauren and Cece both still love you. You are their mother, and nothing will change that.”
Tiana laughed at herself, the sound hollow and tired. “All I ever wanted was for Lauren to walk a different path than I did. If she marries into the Driscoll family, she will soar. She will live a life of absolute freedom, free from the struggles and limitations of being born into a smaller family. She will never have to experience the helplessness and humiliation that comes with trying to break through those barriers. But in the end, all I got in return was Lauren’s hatred. The irony–my love for her has turned me into the villain.”
Jameson furrowed his brows. “The Driscoll family may offer her a powerful future, but Andrew… Even though I’ve never met him, I’ve heard enough about him from both you and Lauren.”