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Chapter 612
Chapter 612
Chapter 612
Chapter 612
Gary glared at his wife with a mix of irritation and disbelief. Her timing couldn’t be worse.
Even though Marilla was Elspeth’s daughter, she was undoubtedly Frederic’s progeny–a true heiress to
the Abernathy estate.
Although Gary had his designs on using the girl for his own schemes, deep down, he didn’t want Jareth
to actually marry into the Abernathy family’s daughter. Such a union would legitimize their alliance,
making Frederic Jareth’s father–in–law!
Wouldn’t that just give the young wolf more teeth?
No, Gary needed a dual strategy.
Either use the girl as leverage to block Jareth from ascending to the CEO position or, as a concession,
allow Jareth to become CEO but prevent a marriage with the Abernathy conglomerate at all costs!
Jareth’s words cast a pall over the dining room atmosphere.
Barry’s silvery eyebrows tightened, but he did not look at his grandson.
Barry hadn’t spoken yet, but Mrs. Fairhaven, unable to contain herself, burst out, “Jareth, don’t you
understand the rules of a family banquet? Only Fairhaven blood should be present. Bringing an
outsider, what does that say about us?”
“Outsider?”
A flame flickered in Jareth’s heart, and his eyes narrowed, a frost settling over his handsome features.
“Never mind, Marilla will soon be no outsider. She will be my wife, and thus, a member of the Fairhaven
family.”
Mrs. Fairhaven’s throat tightened, “Jareth, now is not the time for this!”
“I came tonight precisely to discuss this.”
Jareth slowly stood, his imposing figure turning towards Barry, eyes blazing with resolve,
*Grandpa, I’ve come to inform you and everyone here. I intend to marry Marilla, I ask for your blessing.”
With those words, Jareth bowed deeply to Barry.
Barry now directed his gaze at his grandson, his pupils dilating with shock!
Jareth, the unruly prince of the family, had never before shown such deference or seriousness,
For the sake of the Abernathy lady, he was willing to bend his proud head,
*Jareth, an Abernathy girl is not someone I would approve of.“
Barry’s glare was sharp as a blade, his tone laden with scorn and displeasure, “Be it Glynnis or your
beloved Marilla, they can’t escape the fact that they are the daughters of a murderer. Elspeth has been
sentenced to death. The footage of her trial is all over the internet. Marrying her daughter, what does
that signal? Are you cleaning up the mess of that snaky woman?”
Mrs. Fairhaven nodded vigorously in agreement.
The other family members, engrossed in their steaks and wine, couldn’t help but show sly smirks at the
unfolding drama.
But Jareth stood, alone and cold as if in a frigid wasteland, his eyes red with rage.
Jareth, you are of a higher stature than even Thaddeus. What woman couldn’t you have? Why settle
for a murderer’s daughter? If word gets out, who knows what ridicule we will face!”
Barry shook his head, his face stern, “This match is not fitting. I cannot give my blessing.”
“Grandpa! The mistakes Elspeth made are her own, what have they to do with her daughter?”
Jareth’s voice rose, his forehead veins bulging, “Moreover, Marilla wasn’t even born when Elspeth
committed her crime. She’s innocent. You can’t judge her with such prejudice!”
“The sins of the previous generation should not fall on the next. But the actions of the parents can
deeply affect their children.”
Barry’s voice was unyielding, no longer leaving room for sentiment, “What good can come from a
daughter raised by Elspeth? Not to mention her elder sister, Glynnis, who paraded her parents‘
influence to bully my granddaughter! Your mother hid this from me for a long time. They are blood
sisters. How much better can the younger be than the older?”
Mrs. Fairhaven chimed in quickly, “Dad, you’re absolutely right! Everything you’ve said, I’ve been
wanting to say!”
“Grandpa! You’ve only met Marilla briefly, never even had a conversation with her. You haven’t taken
the time to understand her, how can you rush to such a judgment?”
Jareth clenched his jaw, his blood boiling with indignation.
He couldn’t stand to hear a single word against her!
Marilla lived in a small world of happiness that he had painstakingly built for her. What she didn’t know
was that just one step outside that world, she would be facing a barrage of slander and gossip.
He wanted to shield her from all harm, to have the entire Fairhaven family recognize her status, not
keep her hidden away like a mistress.
But clearly, taking that step was proving to be much more difficult than he had anticipated.
“Jareth, your status is not what it used to be. You’re about to be the CEO of the Fairhaven Group, the
face of our family. It didn’t matter how you played around before, but now your actions reflect on the
entire conglomerate.”
Gary seized the moment to drive the point home, adopting a stance of great responsibility, “There are
no outsiders here, so let me speak frankly. Your grandpa worked incredibly hard to build what we have.
He still bears two long scars on his back from his days fighting in the trenches. You ought to know the
origin story of the Fairhaven Group like the back of your hand. All the blood, sweat, and tears 1, not to
mention my older brother, put into whitewashing Fairhaven’s name–Jareth, you’re well aware of it all.
