Chapter 144 Painting


    Although Edric was surprised at Rowane''s resignation to study abroad, he did not stop her. He readily


    agreed to Rowane''s resignation and ordered the finance department to pay her more than a few


    months'' sries.


    When he returned to the Chandelle Valley in the evening, Irene was on a phone call with Eden. Eden


    said that he missed her and asked her when she would visit him. Irene answered him that she would


    visit him in a few days'' time.


    Seeing Edrice back, Irene hung up the phone hurriedly. Edric went forward and pulled her to sit on


    the sofa, saying, "Irene, Mr. Cook has met me today."


    "Why did he want to meet you?" Irene asked. Her intuition told her that there was nothing good going


    on that Steven went to meet Edric.


    "Mr. Cook gave me this," Edric answered as he opened the paintings that Steven had just given him


    and showed them to Irene.


    Irene opened the painting, took a nce at it, and then put it down. She didn''t know much about


    paintings, but she guessed that it should be the ancient paintings worth more than a hundred million


    dors, which Steven had mentioned before. "Why did he give it to you?" Irene asked.


    "He said it''s a wedding gift for us," Edric replied. He didn''t intend to ask for anything from Steven, but


    when he saw Steven insist on giving him an IOU, he remembered that Irene would own these paintings


    after Steven passed anyway. Hence, Edric proposed to receive them as wedding gifts and brought


    them back to Irene.


    Irene didn''t expect that Steven would give the ancient paintings to Edric as their wedding gift. One of


    the reasons she came back and admitted Steven as her father was for these paintings. Steven had


    refused her many times before but he was so generous now. It was bizarre. After pondering for a while,


    Edric reached out his hand to hold her hand. "Irene, let''s get married!"


    "Get married?" Irene parroted. Although Edric had mentioned getting married several times, it was the


    first time for him to mention it in this way. She was a little surprised.


    "Yes, let''s get married." Edric looked at her eyes with deep affection, confessing, "Irene, I have been


    thinking about it for a long time, but I dare not mention it to you. I know that I once hurt you very deeply,


    so I know I''m not in the ce to mention this matter. However, I really want to take care of you and


    your child. Irene, marry me please!"


    "Edric, getting married is not just a matter of two people. Do you understand?"


    "I understand. I will deal with Margaret. Don''t worry about it. History won''t repeat itself," Edric assured.


    "Not only Margaret, but I also have a child—"


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Edric interjected, "Don''t worry. I adore Eden very much. I will treat him like my own child."


    Irene fell silent. Eden was Edric''s child anyway. She was not worried that Edric would do harm to Eden.


    What mattered now was not the problem about Eden but if Edric was worth believing or not.


    Thinking of Rowaneing to argue with her in great confidence earlier in the day, Irene felt a slight


    chill. In the past, she clearly knew that Lily was eyeing Edric. However, Irene did not take any


    precautionary measures against Lily, which led to the incident that happened after that. She could not


    ept the history to rey in her life.


    Back then, she was already exhausted from dealing with Lily alone. But now, Edric was no longer the


    young and inexperienced Edric of the past. He was a business tycoon now, and there was more than a


    single woman who coveted him. Irene would never put herself in that awkward situation again.


    In addition to the women around Edric, he also had a mother who was challenging to deal with. These


    were the facts that were ced in front of her and Edric. However, Edric was Eden''s biological father.


    Giving Eden aplete family had always been her dream. Irene was really in a dilemma. Seeing that


    Edric was still waiting for her answer, she said, "You''d better think about this matter again!"


    "I''ve already thought it through. Irene, please marry me!" Edric begged. "I won''t let you down anymore!"


    Irene did not believe in the so-called guarantee of his at all, but Kinsey had told her that it was not


    about Eden now. If she could sessfully get pregnant, she would have two children of Edric.


    It was impossible for her to be single for the rest of her life. She had to get married and find a father for


    the child, or children. Undoubtedly, Edric was the most suitable candidate. Perhaps, she could have a


    try with him. After all, he was not that wicked. She nodded after a moment of silence.


    Edric was on cloud nine. He carried her in his arms and spun her in the room. When she promised


    Edric''s proposal a few years ago, he held her in his arms and spun in the room like this too.


    Reminiscing the past, Irene felt dejected. She only hoped that the oue this time would be different


    from the past.


    Since the engagement with Jordan, Joanne came to talk with Lydia every day to relieve her boredom.


    At first, Lydia was very friendly, butter, she changed her attitude gradually.


    She was not as intimate as she used to be but a little alienated. Joanne thought about it over and over


    again but could not wrap her head around it. What had she done wrong? But why did Lydia change her


    attitude all of a sudden?


    On this day, she visited Lydia with gifts again. Lydia sighed and said, "Joanne, you don''t have toe


    here to apany me anymore in the future."


    "Mrs. Reed, what happened? Do you dislike me?" Joanne asked.


    "No, you are such a good and sensible girl. How would I dislike you? It''s just that you are so young that


    you should hang out with a girl of your age. There is no need for you to spend time with an old woman


    like me all day," Lydia answered.


    "Mrs. Reed, I''m relieved to know that you don''t dislike me." Joanne heaved a sigh of relief. "Mrs. Reed,


    you don''t seem to be very happy these days. Anything happened?" she questioned.


