CHAPTER 74: CHAPTER 74: THE SINCLAIR FAMILY’S JADE PENDANT (PART 1)

The moment this thought emerged, she quickly suppressed it, but the indescribable complex emotions in her heart slowly spread out.

At this moment, the voice of the butler calling for dinner came from the front hall.

Shirley Sinclair threw down the small net bag and pulled Holly, running towards the house, "Auntie, hurry! Grandfather is back today, let’s see what gift he brought Shirley..."

Grandfather?

Holly’s mind buzzed for a moment.

Shirley’s grandfather is none other than Blake Sinclair’s father, her father-in-law, right?

Did she really meet the parents so unprepared?

Why didn’t Blake Sinclair mention it beforehand? She came without bringing anything, it’s too presumptuous!

Holly really didn’t know much about this legendary father-in-law, Ian Sinclair.

She only knew that he rarely appeared in public after handing over the Sinclair Group to Blake, as if he had suddenly disappeared.

What would Ian Sinclair be like? Would he be very stern? What should she say?

Thinking about this, she felt at a loss, but Shirley continued pulling her rapidly forward, leaving her with no choice but to follow.

Yet, the curiosity in her heart grew stronger. What kind of man is the one who raised Blake Sinclair?

On the way to the front hall, several images of Ian Sinclair flashed through Holly’s mind.

However, all those imaginations completely collapsed upon seeing the man standing in the living room.

Imagination crumbled before reality!

In front of the full-length painting in the middle of the living room, stood a man wearing a conspicuous Hawaiian print shirt and beach shorts, with a straw hat on his head.

The man’s sun-kissed skin, paired with this island vacation outfit, exuded total relaxation, but...

This... is Ian Sinclair?

Holly couldn’t believe her eyes, instinctively glancing around, but ultimately, she had no choice but to accept the fact.

This holiday uncle... is Ian Sinclair!

"Grandfather!"

Sinclair let go of her hand, running over to the man with open arms, "What nice gift did you bring for Shirley?"

"Oh my dear granddaughter."

Ian Sinclair turned around, laughed heartily, bent over, and picked up little Sinclair, bouncing her slightly, which made her giggle nonstop.

"Your grandpa couldn’t forget anyone even if he wanted to, especially not our little princess. The gift is with your mom, ask her to show it to you later. Come, give grandpa a kiss."

Sinclair obediently offered her face, hugging his neck and acting coquettishly, "Grandpa, how long can you stay with Shirley this time? Last time you promised to catch little fish with me, but flew away the next day... Stay with Shirley a bit longer this time, would you?"

"Alright! I’ll stay longer with our little princess this time." Ian Sinclair lovingly tapped her tiny nose, his voice robust.

The grandfather and granddaughter chatted and laughed intimately, with Holly standing a short distance away.

Suddenly, her wrist was lightly held by a hand, and Blake Sinclair’s voice sounded in her ear, "Don’t be nervous."

Holly looked up at him and managed a smile.

Then, Ian Sinclair put down little Sinclair and walked towards them.

He tucked away his earlier smile, and his gaze towards Holly became more scrutinizing.

Apart from the vacation outfit, his brows and eyes resembled Blake’s, even the habit of frowning while looking at people was identical.

"Dad, this is Holly Crowe." Holly steadied herself and greeted him politely.

Ian Sinclair nodded slightly, his gaze resting on her for a few seconds before turning to Blake, "Is it her?"

This out-of-context question left Holly perplexed.

Blake held her hand tightly, meeting his father’s gaze with a solemn nod.

Only then did Ian Sinclair look back at Holly, asking, "Young lady, where are you from?"

"I’m from Beldon, originally from Port Kallow."

"Port Kallow?"

Ian Sinclair repeated the three words as if recalling something, "Julian Finch mentioned you’re into ceramics?"

"Yes, I’ve opened a pottery shop now."

Holly’s voice was somewhat tense.

In her mind, a melodramatic scene started playing: her family background and profession had been questioned. The next step wouldn’t be pulling out a huge cheque asking her to leave his son, would it?

But Ian Sinclair didn’t question further, just quietly looked at her.

The way he spoke and acted made Holly anxious.

Blake shifted, protecting Holly behind him, his voice hinting at protectiveness, "Don’t scare her."

Just as he finished speaking, the seriousness on Ian’s face instantly disappeared, replaced by hearty laughter, "Don’t be scared, young lady."

He signaled the butler beside him with a glance, who caught the signal, and quickly came over carrying a small dark red wooden box.

The box was palm-sized, engraved with cloud patterns on the outside.

"Since you’re the daughter-in-law of the Sinclair Family, this belongs to you." Ian’s voice grew solemn, "The kids’ mother passed early, and this custom cannot be broken. It’s up to me to hand it over to you personally."

The butler opened the wooden box, revealing a rectangular white jade pendant inside.

The jade was smooth and flawless, with Holly’s name beautifully inscribed on the front in seal script.

Holly was taken aback.

What is this jade pendant?

Why is her name engraved on it?

She instinctively looked at Blake.

Blake gently squeezed her palm, quietly explaining, "This is the daughter-in-law’s jade pendant of the Sinclair Family. Every generation of the female head must have one. It requires going to the ancestral hall to request approval from the ancestors, with the name added into the family registry, then inscribed by the oldest craftsman in the family before it can be handed to the holder."

He picked up the jade pendant and handed it to Holly.

The jade was cool to the touch, but his gaze was warm, "Holly, accept it. From today, you are rightfully the mistress of the Sinclair Family."

Holly looked at the jade pendant with her name engraved on it, her emotions were a mix of awe and complexity. She felt that the weight of the jade pendant in her hand was immense.

The butler, observing this scene, appeared pleased and couldn’t help but add, "Blake went through a lot to secure this jade pendant, do accept it quickly."

Surprised, Holly looked up, "Is it difficult to obtain the jade pendant?"

Ian took off his straw hat, gazing at Blake, with a touch of helplessness mixed with admiration.

"It’s not exactly difficult, but not simple either. According to the century-old customs of the Sinclair Family, the daughter-in-law’s jade pendant is usually granted after the birth of a child, requested by elders from the ancestral hall."

He changed his tone, "However, Blake insisted on breaking this tradition for you! He wants you to become the Sinclair Family’s mistress without any worries. He wants you to know that what the Sinclair Family recognizes is you, Holly Crowe, separate from whether or not there are children, or when they may come."

"Those old fuddy-duddies..." He paused, sighing.

Holly’s heart clenched slightly, gripping the jade pendant tightly.

She asked, "So, how did Blake manage to get it?"

Ian shook his head, looking at Holly, then at his son, "That, you’ll have to ask him yourself."

He clapped Blake on the shoulder with admiration, "You have your dad’s spirit back in the day! That’s how it should be! Those old rules have long needed changing!"

His eyes were filled with contentment, as he turned to walk outside.

The evening breeze lifted the hem of his clothes. He took out a jade pendant kept close, the moonlight revealing the gentle shine of the words "Julian Finch" engraved on it.

Ian gently caressed those words as if touching a rare treasure.

He looked up at the moon, his voice as soft as a sigh, "Julian, you see, this brat is just like me, a good upbringing didn’t go to waste."