This couple stood united; who could shake them in the slightest?

In the end, everyone could only reluctantly take back their red envelopes, and from then on, the custom disappeared within the Horne Family.

「A City.」

"Aunt, why the rush to summon your nephew? Is there some earth-shattering matter? I'm hardly capable of much. Are you sure you want my help?"

A young man in his mid to late twenties, with features bearing a resemblance to Madam Ruiz, was not very tall—about 170 centimeters. His attire was somewhat casual, yet he exuded an air of languid nobility. He sat opposite Madam Ruiz, a suitcase by his side, looking both anxious and curious, as if he had just rushed in from somewhere.

"Anton, you seem to be the most suitable for this task," Madam Ruiz said calmly as she gazed at her nephew from her maiden family, the young master of the Wallace Family of Dumbledore, Anton Wallace, who was also Mason Wallace's younger brother.

She had thought of a way to tear apart Hansen Ruiz and Rachel Bailey, and this method relied on the nephew before her.

Anton Wallace was somewhat devil-may-care. He didn't like business or politics; he preferred painting. Strangely, he didn't exude much of an artist's aura, so everyone regarded him as a playboy. He was gentle with all girls, which made him quite popular among them.

"Aunt, out with it. What's the situation?" Anton said, his words smooth as oil. "Since I'm the most suitable, when you need me, I promise to go through thick and thin, to brave any danger without hesitation."

The Wallace Family was considered aristocratic in Dumbledore. However, in recent years, as Anton's generation showed no inclination toward business—even Mason, who reluctantly engaged in it, failed to make money—the Wallace Family's current standing wasn't great. They maintained their luxurious lifestyle mainly by relying on the Ruiz Family.

The Ruiz Family had several branches in Dumbledore that did business with the Wallace Family. Thanks to these branches, the Wallace Family would not decline, at least for the time being.

Therefore, the young members of the Wallace Family did their utmost to ingratiate themselves with Madam Ruiz, their "Empress Dowager" aunt.

"You, your words are getting sweeter and sweeter," Madam Ruiz laughed. Her hand reached under the coffee table for a large envelope, which she then handed to Anton Wallace. Looking at him, she said, "The woman in these photos is named Rachel Bailey. She's a peasant girl from some village, in some administrative district, in some town in T City. She's short, plain-looking, but quite bold and sharp-tongued. Right now, she's renting a few square meters in front of the 'Fashionable Attire' Clothing Store on Betra Street in T City, running a stall selling clothes. I want you to pursue her. Remember, it's a feigned pursuit. Your goal is simply to make her fall in love with you."

This was the method Madam Ruiz had conceived to split Hansen Ruiz and Rachel Bailey. Get another man to actively pursue Rachel Bailey and make her fall for him. That way, even if Hansen Ruiz still liked Rachel Bailey, he couldn't force the issue, could he? Given Hansen Ruiz's proud status, she believed he wouldn't stoop to forcing a relationship. This plan would not only separate the two but also prevent Hansen Ruiz from directing his anger at her—killing two birds with one stone, a perfect solution.

Anton Wallace, with his gentle and considerate nature, was well-liked by women, making him the perfect candidate. She was confident that Rachel Bailey would fall for his charms. And since Anton Wallace and Hansen Ruiz were cousins, no matter how harsh or angry Hansen Ruiz became, if Rachel Bailey made her choice, he couldn't possibly take it out on Anton Wallace.

Once Hansen Ruiz had forgotten about Rachel Bailey, Anton Wallace could make a graceful exit. As for Rachel Bailey… if she dared to climb the social ladder, she would have to pay the price. Not physical harm, but a broken heart would serve as a warning, a lesson!

Anton Wallace pulled a stack of photos from the envelope. They were all candid shots Madam Ruiz had ordered, capturing moments of Rachel Bailey with Hansen Ruiz.

Looking at Rachel Bailey in the photos—aside from a decent figure and pretty eyes, she was indeed very plain—Anton Wallace couldn't help but chuckle as he looked at Madam Ruiz. "Aunt," he said, still smiling, "your nephew may enjoy a bit of dalliance, but the women I associate with all possess class, looks, figure, and status. This woman, apart from her figure, has nothing else going for her. You really want me to pursue someone like her? Your nephew hasn't sunk to such desperate levels yet."

This was a serious affront to his aesthetic sensibilities.

"Yet your eldest cousin has indeed become that desperate! He's fallen for her!" Madam Ruiz said, exasperated.

"Oh, what? My eldest cousin? Which eldest cousin?" Anton Wallace first responded casually, but once the words sank in, his expression changed to one of shock, and he hurriedly pressed for clarification.

Madam Ruiz shot him an irritated glance. "How many eldest cousins do you have?" she snapped. "Besides that smiling hypocrite, who else could it be?"

She was about to be driven mad by her eldest son.

In the past, her eldest son had disengaged from company business, refusing to take over the family enterprise. This had infuriated her to the point of explosion; she felt that she and the Ruiz Family had invested so much in cultivating him, training him, only for him to walk away. No matter their attempts to coerce Hansen Ruiz back, he instead carved out another River Mountain for himself in T City. This actually brought honor to the Ruiz Family, so its members didn't pressure him as intensely anymore. However, seeing Hansen Ruiz's capabilities within Valence Group made the old folks envious. They began discussing strategies to persuade Hansen Ruiz to return and take over the company, believing it would make the business even stronger. All of this made her head spin.

And to top it all off, Hansen Ruiz had fallen for a woman with nothing to her name, making Madam Ruiz feel as if she had owed her eldest son a debt in a past life, and he had come to collect in this one by deliberately provoking her and opposing her at every turn.

"A woman like that..." Hearing that this was the woman Hansen Ruiz liked, Anton Wallace couldn't help but study Rachel Bailey's photos again, this time with intense scrutiny.

He had initially assumed Rachel Bailey was Hansen Ruiz's secretary or something similar, as every photo showed the two of them together. He knew Hansen Ruiz was peculiar about relationships and had never been linked to any scandals. He had suspected Hansen Ruiz either had obsessive-compulsive disorder regarding such matters or was perhaps impotent.

It turned out his judgment was flawed. He had mistaken beauty for plainness and plainness for beauty. It was truly a startling revelation.