Now, with the Fairhaven Group’s stock teetering and our reputation taking a hit from that Ashbourne
girl’s antics, think about the optics, Jareth. You marrying Marilla, a murderer’s daughter–what will
people think of the Fairhavens? Those in the know might say it’s a love match, but the rest? They’ll
reckon we’re under Abernathy’s thumb, that they’ve got dirt on us. All the hard work of your grandpa
and your dad–down the drain, huh?”
As Mrs. Fairhaven recalled her husband, who had tragically died in a helicopter crash, her eyes filled
with unshed tears.
Gary’s words struck a chord with Barry, “Jareth, marriage isn’t child’s play, you can’t just follow your
whims! And that Ms. Marilla, cut ties with her pronto. She’s nowhere near good enough to join our
Fairhaven family!”
“I can carry the Fairhaven banner just fine, Uncle Gary. Save yourself the worry.”
Jareth took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, there was a resolve in
his gaze as if he could move mountains, “But I’ve made up my mind. I’m marrying Marilla, and I won’t
have anyone else!”
Barry glared at his grandson’s defiant face, his hand slamming down on the table.
The boy was as stubborn as his father had been!
“Grandpa, I didn’t come here to listen to this.”
Jareth’s eyelashes fluttered as he took his seat, his fists clenched tightly under the table, “Most of
Fairhaven’s projects and assets are under my control. And if I were to cash out my shares, along with
my father’s, or if I were to transfer them to someone else, it’d be a huge blow to Fairhaven Group.”
Barry and Gary were stunned!
This kid, ready to throw away a bright future over a girl, and now he’s even making moves against
Fairhaven Group?
“If you support my decision, then the future of Fairhaven is bright. If not, I’ll have to resolve this my
way.”
Jareth’s lips curled into a mischievous smile, “The projects I hold could just as easily go to Mr.
Thaddeus or President Ashbourne. No big deal, we’re all friends here. I scratch their back today; they’ll
scratch mine tomorrow. Right?”
“Jareth! Have you lost your mind? What are you saying?” Mrs. Fairhaven was shaking with anger.
Barry and Jareth locked eyes, tension crackling between them!
His worst fear was coming true–Jareth was getting too powerful, threatening to overshadow his own
legacy!
Jareth was young and strong, but he was no longer the decisive patriarch!
He was old now and losing grip on the boy, and with only this one grandson, and Gary, ambitious yet
inadequate, the future of Fairhaven still lay with Jareth.
But he couldn’t just give in! The head of the family being threatened by the younger generation, it was
an utter disgrace!
At that moment, Gary’s phone vibrated in his pocket.
He pulled it out, annoyed, but his eyes widened as he read the message and stepped out to take the
call.
Alone in the hallway, Gary answered, “Hello, Edith, what’s got you calling me out of the blue?”
“Just missing you, Uncle Gary!” Edith’s voice was so saccharine it made Gary’s skin crawl.
“Ah, without you in Elmsworth, our house has lost so much laughter and joy. Your grandpa and your
mom, they’ve been missing you terribly, can’t even enjoy a meal.”
Gary lit a cigarette, squinting through the smoke.
“I want to come back to grandpa and mommy, but you know how my brother despises me.”
Edith went from laughing to choking up, “I’m all alone in Aetheria, having a home I can’t return to is
worse than death! Uncle Gary, I want to come home, I miss grandpa and mommy so much. You always
doted on me. Can’t you talk to Grandpa let me come back to Elmsworth?”
“Ah, I’d love to have you back, but your grandpa’s hands are tied right now. Jareth’s calling the shots at
Fairhaven these days.”
Gary, understanding the rift between the siblings was beyond repair, seized the opportunity to sow
more discord, “And just now, Jareth announced he’s set on marrying Marilla. If your brother becomes
Frederic’s son–in–law. Edith, your life’s only going to get harder.”
There was a pause before Edith’s voice dropped to a whisper, “Uncle Gary, what if I said I could help
you? Could you find a way to help me return to Elmsworth?”
“How could you help me?” Gary asked skeptically, laying out his terms, “Can you stop Jareth from
marrying that Abernathy girl? He’s put it all out there now, and if your brother truly becomes part of the
Abernathys, your days will only get bleaker, Edith.”
“Uncle Gary, I can do it. But first, I need to get back from Aetheria to help you.”
“Jareth’s impatient. He’ll probably run off and elope with the Abernathy girl tomorrow. It’ll be too late by
the time you return.” Edith laughed scornfully, “Not only should you not oppose it, Uncle Gary, but you
should also show absolute support. Better yet, convince Grandpa to accept Jareth’s marriage to
Marilla.”
“What are you saying? Why?” Gary was confused.
“I have my reasons,” Edith said, her plan only beginning to unfold.
Edith’s voice carried a chill, tinged with a hint of mystery. “Focus on getting this task done right. As for
the rest, when I get back to Elmsworth, I’ll have a plan in place.”
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