The old master was so furious that he almost exploded.
What was happening?! He had painstakingly raised his youngest son, even to the point of wanting to hand over the family business to him.
And yet, just because of a woman, this son was willing to abandon his own family!
He even wanted to marry into someone else’s household!
“Absolutely not!” The old master was so enraged that he gasped for breath. “Livinus, I’m telling you—if you dare to do something as disgraceful as marrying into her family, then don’t ever call yourself my son again! From now on, you are no longer a Scott!”
“That works out perfectly!” Livinus said nonchalantly. “Smith is a good surname. I wouldn’t mind if my future descendants all carried that name.”
After saying this, he turned and walked away without looking back.
The old master was left fuming, his heart and lungs aching from the rage.
People often say that sons are bound to leave their families when they grow up, but he never imagined that after raising his son for over thirty years, a woman would take him away so easily.
And to make matters worse, his son actually took pride in the idea of marrying into someone else’s family!
It was enough to make him livid!
Of course, Sophia had no idea about any of this.
She had no clue how much of a storm Livinus’s words had stirred within the old master.
It was said that the old master was so furious that he nearly changed his will.
He even declared that if any future descendants dared to take the surname Smith, he wouldn’t leave Livinus a single cent.
But Livinus acted as if he was completely unaware of any of this, continuing to go to work as usual.
As the days grew hotter, Sophia found herself craving cold treats. The colder, the better—it was as if only ice-cold food could cool the fire burning inside her.
“You’ve already eaten three,” Livinus reminded her.
Livinus had always thought that pregnant women had strong appetites, but Sophia wasn’t like the typical expectant mother. Her eating habits and routine hadn’t changed much, and she had no fondness for greasy foods. Instead, she preferred vegetables and whole grains.
Sometimes, when they ran out of meat, they would simply stir-fry some greens from the small vegetable garden at the entrance, and Sophia would eat it with great satisfaction.
However, there was one notable change—Sophia loved sour and spicy food. Lately, she had also developed a liking for cold treats, making her cravings quite unpredictable.
“Mmm… It’s not me who wants to eat it, it’s the baby,” Sophia said earnestly.
Livinus curled his lips into a smile and teased, “Then you should tell the baby to be careful not to get scolded for eating too much.”
“You tell her yourself.”
“I’m afraid she won’t hear me.”
“Of course, she won’t hear you, but you can still talk to my belly.”
The two of them exchanged these lighthearted words, while Sophia discreetly observed Livinus’s expression.
Lately, there had been no unusual changes in him.
He was exactly the same as before. From his demeanor, it was impossible to tell that the dried tangerine peel incident had affected him at all.
“Are you doing okay?” Sophia asked, a little worried.
Something that should have caused a massive uproar was instead met with eerie calmness.
It made her uneasy.
“Of course. Why?” Livinus raised an eyebrow.
“It’s nothing,” Sophia shrugged. “What’s the status of the dried tangerine peel issue?”
“Don’t worry, it’s a minor problem.”
The more he brushed it off, the more Sophia understood—something major was about to happen.
Although the Scott Corporation seemed peaceful on the surface, life had been far from easy for Richard lately.
First, all of his planted insiders in the procurement department were either sent on business trips or reassigned overseas. It looked like promotions, but in reality, their authority was being stripped away.
Then, someone had begun secretly investigating him. Even though he couldn’t find any concrete evidence, he could feel it happening.
“Richard, is something on your mind?” Emily asked as she held their child.
Recently, Richard had been getting close to his new assistant, and had spent a lot of money on her. But despite His new assistant’s good looks and charm, she had one major flaw—she talked too much.
No matter what she was doing, she would chatter incessantly. Sometimes, all Richard wanted was a moment of peace, but she just wouldn’t stop talking, which irritated him greatly.
So now, when he needed quiet, he came to Emily’s place instead.
“It’s nothing,” he said after a pause. Then, noticing the child smiling at him, he added, “Emily, why don’t you take a trip back to your hometown for a few days?”
“Why?” Emily, who was still relatively young herself, didn’t seem like a typical mother while holding their child.
But she was quiet—she wouldn’t talk endlessly or demand promises from him. On top of that, she was thoughtful and took good care of him.
Richard liked that about her.
