Nora wasnât listening at all to what he babbled. However, when she heard what he said at the end, she looked up in surprise. âWhat?â
Anthony, who seemed a bit shy, said, âAlthough I can forgive you, your reputation is already a mess. If I marry you, it would embarrass the Grays. But I can buy you a mansion somewhere else and take care of you for the rest of your life.â
Nora found this hilarious. In a dispassionate voice, she said sarcastically, âYou want me to be your mistress? Iâm afraid you canât afford it.â
Anthony was quick to say, âIâm rich! I can give you $15,000 as alimony every month. You can buy anything you want with it.â
Fifteen thousand dollars was not even enough for him to buy Cherryâs clothes.
Nora found him annoying and circled him from the left as she said, âIâm not interested in being someoneâs mistress.â
Anthony stopped her from the left as well. âDo you want to marry me? Thatâs not impossible either.â
She gritted her teeth and continued. âGrandpa keeps forcing me to take you as a wife anyway. Besides, you only have one daughter, so we can give her some money and marry her off in the future. As long as she is obedient and refrains from fighting or arguing with her younger siblings in the future, the Greyâs can take her in, even if we are reluctant.â
It seemed to him that his terms were lenient enough. Any woman would probably be grateful to him, wouldnât she?
Unexpectedly, a look of displeasure appeared in Noraâs eyes and a cold aura formed around her. âI will not let my daughter suffer any injustice.â
Anthony frowned and said, âDonât push your luck, Nora! You wouldnât want us to let your daughter take our last name and enjoy the same treatment as our children? Thatâs impossible.â
At that moment, a high-pitched voice suddenly reached them. âNora! Youâre trying to seduce Anthony again!â
Along with the voice, Angela also rushed up. Her arms flailed in the air as she ran toward Nora. âIâm going to kill you!â
Anthony stopped her and shouted angrily, âWhat are you doing!â
In the private room, Henry, Wendy and Anthonyâs father heard the commotion and came out. Seeing the three of them, Henry shouted, âNora, are you bullying your sister again? Apologize to her.â
Wendy also spoke up. âNora, your sister and Anthony are discussing their engagement today. I know youâre unhappy about it, but that doesnât mean you can come here and make troubleâ¦.. Youâre the one who did something wrong to the Greyâs by getting pregnant before they were married and damaging the reputation of both families!â
Anthony stepped forward. âUncle Henry, Aunt Wendy. Nora is not to be blamed for that. Weâre both really in love with each other. Iâm willing to accept it.â
Angelaâs eyes widened. Hurt and saddened, she took a step back.
Henry was shocked. âAnthony, my daughter has been stubborn and rebellious since she was a child. Donât be fooled by her. She became pregnant before she was married. She will tarnish your name if you marry her.â
Wendy also nodded and said, âBesides, her maternal grandparentsâ family is also very poor. They live in the mountains and even asked us for money today. These relatives are troublemakers.â
After speaking, seeing that Anthony was still looking at Nora like a young man in love, Wendy turned to Anthonyâs father and said, âMr. Gray, you have to think it over! We donât want the Grays to be involved.â
Anthonyâs fatherâs gaze fell on Nora as he heard what she said.
She was leaning against the wall, her posture lazy and careless. Her feline eyes were slightly downcast and she seemed to have a half amused smile on her lips. It seemed as if she was amused by what was going on. That sense of aloofness was as if the dispute had nothing to do with her.
Anthonyâs father was a person who had been immersed in the world of commerce for many years. His deep, unfathomable eyes darkened and he suddenly said, âMarriage is a lifelong commitment. Let the children make their own decisions. Miss Smith, do you really want to be Anthonyâs wife?â.
Her words caused everyone to shift their gazes to Nora.
Tsk, they were finally willing to listen to her.
Nora raised her head, raised her eyebrows and her lips curved into a smile. She replied, âNo, I donât think so.â
ââ¦â
Everyone gasped.
Anthony was the first to react. Furious, he demanded, âWhat do you mean by that, Nora?â
Nora straightened her back and said plainly, âIt means Iâm not interested in you.â
Anthony looked at her incredulously, as if he still didnât understand what she was saying.
Angela, however, shouted, âWhat makes you think you can be disinterested in Anthony, Nora? You make it sound like heâs beneath you. Not only do you come with a lump on you, but your daughter is even a bit of an idiot. Is a woman like you worthy of being choosy?â
Anthony finally came to his senses. In his anger, his choice of words was also very malicious. He said, âNora, who are you interested in, if not me? All of California knows you got pregnant before you got married. Other than me, who else would marry a debauched woman like you, whose reputation is in tatters?â
Wendy sighed and said, âHow can you say that, Nora? You shouldnât aspire to something that is beyond your reach. Do you really think you can do what your mother did? It was pure luck that someone like her, who came from the mountains, could marry your father. Even if you are a little prettier than most, anyone with a decent family background will never accept you as a wife.â
Then Wendy changed the subject again and asked, âBy the way, did you come to dinner with your aunt? Where is she? Your uncle needs money for his hospitalization expenses, right, does he need money?â.
Indeed, Anthonyâs father frowned as he listened to her.
At that moment, a soft voice reached them, âWho says we donât have enough money for medical expenses?â
The two looked off into the distance and saw the approaching Melissa. The smile on her face did not reach her eyes. She said, âMr. Smith, Mrs. Smith. You donât have to worry about hospital charges. You also donât have to worry about Noraâs marriage issues in the future. The Andersons will take care of that.â
Surprised, Anthonyâs father asked, âThe Andersons? What Andersons?â
Melissaâs lips curved into a smile. Her voice was soft, but what she said sounded like thunder, âThe Andersons in New York.â
Anthonyâs fatherâs eyes immediately widened.
Even Henry and Wendy were so shocked they couldnât say anything.
The Andersons of New York⦠Were they really the ones they were thinking of?
As they hesitated, Melissa looked at Anthony again. After looking him up and down, she shook her head and said, âLetâs go back to the private room, Nora. Donât keep your blind date waiting. â
He deliberately emphasized the words âblind dateâ.
Nora knew her aunt was trying to back her up, so she acceded to her wishes and nodded. âOkay.â
The two finally turned, only to immediately see Justin standing behind them. His deep-set eyes were upturned and even the mole in the corner of his eye seemed to be smiling. With an emphasis on each syllable, he repeated, âBlind date?â
ð ð ð ð ð
As they argued, Cherry dragged Pete with her and slipped into the stairwell.
She removed her scarf to reveal her delicate, lovely face, panting heavily as she said, âThat was so suffocating! Good thing we didnât get caught, Pete.â
Then, she saw her brother stop and slowly raise his head.
Cherry turned around and slowly raised her head as well. Instantly, she saw Chester standing there in disbelief, wide-eyed.
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