Chapter 1435
The atmosphere in the grand hall was stiff, the kind of silence where you could hear a pin drop.
Mr. Sanders stood up, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction as he looked at Maja.
"You''ve got a bit of Augus''s spirit in you. Stay here for the night; once the results are in, I''ll inform you
and" He paused, clearly not recognizing Ian, before continuing, "Let Maja and her boyfriend get settled
in."
Maja nodded, a smile gracing her lips.
"Thanks."
Mrs. Sanders''s gaze couldn''t help but drift back to Ian''s face, her brow furrowing slightly, but she
ultimately held her tongue.
A few meters away, Mr. Sanders turned to the butler, "Take Maja and her boyfriend upstairs, so they
won''t be jostled by anyone."
Maja was relieved for the excuse to escape the crowd.
There were still over two dozen members of the Sanders n in the hall, waiting like vultures for the
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patriarch to leave before they''d likely start causing trouble.
Especially York, whose face was a stormy mask of displeasure.
She sped Ian''s hand, and the couple followed the butler, taking the elevator up to the fourth floor of
the mansion.
"Ms. Pennyfeather, sir, this will be your room."
The door swung open to reveal a spacious interior.
But even the grandest of rooms couldn''t stir Maja anymore. Having seen thevishness of the
underground fight clubs, she was unimpressed.
Once the door closed behind them, Maja scanned the surroundings to ensure there were no cameras
before frowning.
"I can''t shake the feeling that Grandpa and Grandma were a bit off with you."
They were both old hands at the game; why did they look so shocked upon seeing Ian''s face, as if
they''d spring from their chairs?
Ian touched his face, then shook his head slowly.
The two moved to the window, with Ian clearly a bit upset.
With his status and reputation, he hadn''t expected to be met with such disdain whening home with
a woman.
If theirpatibility was questioned, to whom did the Sanders family intend to marry Maja off?
Seeing his concern, Maja reached up and sped his wrist.
"Match or not, we''ll stick together."
She ced his hand on her stomach, her voice firm, "As a family, we''ll never be apart."
A smile flickered in Ian''s eyes, and he chuckled softly.
"It''s not you I doubt. I''m worried they might pull something. Augus never ended up with Lillian because
of family pressure. Maja, even though Augus is bedridden now, he was a legend in his youth. If he
couldn''t stand up to those two old folks, how can you?"
Maja had already considered this, her grip on his hand tightening.
"If it turns out we''re not a match, we''ll elope, head straight to where my mother is."
Ianughed again, his heart melting.
He pulled her into an embrace, patting her back gently.
"If eloping would solve everything, I''d do it in a heartbeat. I''m just afraid they''ve got more up their
sleeve. Your father is in aa, and no one can rify what happened back then, nor does anyone
know exactly how he was pressured by the family. That''s what worries me."
But worrying was pointless for now; they had to wait for the results.
Maja suddenly remembered not seeing Dn in the hall.
Had he been stripped of his Sanders family status to the point that he wasn''t even allowed here?
A knock on the door broke her thoughts, and she opened it to find Beck.
"My brother''s been barred froming here. Grandpa held a conference call and agreed to cast him
out of the Sanders family, cutting off all his future connections too."
The Sanders family was ruthless.
There was a certain harshness that seemed to emanate from their very bones, casting off one of their
own without a second thought.
Beck massaged his temples, "So you should understand why the Sanders family doesn''t tolerate
infighting. Everyone has to follow the rules here, or it''s not just about being exiled from the family.
There have been those among the Sanders who''ve dabbled in drugs, and they ended up far worse
than my brother. The rules are untouchable."