    "Nothing happened. I''m just a little upset," Lydia replied.


    "I see. Why don''t you tell me what you''re upset about? It''s often said that you''ll feel better once you


    speak out about the things that are bothering you. Tell me, and you''ll feel better."


    Lydia looked at Joanne''s beautiful face and sighed. Her worries were all because of her son, Jordan.


    After hearing what Jordan said when he came back that day, she had always felt uneasy. Her life was


    already miserable. Joanne was so young. Did Joanne have to follow in her footsteps?


    Her heart had been aching these days because of this matter. Especially when Joanne came to visit


    her every day, which made her even more upset. She wanted to keep Joanne by her side as she really


    liked Joanne. But now, Lydia found that she was wrong, and she might hurt Joanne if she did so.


    "Joanne, you''ve made a three-year agreement with Jordan, have you?"


    "Mrs. Reeds, do you know that too?" Joanne was shocked.


    "I''m sorry. I''m the one who puts you in this," Lydia apologized.


    "Why do you say so?" Joanne was surprised.


    "Jordan has the same personality and temper as his father. Do you understand?" Lydia smiled bitterly.


    "He won''t give up even if he dies for someone he loves. He hasn''t forgotten Irene at all. It''s unfair to


    you. You''re still young, and it''s the best time for you to choose a suitable life partner. Keep your options


    open."


    What she meant was to let Joanne give up Jordan. It had taken Joanne a lot of effort to earn a rightful


    position beside Jordan, so how could she take Lydia''s advice? "Mrs. Reed, I love Jordan and am willing


    to stay with him for the rest of my life. Even if he doesn''t love me, I''m willing to do so," Joanne refused.


    "Joanne, you don''t understand what I mean. I''m just worried that my current life will be a portrayal of


    your future. Do you understand?"


    Joanne did not. She was so beautiful and had so many tricks up her sleeve. She believed that Jordan


    would be able to fall in love with her for the rest of his life.


    Lydia had no choice but to make it clear, "I loved Ma as much as you did. I loved him so much that


    I would not marry anyone except him. At that time, I also thought that it didn''t matter if he didn''t love


    me. It''s more than enough as long as I love him. I would definitely melt him with my love and let him fall


    in love with me slowly. But what happened in the end?"


    Lydia''s face was stered with bitterness. "Even if I marry him and give birth to Jordan for him, he did


    not favor me at all. I have spent so many years of my youth on him since I married him in my twenties.


    What do you think I gained? I''m still all alone, just like a nun. Joanne, are you willing to live a life like


    this?" Lydia asked.


    Needless to say, Joanne did not want to live such a life, but she was not scared off. She knew


    something about Ma and Lydia. Lydia was too weak and kind, while Joanne''s weakness and


    kindness were just a facade.


    Ma had a good reputation before they married. However, Jordan was different. He was a famous


    yboy and had slept with countless women. She did not believe that Jordan could restrain himself


    and not fall for her.


    Most importantly, Joanne was convinced that Lydia didn''t seize the chance. After she married Ma,


    Ma had stayed with her for a few years. It was Lydia who was not capable enough to keep her


    man.


    Joanne and Lydia were not at the same level at all. If she was given a chance to let Jordan get along


    with her all day and night, she must have a way to make him fall in love with her.


    She did not even mind if he only fell in love with her body!


    Seeing her obsession, Lydia sighed and gave up persuading Joanne. She really couldn''t tell the thing


    that happened between her and Ma.


    Since she married Ma until now, Ma had only slept with her once, and that urred before


    marriage. Later, although they got married and lived together in awful way, they slept in different


    rooms; she had been living as a grass widow for so many years. The sorrow and grief in her heart


    couldn''t be exined to outsiders by words.


    After Joanne prattled with Lydia for a while, she left and went home. Since she had framed Irene,


    Britney didn''t think of the world of her as much as before; she always looked at Joanne with vignce.


    It was not a small matter for Joanne that her image, which she had tried hard to maintain in the past


    few years, was destroyed in an instant. Fortunately, Britney was kind enough to protect Joanne and did


    not tell Nathan about this matter. Nathan still treated her as before.


    Although Britney had retired from the working field, she held one-third of the shares of the White Group


    in her hand. Therefore, there was still no one who dared to oppose her in the White family. Joanne


    knew that Britney would not treat her like before, but she couldn''t just turn her back on Britney, for


    Britney was her big support. Her father was not the most outstanding person in the White Family. If it


    wasn''t for Britney and Nathan, she would have been iced out.


    Although Britney didn''t like her now, Britney never showed it to others. Hence, Joanne was still


    Britney''s most favorite granddaughter in other people''s eyes. In order to maintain this illusion, she had


    to walk around in front of Britney even if Britney didn''t like her.


    Joanne purposedly went to buy Britney''s favorite snacks. When she arrived at the White family, she


    saw Nathan''s car parked at the entrance. When Joanne entered the living room, Britney''s servant saw


    her and greeted her, "Mr. Nathan is here. He''s talking to Madam Britney in the study room."


    The implication was that she should not disturb them. Joanne was not perturbed at all. She smiled and


    responded, "Don''t worry, I won''t disturb them."


    Embarrassed at Joanne''s undisguised reply, the servants excused themselves. Joanne put the snacks


    she brought into a te and carried them to the study room.