Return Of The Real Heiress: Secrets And Masks

The moon was bright and the stars sparse, with the occasional croak of frogs and the chirp of cicadas. The Jarrett residence, under the cover of night, looked like an ordinary household courtyard. The lights were a warm yellow, the aroma of coffee filled the air, and casual conversation could be heard from the living room, accompanied by laughter.

Tonight, Arthur had finished his official duties and had some free time, so he had come back. Lucas, Mary, Arthur, Jean, and Mateo were sitting in the living room chatting, and the conversation mostly revolved around the news of Cherise's pregnancy.

Arthur looked at his parents and spoke, "Morris is impressive, becoming a father so soon. You two must be happy too. Once the baby arrives, you'll both become great-grandparents. What a joyous occasion." As soon as Arthur finished speaking, Mary let out a cold laugh, "Heh, you're going to be Mr. Chivers, the great-uncle. What's the matter, are you even ashamed?"

Arthur was confused by his mother's tone, which seemed tinged with disdain. He wondered what was going on. "What's up with you, Mom?"

Jean, also puzzled by Mary's attitude, asked, "What's going on, Grandma? Shouldn't we be happy about Morris and Cherise having a baby? You don't sound right."

Hearing Jean's question, Mary slammed her coffee cup onto the coffee table. "And you! How dare you say anything? Look at the two of you. You're nothing like Morris, who's easy to deal with.

"Take Arthur, for example-sure, you're in that position, and your focus shouldn't be on other things, but you already have a kid, and your mom's here too. You should at least show some acknowledgment, right?

"Look at me-I can't even get to see a grandchild. It's so heartbreaking."

Before Mary could finish, Jean couldn't help but burst out laughing. Her laugh made Mary turn her gaze toward her. "Alright, it's your turn, Jean.

"Not long ago, you said you were dating Truman from the Simpson family, but we haven't heard anything new. I bet that was just to appease us and make us happy," Mary continued, her tone disapproving.

"Look at you. You and Cherise are about the same age. She's not only a professor, but she's also going to be a mother. In a while, she'll be a hot mom with a kid.

"Don't you feel anxious? Don't you both feel anxious? And here I am, being both a mother and grandmother. Isn't it tough?"

With that, Mary seemed to wipe her nose. Arthur and Jean exchanged a look, shrugged their shoulders. Lucas did not speak tonight, simply sitting quietly next to Mary. He occasionally raised his coffee cup to Mateo, who was sitting on the side, chatting with them.

It seemed like the couple was united in their stance, not interested in offering any support.

Jean, upon being 'scolded' by Mary, immediately shrank back, "You guys talk, go ahead and talk with Arthur, just don't bring me into this, okay? Don't drag me into it.

"I'm still young, I've got plenty of good times ahead to mess around."

Arthur, however, didn't seem to have

any intention of avoiding the conversation. He looked at his mother as calmly as he did during work. "From the tone of what Mom's saying, what's up? Did you run into Hank's mother at Morris today?"

Arthur's question was precise, and as soon as Mary heard it, the stern, interrogating look vanished. It shifted in an instant to one of surprise and anticipation.

With a grin, she said, "How did you guess, son? As expected of the manager of Clusia, you're right. I did meet her, just when I went to see Cherise. Let me tell you, this woman is really something."

Mary became a bit excited as she spoke, sitting down beside Arthur. "She's really stunning, so graceful and elegant, and very interesting. She has such a fascinating soul, I really liked her when I saw her" "You see, you two already have a child. Though I don't really know how you two got there, this child is already so big. Doesn't skipping that step make things so much easier, doesn't it?"

"Are you worried that my opinion might not match yours, that I'm fooling you?"noveldrama

"I swear I'm not exaggerating. I've seen more noble women than you've reviewed petitions. This woman is absolutely graceful and beautiful, and young-she doesn't look like someone who's about to become a grandmother."

"Who can I compare her to? Let me find a reference for you... hmm, Stella? No, not quite. She's not as old-looking, even though she's had two kids. She looks way younger than Stella.'

"Forget it, there's no reference. Anyway, even 1, an old woman, have fallen for her, let alone you. You're even several years older than her you've really struck gold. I promise, once you see her, you'll feel the same way I do."

"Exactly," Mateo, who had been sipping his coffee on the side, chimed in, sounding just as approving as Mary,

Arthur glanced at him, letting out a small 'tsk' sound as he gently rubbed his temples.

Throughout the entire conversation, Lucas remained silent, but sensing the awkward atmosphere, he cleared his throat a couple of times. "Ahem. At your age, there's no rush. National affairs are more important.

"The rest is up to you, we won't pressure you. We're just offering some advice-now that the child's grown, there are some things that really need to be handled properly."

Arthur didn't respond, merely smiled and nodded, running his hand through his neatly cut hair.

*****

On the way back to Betrico Central Mansions, Arthur asked Mateo, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, "When will

be free in the next little while?" you

Mateo, hearing Arthur's question,

replied, "Sir there's an important

meeting you need to attend over the next couple of days, and a few key diplomats need to be seen as well. That's about it. You'll have free time the night after tomorrow."

"Mm. Alright, arrange things, try to make the free time as long as possible. I need to go see the kid's mother."

"Got it!" Mateo answered cheerfully, secretly pleased as he sat out of Arthur's sight in the front.