Skip to content
Novel Catalog
Chapter_263
Hera greeted softly, a bit shy, “Hello, Uncle Liam.”
Though Liam had always lived in Jonford, she had never once met him face to face. If word got out, people might find it laughable—how the daughter of the Mare family hadn’t even met her own uncle.
But Hera didn’t feel embarrassed. Instead, she admired her mother more than ever for choosing love over status.
In elite families like theirs, marriage was rarely about affection. It was a transaction—strategic alliances meant to strengthen empires. Bloodlines were carefully curated, with the goal of producing exceptional heirs to maintain the family’s legacy. Love, more often than not, was sacrificed for lineage.
And yet, her mother had defied all of that.
Liam studied Hera with a complicated expression, guilt flickering in his eyes though his smile never wavered. “As expected of Lauren’s daughter. Even the phrase ‘your beauty puts Aphrodite to shame’ doesn’t do you justice.”
“Uncle Liam, you’re so good at compliments! Why don’t you ever say anything like that to me?” Yvonne pouted, stepping in as if to reclaim her spotlight.
Liam burst out laughing. “My Yvonne is just as beautiful! The Mare family’s genes are clearly top-tier.”
Yvonne immediately grinned. “Now that’s more like it!”
Liam then turned to Nash, reaching out with a cordial smile. “Mr. Calcraft, hello. I’ve heard a great deal about you.”
He wasn’t merely being polite. Liam had been paying attention.
Recently, the CEO of Baroque himself had flown in from abroad to personally sign a three-billion-dollar deal with the Lewises. Then came the news that Baroque had secured a 7nm lithography machine—technology that not even the country’s top firms could obtain without international clearance.
It was clear the Lewis family alone didn’t have the power to pull strings on that level. Even Helena’s boyfriend, who had some influence, wasn’t enough to explain the CEO’s rare visit.
That left only one possibility—Nash. The man standing calmly before him, now dating his niece.
Nash shook Liam’s hand with a smile, his voice respectful. “Uncle Liam, there’s no need for formalities. Just call me Nash.”
Good manners, especially toward his partner’s elders, came naturally to him.
Watching this exchange, Yvonne huffed, “See, Uncle James? Look at how polite Uncle Liam is to Nash!”
James scoffed, clearly still nursing some irritation. “Your second uncle? His temper’s worse than mine. He even wanted to have your uncle-in-law killed once.”
Back then, Liam had also opposed Lauren’s marriage to Harrison. Educated abroad and groomed in elite circles, he was well-mannered and shrewd, worlds apart from James, a blunt martial artist with a quick temper.
And yet, despite not having seen Lauren for more than two decades, James couldn’t seem to let go of the past.
Why, then, was Liam being so accommodating to Lauren’s son-in-law now? James couldn’t help but feel puzzled.
Before the tension could thicken, Lauren stepped in with a warm smile. “Let’s chat while we eat.”
Nash nodded and led the way.
Just then, Olivia, the CEO of the Chateau Hotel, appeared at the entrance with the lobby manager. Seeing Nash, she was about to greet him enthusiastically. “Na—”
But she caught herself as Nash shot her a subtle look—warning, but polite.
She paused, eyes shifting to Lauren and Harrison, and then to the unfamiliar yet vaguely familiar middle-aged man beside them. There was a striking resemblance between him and Lauren.
Suddenly it clicked.
Wasn’t that Liam Mare, the business director of the Drake Group?
Liam Mare. Lauren Mare. Could they be siblings?
Understanding dawned on her. This gathering wasn’t just another dinner—it was an important family reunion hosted by Lauren. And Nash had made it clear that she should prioritize Lauren and her guests.
Straightening her posture, Olivia turned to Harrison with a courteous smile. “Mr. Lewis, your private room is ready. The dishes can be served at your convenience.”
Harrison glanced at Nash with quiet appreciation.
He understood the signal. Olivia, who normally bowed to Liam as a superior, was now treating him—Harrison—with the same respect, solely because Nash was here.
Nash, who never boasted, had silently elevated Harrison’s standing in front of everyone.
With a modest smile, Harrison replied, “Thank you, Ms. Olivia.”
And just like that, the once-fractured family, surrounded by unspoken truths and lingering tension, stepped into the private dining room—where food, conversation, and possibly reconciliation awaited.