Andrea cried, “The older ones don’t bring me peace, and neither do the younger ones. I’ve completely lost face!”
“Why are you bringing me into this when we’re talking about our son?”
“Why? How long has it been since you slept at home? Are you staying at Ms. Emily’s place? And last time Ms. Emily went to the hospital, was it because of her pregnancy? Let me tell you, Scott Richard, if I find out something is going on, I won’t let you off!” Andrea’s eyes were red with anger.
Scott Richard faltered, immediately defending himself. “What nonsense are you talking about? Pregnant? Ms. Emily was just getting a health check. What are you imagining? I’m too old for this…”
“You better not have anything going on, or I’ll deal with her myself!”
Scott Richard was at a loss for words, turning his head away in frustration.
The patriarch’s face darkened. “When I was younger, I built this family business from scratch, hoping my sons would carry it forward. But look at you! The eldest has a mistress, making a public scandal. Neither he nor his children are reliable. Scott Henry wanted to divorce Sophia—fine, I agreed. But now, at his second wedding, he runs off with another woman! This kind of grandson is disgraceful!”
Scott Richard remained silent.
The patriarch continued, turning to the second son: “And you, the second family! How many women and children do you have? Have you done anything worthwhile in your life?”
Scott Justin, dressed in a gray suit, dared not reply.
“And you, the third! Not marrying is one thing, but bringing home two white twins? What do you take the Scott family for? I asked for grandchildren, not surrogate arrangements! Without a proper family, those kids are better off not being born!”
Scott Weston kept his head down, saying nothing.
Finally, the patriarch turned to Livinus. His tone softened: “If only any of you were half as competent as the fourth! He not only manages the company well but keeps his personal life in order. I’m grateful I have at least one decent son. Otherwise, what’s the point of having all of you?”
The three sons were used to being scolded and stayed silent, while Livinus’s expression remained unchanged.
After the scolding, Olivia sobbed:
“If he didn’t want to marry me, he could’ve said so earlier. Now the whole world knows I was getting married, but he ran away on the wedding day! I’ve become a complete laughingstock!”
A runaway groom at a celebrity’s wedding—this was the kind of plot one only saw in TV dramas. But in real life, with so many media outlets present, it was bound to be reported.
The patriarch turned to Livinus, asking sternly:
“Son, how do you plan to handle this?”
Livinus leaned back on the sofa, crossing his legs and intertwining his fingers. After a pause, he replied solemnly:
“Whether outsiders believe it or not, the show must go on. I’ve already arranged for the VIP ward at the hospital to be secured; no reporters are allowed in. Nurses and doctors will make regular visits for checkups, and publicly, we’ll claim Scott Henry fainted from exhaustion. Everyone else will stick to the same story and remain silent,” Livinus replied calmly.
The patriarch knew the Scott family’s PR team was skilled, but he wasn’t sure if they could contain such a scandal.
“What’s the status of the stocks?” he asked.
“They’ve taken a significant hit. With all the negative news lately, investors have lost confidence in the Scott family.”
Hearing this, the patriarch’s face darkened further. Scott Richard, already feeling guilty, didn’t dare to utter a word.
“Son, what do you suggest the Scott family do in this situation?” the patriarch asked.
Livinus pondered for a moment before replying nonchalantly, “Father, there’s something I’ve been meaning to bring up. I know you’ve always wanted to venture into the herbal tea business. Years ago, you approached Sophia’s grandfather for a collaboration, but he declined. Recently, I contacted a local herbal tea company in Galaxy province, aiming to launch herbal tea products by next summer.”
“Herbal tea? Son, you…” The patriarch was visibly surprised.
“I know this has been a long-held dream of yours, especially since Grandfather once sold herbal tea. You’ve always wanted to expand into this market to honor his legacy. I didn’t mention it earlier because the negotiation process with this company was challenging, and I wasn’t sure if I could secure the deal.”
“Did they agree?”
