"Charlotte! What is the meaning of this?" Patriarch Lentz looked at Charlotte Young with a blend of scrutiny in his kind eyes. "It is said that an elder sister-in-law should be respected like a mother, and you..."
"Grandpa." At that moment, the door was suddenly pushed open, and a voice interrupted Patriarch Lentz' unfinished sentence.
Everyone turned their heads to see Adam Swantz pushing a wheelchair in from outside.
Terrence Lentz, wearing a black shirt, sat expressionless in the wheelchair, his chiseled features taut and drawn. His thin lips had nearly disappeared into a straight line. Backlit, he exuded an indescribable aura.
It was a mix of nobility and restraint.
Even sitting in a wheelchair, it was impossible to ignore him.
If one didn't say it, who would believe that such a person was actually the infamous good-for-nothing of River City?
Looking at Terrence in the wheelchair, Patriarch Lentz felt both happy and heartbroken, with a complicated expression on his face. "Terrence."
This grandson of his was both the pride of his life and a pain too deep for words.
Standing behind Terrence, Adam Swantz greeted everyone politely. "Patriarch Lentz."
"Adam." Patriarch Lentz nodded.
Charlotte glanced at Terrence, the disdain in her eyes about to burst forth.
What did Terrence Lentz have besides a charming face that could harm the world?
A good-for-nothing who would spend his entire life in a wheelchair!
He was nothing but a disgrace to the Lentz Clan, yet Patriarch Lentz, that old fool, couldn't recognize it.
Charlotte's gaze shifted several times, finally settling on a smile. "Terrence! You're finally back. If you don't come back, Grandpa might blame every one of us!"
Her sarcastically weird tone would undoubtedly anger someone else.
But who was Terrence?
A good-for-nothing who couldn't even graduate high school. What right did he have to be angry?
Unless Terrence didn't want to stay in the Lentz Clan any longer.
"Charlotte, if you can't speak properly, say less! Your grandfather is only trying to maintain harmony among you siblings." Mrs. Lentz, Eleanor Armstrong, entered the room.
Charlotte looked at her mother-in-law, who was also biased to an extreme, and reluctantly closed her mouth.
Eleanor walked up to Patriarch Lentz. "Dad."
Patriarch Lentz nodded. "Where's Harlan?"
"He's on a business trip." Eleanor answered.
"All he knows is being busy!" Patriarch Lentz frowned. "Terrence and Miss Thompson's engagement is coming up, and he, as a father, doesn't know he should be making preparations?"
There were only ten days left before the engagement date set by both families, but Harlan Lentz, as a father, hadn't even started preparing!
Hearing this, Charlotte narrowed her eyes.
No wonder this old man came back all of a sudden, it was because of this matter!
Adam Swantz chose the right time to speak. "Patriarch Lentz, Aunt, I have some matters to handle, so I'll be leaving first."
The situation within the Lentz Clan was complicated, and it would be inappropriate for an outsider like him to stay any longer.
"Good boy, thank you for bringing our Terrence home," Patriarch Lentz looked at Adam, speaking kindly. "I'll have the driver take you."
Adam Swantz waved his hands repeatedly. "There's no need, Patriarch Lentz, I drove here."
"Then come over tomorrow, and we can have a drink together, just the three of us, as grandfather and grandsons." Patriarch Lentz continued.
"Alright, Patriarch Lentz."
With that, Adam Swantz turned and left.
After Adam Swantz left, Patriarch Lentz walked to Terrence's side, pushing the wheelchair. "Terrence, let's go to the study and have a chat?"
"Alright." Terrence Lentz nodded slightly.
After Patriarch Lentz and Terrence left, the remaining people returned to their rooms.Charlotte Young watched the retreating figures of the old man and the young man, and whispered to Bartley Lentz, "What does your grandfather want with that good-for-nothing?"
Without waiting for Bartley Lentz to answer, Charlotte Young continued, "It's almost time for that good-for-nothing to get engaged to Elizabeth Thompson! Your grandfather couldn't possibly want to give all our family's property to him! Let me tell you, this won't do! At least half of the property in this house is earned by us! That good-for-nothing shouldn't get a single dime!"
"Give it to him? He'd need to be able to hold onto it first." Bartley Lentz snorted, "The third son's marriage to Miss Thompson might not even happen!"
"Why?" asked Charlotte Young.
Bartley Lentz narrowed his eyes, "The line of people chasing after Miss Thompson could circle River City several times. What kind of person couldn't she marry? What can the third son even be considered?"
The engagement day is also the breakup day.
Just wait and see.
The happier Patriarch Lentz is now, the more disappointed he will be on the engagement day!
Bartley Lentz could see it all clearly, then continued, "We just need to watch from the sidelines..."
Charlotte Young looked at Bartley Lentz, "Do you know some inside information?"
"What inside information?" Bartley Lentz asked.
Charlotte Young continued, "About the Thompson Clan's secrets! You definitely know something, right?"
"Do we need to know their secrets?" Bartley Lentz replied, "Just using your brain you should know that Miss Thompson won't marry a good-for-nothing!"
Charlotte Young narrowed her eyes, "Wouldn't the Thompson Clan be worried about losing face?"
Back when Terrence Lentz's reputation was at its peak, the Thompson Clan rushed to sweeten the deal with him. Now that Terrence Lentz's reputation has waned, they want to break the engagement. When the word gets out, will the Thompson Clan still have the face to stand firm in the circle of wealthy families?
"This is not for you to worry about." Bartley Lentz continued, "Miss Thompson has her own ways."
Elizabeth Thompson is a talented woman well known in River City; she naturally has a way to shut everyone up.
Bartley Lentz took out his cell phone and looked at it. "If you don't believe me, you can go ask the second brother."
"I'm going right now!" Charlotte Young was anxious and couldn't hold back.
Charlotte Young immediately went to Sophie's bedroom and didn't even bother knocking on the door.
"Sophie!"
Sophie was sitting in front of the makeup mirror applying a facial mask when she heard the voice. She turned around and smiled, "Sister-in-law is here."
"Is the second brother not here?" asked Charlotte Young.
"Sister-in-law, have a seat. He just had something to do and left."
"Sophie, I have something to ask you." Charlotte Young said.
"Sister-in-law, just ask."
Charlotte Young considered how to phrase her question, and finally decided to get straight to the point, "How did I hear that the Thompson Clan might be breaking off the engagement?"
Sophie laughed, "It's not a breaking of the engagement."
"Then what is it?"
Sophie glanced at the door and then lowered her voice, "It's a substitute marriage."
"Substitute marriage!" Charlotte Young exclaimed in surprise.
Sophie nodded and explained, "Don't you know, sister-in-law? The Thompson Clan recently brought back their adopted daughter from the countryside. If you go by the marriage contract, the person who originally had an agreement with the third son was the eldest daughter of the Thompson Clan. That adopted daughter is older than Miss Thompson."
Since she is older than Elizabeth Thompson, she would naturally be the Thompson Clan's eldest daughter.
Charlotte Young looked surprised, "Can... can this work?"
Replacing the true Thompson heiress with a little sparrow from the countryside?
Sophie laughed, "Anyway, the Thompson Clan is fulfilling their obligations according to the contract. If the third son doesn't agree, they can't call it breaking off the engagement. Moreover, the third son was never worthy of Miss Thompson in the first place."
"Won't our family's patriarch be furious when he finds out?" Charlotte Young said.
Sophie's smile remained unchanged, "That has nothing to do with us. Sister-in-law, don't go about talking about this!"
Charlotte Young got the hint, "Of course, I know that."