Wed To The Richest Man

CH 9

To express her apology, Lily Wang took Grace Howard and Mina Sue to a newly opened French restaurant upstairs for a meal.

After ordering, she couldn't help but ask Grace about her plans: "Are you planning to go back to Wen City?"

Grace's face fell slightly, and she forced a smile. "Yeah, I have to go back. Classes start again next week."

Lily felt a pang of sympathy. For some reason, she felt a strong connection to Grace and didn't want her to leave just like that.

"How about this," Lily suggested, "why don't you stay at our place for a few days before heading back? There's no lasting grudge between a mother and daughter. You haven't seen each other for years, so it's natural to feel distant. Maybe spending some time together will help."

Mina's eyes widened in surprise, a bit opposed to the idea. "Mom!"

Grace was also taken aback.

At first, she politely declined, but Lily's sincere invitation, coupled with her own feelings of regret and longing, eventually led her to agree.

"I need to go back and let my... friend know first. All my luggage is with him," Grace said.

"Alright, I'll go prepare a room for you. Make sure to come over soon," Lily replied, relieved and happy.

"Okay!"

Grace returned to Ethan Hugh's place and explained the situation to him.

"Do you think I should go? I feel like my mom doesn't really want to see me..." Grace Howard said, feeling a bit down.

"You've already made up your mind, haven't you?" Ethan Hugh replied calmly.

Grace took a deep breath. "Yeah, I guess. It's better to give it a try and have no regrets later."

Ethan asked, "Where's the outfit I told you to buy?"

Grace scratched her head, suddenly remembering she hadn't completed the task. "I only bought one... but it's a really expensive one, worth ten!"

Ethan nodded. "Put it on. If I see you in those old clothes again, don't blame me for tossing you out."

Startled by Ethan's look, Grace quickly dashed to her room to change into the dress. Afterward, the housemaids helped her style her hair and found a pair of shoes to match.

When she reappeared, looking completely transformed, the maids couldn't help but gasp in admiration. Even Ethan, who rarely showed his emotions, was momentarily taken aback.

For the first time, he realized that this woman was truly beautiful.

She was like a dusty pearl, now polished and shining brightly.

Feeling a bit shy under Ethan's gaze, Grace asked, "What do you think?"

Ethan Hugh snapped back to reality. "Something's missing."

Grace Howard looked puzzled as he instructed a maid, who quickly dashed off and soon returned with a black velvet box and a mirror.

Ethan opened the box to reveal a pearl necklace.

Grace couldn't quite gauge its value, but she thought it was beautiful. The pearls looked like delicate little moons strung together, exuding a warm glow and an air of elegance.

Ethan gently placed the necklace around her neck. "There, it's perfect."

Grace glanced at herself in the mirror and was immediately impressed by Ethan's taste.

The necklace was the perfect finishing touch, transforming her bare collarbone into a masterpiece with layers and depth, like the leading lady on a classic movie poster.

"I'll be back early!" Grace waved to Ethan as she left.

Ethan didn't say a word, just watched her leave the Hugh residence.

Grace had no idea how much Christine Smith would react upon hearing she was going to stay at the Su residence for a few days.

"Ma'am! Why did you bring someone like her into the Su family? Just looking at her makes me sick! People like her only taint the Su family!" Christine Smith was shouting and jumping around, almost hysterical.

Lila Su looked puzzled. "You said you haven't seen your daughter since she was born, so you don't really know what kind of person she is. Why are you so hostile towards her?"

Christine insisted, "I told you, Ma'am, no one from the Howard family is any good. A person's nature is determined by genetics and environment! I felt uncomfortable the moment I saw her; she's definitely trouble!"

Lila frowned, sensing something was off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"I've already invited her, and it wouldn't be right to send her away now. If you don't want to see her, why don't you help out at the old house for a few days? You can come back after she's gone."

Unexpectedly, Christine seemed a bit panicked and immediately rejected the idea. "Oh, no, that wouldn't be right. I wouldn't want to trouble you, Ma'am. It's only a few days, I can manage. She can stay with me."

As the head housekeeper, Christine had her own small suite, which was more than enough to accommodate Grace Howard.

Lila agreed, thinking it might be good for the mother and daughter to spend some time together and strengthen their bond.

Henry Allan dropped Grace Howard off at the Su residence, where she was greeted by Christine Smith, whose face was as dark as a stormy sky. Her cold gaze didn't resemble that of a mother looking at her daughter; it was more like she was staring at a thief.

"What kind of spell did you cast on Madam to get her to bring you here? I'm warning you, stay in your room and don't wander around in front of Madam and the young ladies, got it?"

Grace had anticipated her mother's attitude, but hearing such heartless words still sent a sharp pain through her heart. It took her a moment to respond, "I understand..."

However, things didn't go as Christine had hoped.

Madam Li personally invited Grace to join her for a meal. When Grace tried to make an excuse not to go, Madam Li came to invite her herself.

With Madam being so insistent and Christine busy elsewhere, Grace had no choice but to join them.

At the dining table, Mina Sue looked displeased, not even sparing Grace a glance.

No matter how close Grace was to Aunt Christine, she was still just a housekeeper's daughter. How could she sit at the same table as Mina? Her mother was being far too reckless!

Lily Wan asked Grace Howard many questions about her life over the years. When she learned that Grace had managed to get into A University while juggling household chores, she couldn't help but feel both impressed and envious.

"Mina is about your age, and she's quite smart too, but she just doesn't take things seriously. If only she worked as hard as you do."

This had always been a regret for Lily.

Like all families of their stature, she had hired top-notch tutors for Mina Sue from a young age, hoping to mold her into an exceptional child.

But Mina wasn't cut out for academics. She was more interested in fashion and shopping. No matter how much effort was put into her studies, the results were always mediocre. As her teachers put it, she lacked talent.

As a mother, Lily was reluctant to accept this, so she comforted herself with the excuse that Mina's heart just wasn't in it.

Unexpectedly, Mina was quite displeased upon hearing this and retorted, "Our family is so wealthy, I can live well without working hard. Even if she got into A University, she'll still end up working tirelessly everywhere and won't earn even a fraction of my allowance."