The clear and gentle voice called out to her, Charlotte Green stopped in her tracks but didn't dare to turn around, fearful that it might not be her being called.
Shortly thereafter, steady footsteps came to a stop behind her, and a tall figure inadvertently blocked half the sunlight from reaching her.
Drake Green glanced at the assortment of large and small packages in her hands and asked gently, "Are you, returning home?"
Charlotte nodded, feeling a bit nervous and a touch of surprise.
"Why don't you turn around? Don't want to see your second brother?"
Second brother? Could she call him that? Could she?
"Or do you blame me for sending Uncle to South Africa? You know, your uncle agreed to let Uncle off the hook only because you promised to marry into the Cliff Family, but we can't act as if nothing happened, so I had to send Uncle to South Africa."
That wasn't it! She just hadn't ever called him that before and didn't know how to.
In the past, didn't people from the Green Family just ignore her whenever they saw her? Why did he call out to her this time?
Slowly, she turned around to face him, lifting her clear and innocent eyes to look at him, uncertainly asking, "Is there anything I can help... Second Brother with?"
It was her first time calling him that, and it felt somewhat unnatural.
He must have called out to her because he needed her help, right? But she wasn't sure what she could do for him, as aside from piano, she knew nothing else.
Drake Green was taken aback, but then he realized she had misunderstood, and his usually hard heart softened a bit.
Touching her head with a sense of guilt, he said, "Second Brother stopped you not because he needed your help, but because you didn't enter the house."
Charlotte's eyes reddened immediately.
Seeing her so moved, Drake Green felt even more remorse, "In the past, Second Brother was too cold-hearted, it was my fault, don't blame your Second Brother."
Charlotte shook her head repeatedly. She had never really blamed anyone, truly.
"I have a meeting to attend in a while, can you come home with me first? I'll ask Steward Wang to take care of you." Drake looked at his watch, casually taking the items from her hands, which were quite heavy.
Charlotte was startled for a moment, then nodded, "Second Brother... thank you." Thank you for seeing me.
Drake just smiled, patting her head and leading her into the house.
In the end, Charlotte left after just having a cup of hot tea. When she departed, she felt happy because her second brother had acknowledged her, and she had gained another family member.
Having been a wandering spirit all day, it wasn't until evening that she hailed a car to return to that cold place—Star Garden.
Private roads did not allow external vehicles to enter, so she had to get off at the foothill and walk the remaining hundred meters on foot.
Even though it was a desolate mountaintop, and although the long private road was lined with maple trees, it wasn't the time to admire the scenery, especially since it was private property—no sightseeing or photography was permitted...
So, what was the crowd gathered here for?
Although Charlotte was curious, she always kept her distance from crowds.
She clenched her purse tightly and quickened her pace, fearful of attracting unwanted trouble.
"Look! That's Kevin Cliff's newly wedded wife! Catch her!"
Someone recognized her just as she quietly walked by the side.
Her hand was grabbed, her body violently jerked back, and then one man after another surrounded her, with fierce faces and foul odors, all making it hard for her to breathe.
She had never encountered such a situation before and could only hold her purse tightly against her chest, forming a layer of protection that was hardly sufficient.
Suddenly, someone pushed her, poked her, and cursed incessantly.
"Do you know your husband has gone mad? Ever since he took over the Cliff Family, he has fired two-thirds of the employees, replacing them with some random people... We are those who were inexplicably fired, even though we had labor contracts; he has no right to fire us without any reason!"
"Right! He doesn't have the right…"
"I heard whoever marries you gets to be the CEO of Cliff Family, which means the reason he could fire us is all because of you!"
So, it was because of him.