Arthur looked at the mother and son, their eyes brimming with tears, and knew he had no choice but to yield to the situation. "I'll make a call," he said. He turned away, walked to a quiet corner, and dialed Charles. The phone rang several times before it was picked up. As soon as the call connected, Charles' voice came through. "What is it?" "Grandpa, there's something I need to tell you..." From across the room, Jennifer allowed a smug smile to touch her lips. Jenarth, who had been sniffling in her arms, looked up. When their eyes met, both mother and son wore the satisfied expression of those whose plan had succeeded. "Grandpa, Jennifer is pregnant and hasn't been feeling well. I've decided to bring them back to the Myers Manor," Arthur said quietly, keeping his explanation brief. In his heart, he had already braced for Charles' refusal—even his fury. After all, Charles had once declared that the only woman fit to live in Myers Manor was Chloe.Bringing this up now was like tearing open an old wound. He had imagined many possible reactions—Charles might refuse outright, or if he did agree, it would only be after a long, harsh reprimand. What Arthur hadn't expected was Charles' cool, almost indifferent tone. "Do you really need to ask me about something so foolish? Have you lost your mind, Arthur? Aren't you going to marry Jennifer? Where you take her to live—and how you choose to sleep—is your own business. Why are you telling me? I've been busy lately with my cats and dogs. That's what matters to me. I don't involve myself in the affairs of the Myers Manor. If you need permission, ask your mother!" With that, Charles ended the call abruptly. A dull roar seemed to echo in Arthur's ears. He lowered the phone, Charles' words still ringing in his mind. It wasn't anger—more like Charles considered the matter too trivial to even discuss. What Arthur did was his own concern, not worth disturbing Charles' peace. Arthur felt a heavy emptiness inside. He put his phone away and turned back. Jennifer and Jenarth were watching him expectantly.He composed himself and spoke seriously, "Jennifer, Jenarth, go pack your things. I'll take you back to the Myers Manor shortly. I'll have the driver come pick us up." Hearing the word "us", Jenarth jumped up with joy. The sound of his excitement filled the room, but Arthur felt no happiness—only a growing weight. ***** News of the international partnership between Lewis Group and Cosmos Group had spread like wildfire. The internet was flooded with reports about the two corporations. As acting VP of Lewis Group, Chloe received a flood of congratulatory calls from executives of various companies. They were the fair-weather type—now all eager to express interest in collaborating with Lewis Group. Some even said Lewis Group could name its price—they were ready to cooperate fully. What generous offers. Chloe handed all these tedious matters over to Scott. She explained that he was the real chairman of the company—she was only acting in his stead, and the final decisions were his to make. In truth, she simply didn't want to deal with any of it. She already had her next move planned.The injection of fifty billion in capital was far from sufficient. The timing wasn't right yet. Too many people were still lurking with hidden agendas. She intended to make every one of them pay. "Chloe, what's the deal with that guy?" Melinda's voice broke through Chloe's thoughts. "Which guy?" Chloe set down her cup and looked at Melinda seriously. Melinda was dressed in a sharp, androgynous outfit that showed off her slender figure—she looked effortlessly cool. Since moving into Riverville Prime Residence, she had made herself completely at home. She walked over and sat across from Chloe, looking for all the world like a well-behaved younger sister. "Chloe, I'm talking about... you know, the really handsome one with that magnetic vibe!" Chloe played innocent. "I'm not sure who you mean." "How can you not know?" Melinda blurted out, cutting straight to the chase. "Out of all the guys around you, he's the total hottie—the one who treated us to dinner the other night! C'mon, your eyes were practically oozing chemistry—you really gonna deny there's something going on between you two?" "Don't you think that word's a little off?" Chloe arched a sleek eyebrow. "You sure you picked the right term?" "Okay, fine, I'll back off! I'm just curious—what's his story? His feelings for you are so intense. He's totally gone for you." Melinda raised her hands in a gesture of surrender. "Just satisfying my curiosity! Chloe, you've always had such high standards. I still don't get what you ever saw in Arthur back in the day!"