Scott Henry took the opportunity during dinner to secretly observe Scott Livinus.
Scott Livinus had actually agreed to the arranged date. Could it be that there was really nothing going on between him and Sophia? Was it truly just a misunderstanding caused by the elevator malfunction?
But…
For some reason, Scott Henry felt that the two of them oddly matched.
This made him deeply uncomfortable.
Even though Sophia was a woman he had discarded, the idea of her being with someone else still gave him the feeling of being humiliated.
And of all people, it absolutely couldn’t be his Uncle.
The thought of them being together and having to call Sophia “Aunt,” with her gaining a higher status and marrying someone better than him, was simply intolerable!
With this in mind, Scott Henry’s expression subtly changed.
—
That evening, Scott Henry was summoned by his grandfather.
Mr. Scott’s expression was grim. Andrea stood off to the side and gave Scott Henry a meaningful look, prompting him to force a smile quickly.
“Grandfather, what do you need from me?”
The elder, Mr. Scott, looked at his grandson, his eyes filled with disappointment. The eldest branch of the family only had this one son, who had grown up under his watch. He had initially believed Scott Henry would turn out well. However, while the boy had some intelligence, he lacked determination. Though he hadn’t caused any major scandals after growing up, his behavior with women was disgraceful. The elder Mr. Scott had previously refrained from intervening—even when Olivia had made a scene and gotten pregnant, he hadn’t stepped in. But now, Scott Henry had gone too far by bringing his mistress into the family home.
“Henry, you’ve grown up now, haven’t you? You think you’re capable of making your own decisions?”
Scott Henry froze, catching sight of Scott Livinus standing by the elder Mr. Scott’s side with an indifferent expression. An inexplicable rage surged within him as if a rival had witnessed his downtrodden state.
“Grandfather, what do you mean by this?”
The elder, Mr. Scott, let out a cold snort, his cane tapping sharply against the cold floor, making everyone’s heart jump.
“What do I mean? Look at you! You’ve ruined a perfectly good marriage and are now fooling around with that so-called celebrity. Henry, let me tell you, there’s no such thing as a clean woman in the entertainment industry. Do you even know what Olivia’s intentions are?”
Scott Henry frowned. “Grandfather, Olivia is very good to me! She’s not the type of person you’re describing.”
The elder, Mr. Scott, sighed heavily, his tone filled with exasperation.
“Not that type of person? Then what kind is she? She interfered in your marriage and caused your divorce, and you still defend her? What’s wrong with Sophia? Sure, her family background isn’t as strong, but she was your own choice! And let’s not even talk about that. Your father’s scandal has already made us the laughingstock of the community. And now you bring Olivia into the house? Are you trying to embarrass us even further?”
Scott Henry froze, his brows furrowed. “Grandfather, Olivia is pregnant. I don’t feel comfortable leaving her alone out there.”
“Pregnant? Are you seriously thinking of marrying her?”
Scott Henry hesitated. He had assumed his family would support him, given how long he and Olivia had been together and the lack of prior objections.
“Grandfather, what do you mean by this?”
“What I mean is, I absolutely won’t allow you to marry an actress! Even if you’re divorced, your next wife must come from a reputable family. Olivia will never set foot in the Scott family!”
Scott Henry stood there stunned, realizing for the first time that his marriage wasn’t as free as he had thought.
He wanted to argue further but was abruptly pulled aside by Andrea, who said, “Your grandfather is right. Given your status, there are plenty of good girls who would love to marry you. You can take care of Olivia and the baby, hire someone to look after her, and send her financial support regularly—that’s more than enough.”
“Mom, I can’t do that! I already promised Olivia I’d marry her.”
“You foolish child! Do as I say!” Andrea scolded, tugging on his arm to stop him from speaking further.
Scott Henry frowned deeply. Once they left the room, he protested, “Mom, Olivia is carrying my child. How could I betray her? Haven’t you always wanted a grandson?”
“What I want doesn’t matter! And besides, the child is still my grandson, even if the mother isn’t allowed into the family,” Andrea said coldly.
Andrea herself was baffled by the elder Mr. Scott’s prejudice against Olivia. In this family, his word was law. At such a sensitive time, going against him would only cause trouble.
“Enough, just do as I say! Your father’s issues are already giving me enough headaches.”
Scott Henry sighed heavily, remaining silent.
After they left, the elder, Mr. Scott, turned to Scott Livinus and asked, “Livinus, how do you plan to handle your brother’s situation?”
“Father, it’s only natural for him to develop feelings for someone like Ms. Emily, given how much time they spend together. Please don’t be too harsh on him.”
The elder, Mr. Scott, sighed. “It’s rare to hear you speak up for him, especially after how he’s treated you. It’s admirable that you still care about family bonds.”
Scott Livinus said calmly, “After all, we’re brothers. How could there be grudges that last overnight? Ms. Emily is young and mild-mannered. It’s only natural that he likes her. However, we must give my sister-in-law an explanation. Perhaps he should let Ms. Emily go and focus on mending his marriage.”
“Fine, we’ll handle it your way. As for the media…”
“I’ll be holding a press conference for the Scott Corporation’s new product launch soon. That should stabilize the stock prices.”
The elder, Mr. Scott, nodded in approval. “You’ve never disappointed me.”
As Scott Livinus left the room, his expression turned dark. Thinking of all the things Scott Richard had done in the past, his smile grew cold.
—
Andrea was especially enthusiastic about arranging Scott Livinus’s blind date. Early that morning, she set the time and even called him to confirm.
Scott Livinus had been busy lately and didn’t have time to travel far. Fortunately, the blind date’s home was nearby, so they arranged to meet at a café near his office.
The woman arrived gracefully, just as Andrea had described—tall, strikingly beautiful, with a refined and scholarly aura despite her background in dance. She left a very pleasant impression.
“Hello.”
“Hello.”
“My name is Kim Brown.”
“I’m Scott Livinus.”
Kim smiled brightly, exuding an open and cheerful demeanor. “Were you also forced here by your family?”
Scott Livinus took a sip of tea, raising an eyebrow slightly. “Ms. Kim, were you forced here by yours?”
