h4Chapter 142: Chapter 140: One Big Family/h4

    "I’ll still be a while. If you’re tired, go ahead and sleep first." Norman Bet gently rubbed the head of the little girl in his arms.

    Elliana Lyle shook her head and snuggled into the man’s neck. "I’m not tired, I want to stay with you."

    ...

    Half an hourter.

    Elliana was starting to feel bored. She fished out her phone from her pocket, opened Weibo, and checked the post she made earlier that afternoon.

    @EllianaStudio: The biggest nonsense of the year.

    Elli-bao: "Elliana, don’t worry about it. If we stand up straight, we have nothing to fear from shadows. If a dog bites us, we can’t bite back."

    Seeing thisfortingment, she replied:

    EllianaStudio@Elli-bao: "We can use a stick to hit (^～^)"

    Scrolling down, there was Joy Lyle’s "squeezed-in" support, considering Joy had a jam-packed schedule.

    To her surprise, even Fenny Grey interacted with her, and that was her idol!

    Fenny Grey: "Elliana, keep it up."

    ...

    After a while, she turned the volume to the lowest setting and started swiping through short videos.

    The head of Rongju Group, Simon King, was sued by his wife for multiple affairs!

    She was about to swipe past it, but the video’s title made her quickly go back. A simple sentence, paired with photos of Simon King and his wife, set against high-spirited music—now this was a big deal.

    "Norman Bet, look." She held up her phone, and the man immediately shifted his gaze back.

    "Hmm, I’ll adjust Luna Sutton’s sry separately, you don’t need to pay her."

    Midnight, 12 o’clock.

    Elliana Lyle couldn’t hold on any longer, but she didn’t want to leave the man, so she fell asleep soundly in his arms.

    The man heard the steady breathing soundsing from his embrace. Looking down, the little girl had her mouth slightly open, her small face flushed and rosy, and even the tip of her delicate nose seemed tinged with blush.

    He took the phone from her hand, ced it on a table, and then picked her up to take her out.

    The next day.

    The chirping of a few birds in the morning startled her awake, only to realize it was the phone ringing by her ear.

    Groggily, she picked it up and answered, "Hello?"

    "Elliana, tomorrow is Second Uncle’s birthday. I’ve been so busytely, I probably won’t make it back."

    "Oh." Elliana yawned, not taking what Joy Lyle said seriously at all.

    After a brief chat, Joy hung up the phone, and Elliana was pretty much awake by then.

    But she felt something wasn’t right. Joy’s second uncle...

    Wasn’t that her dad!

    How did ite so soon? Wasn’t his birthday in May?

    She checked the calendar on her phone, May 2nd.

    She cursed herself for living so dazedlytely, having no sense of time.

    No matter what, as the only daughter, she still had to go back.

    Picking up her phone, she dialed a number.

    "Hey, Luna, there’s a feast tomorrow. Want toe?"

    "Whose feast?"

    Elliana said: "My dad’s."

    "I’ming."

    Upon getting up, she realized something didn’t feel right with her body!

    Looking at the box that hadn’t been put back into the drawer, she suddenly understood what happened, but this time it was okay.

    ...

    At least it didn’t hurt as much!

    After tidying up, she went downstairs. Today was the day she was going to school for a makeup exam.

    ...

    ――― Lyle Family Vi.

    A car stopped at the front gate, and out stepped two elegant women, one elder and one younger. One wore a dark blue velvet qipao, elegant and poised, the other wore a ck square-necked, form-fitting dress, calm yet with a touch of softness, and full of vitality.

    It was Ada Lee and her mother, Florence Lyle.

    "Second Brother."

    "Florence is here." Shawn Lyle nced at the mother and daughter but showed no surprise, casually asked, "James didn’te."

    "Oh, thepany is busy, he won’t be free until tomorrow."

    After the elders exchanged greetings, Ada slightly stepped forward and said, "Uncle, I came early, you won’t mind me crashing the meal, right?"

    She wore a gentle and sweet smile, showing the attitude one should have towards elders.

    "Good that you’re here, I was just afraid you wouldn’te." Shawn Lyle smiled, but always seemed somewhat stern. Seeing this niece dressed so lightly, he immediately chided warmly, "The weather’s still cool, if you catch a cold, you’ll regret it."

    He called out to Nanny Lewis, "Go, get a nket."

    "Ada, see how good your second uncle is to you? When he gets old, you must take good care of him," Florence Lyle said with a chuckle.

    Ada replied, "Mom, you’re right, I’ll definitely take good care of Uncle."

    Then she nced around slightly and asked, "Uncle, where’s Elliana? Still not up?"

    Mentioning Elliana made Shawn Lyle’s face darken immediately, then he held his temper and said, "That girl has been wildtely, not even staying at home and went to live with the Bets."

    "Oh my? Living together even before marriage?" Florence Lyle shook her head with disdain: "Tsk tsk, I’m telling you, Second Brother, now that Minn is gone, you really need to manage Elliana better. Once a daughter’s wings are strong, she just wants to fly away."

    Honestly, Shawn Lyle hadn’t even thought of Elliana these days, until this reminder.

    Florence then gave her daughter a nce.

    Ada, catching her mother’s implied direction, followed Nanny Lewis, who handed her the nket, and went upstairs to the rooms.

    "Second Brother, I have something to discuss with you."

    Then Florence followed Shawn to the study on the second floor.

    In the study, the brother and sister sat facing each other, and seeing that no one else was around, Florence sincerely said, "Second Brother, the Bets aren’t people to get involved with lightly. Now the Bet Corporation wants to acquire my husband’spany. Isn’t the implication clear? Elliana’s meek nature will be easily controlled by the Bets, and then wouldn’t they control you and our Lyle family as well?"

    These words hit the mark for Shawn Lyle, as Bet Corporation had always wanted to fully acquire Lyle Corporation, an idea he was displeased with and even began to resent.

    However, what made him more dissatisfied was the condescending charity from Norman Bet, which was a huge insult, forcing him to act subservient to a junior!

    Thinking of this, he suppressed his anger. How could he not need Norman Bet’s charity too?

    Seeing her brother’s silence, Florence continued, "Second Brother, let’s coborate. My husband said he’d rather merge with you than let Bet Corporation take over."

    These words moved Shawn Lyle. If so, he really wouldn’t need that bit of charity from Norman Bet.

    Seeing her brother moved, she added, "As her aunt, I’ve already chosen a husband for Elliana. They’re honest people, and when she’s in her inw’s home, she’d be able to stand her ground."

    Shawn Lyle nodded, immediately deciding, "Hmm! When she returns tomorrow, I’ll have a serious talk with her."

    "I’m afraid Elliana’s temper is a bit stubborn, if she’s insistent..." Florence let Shawn Lyle lead the topic, intending to provoke her brother further.

    Sure enough, Shawn Lyle snorted coldly, angrily saying, "If she doesn’t behave, once she’s through this door, she shouldn’t think of leaving! I still can’t manage her?"

    "Oh!" Florence quickly appeased, "Look at what you’re saying, Second Brother. Elliana is an obedient child. I’ll speak to her properly, and she’ll definitely listen."

    ...

    After Shawn Lyle left for thepany, Ada and her mother went to a room to talk.

    "Mom, how did it go? Did Uncle agree?"

    "He agreed. Your second uncle, that face-saving man, cannot withstand provocation. Once Elliana and Norman Bet break off the engagement, you should seize the opportunity. Don’t let some vixen snatch it first."

    Ada smiled and said, "Mom, don’t worry, I’ll definitely seize it well."