Josefina snickered and yfully pinched his side. "Really, Oliver? Jokes at a time like this?"


    "I''m dead serious, no jokes. How about I prove my sincerity tonight?" Oliver''s gaze was filled with a intense, earnest affection. Rowan yelped in pain, while Shay and Sydney, who had never seen Oliver''s tender side, exchanged nces of stunned surprise.


    Oliver let go of Josefina''s slender waist and took her hand. His eyes sharpened as he turned his piercing gaze toward Rowan. Shay and Sydney still wore their initial expressions of astonishment. Having never seen Oliver''s kinder side, they were indeed shocked.


    Shay''s voice was hollow with disbelief. "But you are my brother..."


    "Shut it. My mother has only one child, and that''s me. Don''t let me hear you call me that again." Oliver was fuming.


    Shay bit her lip, looking both heartbroken and forlorn.


    Sydney couldn''t tolerate Oliver''s treatment of her darling daughter. She burst out in rage. "Oliver, Shay is your Josie, and now we''re all family. How can you speak to her like that?"


    Rowan clutched his neck, and his hands were bloody. He also spoke out angrily, "Oliver, Shay is my daughter. What gives you the right to say that to her!"


    Oliver, holding Josefina''s hand, let out a scornful chuckle. "The money you''re spending is from thepany I run. Without my money, could you live sofortably?"


    Oliver added curtly, "I can''t waste more time with you all." He was wasting precious moments!


    Oliver then turned to Josefina with a softer tone. "Josie, let me take you downstairs. It''s too noisy here, and the air is just foul."


    Oliver had a pair of captivating eyes, warm and inviting, making it all too easy to get lost in their depths. He was usually so distant with others, but not with Josefina.


    At that moment, Bet came


    upstairs, startled by the sceneText ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    before him, especially Rowan''s


    bloody-neck. When he saw Oliver and Josefina unharmed, he breathed


    a sigh of relief.


    Bet quickly spoke up, "Mr. Oliver, Ms. Josefina, Mr. Brandon is asking why you haven''te down yet. You go ahead. I''ll handle this situation."


    Rowan was livid. "Bet, you''ve known me since I was a child. Why are you siding with Oliver?"


    "I''ve also known M .Oliver since he was a boy," Bet replied with deliberate emphasis.


    Josefina couldn''t help butugh at Bet''s loyalty to Oliver. "Let''s go downstairs," she suggested.


    Oliver nodded, "Alright, as you wish."


    Together, they left the chaos behind.


    Downstairs, the families of Sylvie, Alma, and N had all been sent home by Brandon. The Baldwin family''s dirtyundry wasn''t for public airing.


    The three families thought Oliver


    was just backing Josefina, and they


    didn''t


    new she came from wealth


    and didn''t need anyone''s support. Without overthinking, they departed.


    As Oliver led Josefina downstairs, Lena watched them with eyes filled with animosity.


    Brandon greeted them with a cheery voice, "Josie, are you hungry? Let''s sit down to dinner. It''s just family here, so no need to be formal."


    Grandpa Robert, standing by Grandpa Brandon, whispered, "Brandon, you''ve got your own agenda, don''t you? Are you really ready to let go of your own son? Today is less about his birthday and


    more about wooing my


    granddaughter over."


    Grandpa Brandon''s face was all smiles. "Oh, Robert, I knew I couldn''t hide anything from you. A useless son is no match for a capable grandson, after all."