Chapter 269: They Gave Too Much

Chapter 269: Chapter 269: They Gave Too Much

Jared Hawthorne got up to open the door.

Outside stood Renee Rhodes, holding an exquisite gift box. Inside was a couture gown she had specially commissioned for Vesper Grayson, intending to formally announce Vesper’s identity at the banquet in two days.

She had already discussed this with Vesper Grayson beforehand.

And gotten her approval!

"Mom, you two take your time and chat. I’m going downstairs for a smoke."

Ever since Vesper Grayson became pregnant, Jared Hawthorne had rarely smoked.

But to give the mother and daughter some time alone, he was willing to go have one.

Renee Rhodes nodded gently and stepped into the room.

"Come, try it on. Let’s see if it fits. If anything’s not right, we can send it for alterations right away."

The gift box opened to reveal an elegant, light-blue gown. The cut was clean and slimming, perfectly accentuating a slender waistline.

Vesper Grayson was not yet four months pregnant, so her stomach was still flat. At a glance, you couldn’t tell she was expecting at all.

Renee Rhodes circled her, carefully adjusting the hem and shoulder line, her gaze exceptionally gentle.

"It fits quite well."

It had been custom-made for her figure, but Renee Rhodes had her try it on in advance just in case of any slight changes due to the pregnancy.

"So beautiful."

Renee Rhodes’s fingertips gently brushed through her long, silky black hair. The person before her was exactly as she had always imagined her daughter would be.

After she returned, she had mentioned wanting to have a daughter for Lance, but the doctor said that because of her past near-drowning, it would be difficult for her to conceive, so she had given up the idea.

’Thinking back now, the doctor must have been lying, deliberately deceiving me. It was actually Lance who didn’t want me to suffer by reliving unpleasant memories.’

Vesper Grayson’s eyes curved into a smile. "So, is it the dress that’s beautiful, or me?"

"Of course my daughter is the most beautiful, so you look good in anything."

"Mom, if you keep complimenting me like this, I’m going to get a big head."

"Am I not allowed to speak the truth?" Renee Rhodes smiled warmly and said softly, "Vesper, thank you for not blaming me and for being willing to come back to my side. With you, my life is truly complete."

All she had ever wanted in life was to be with the one she loved and to have both a son and a daughter.

Now, she had it all!

"It was never your fault to begin with. I’m very happy now, so you don’t need to blame yourself," Vesper Grayson comforted her softly.

’Everyone has their own path in life. If I hadn’t lived with the Grayson Family, I never would have met Jared Hawthorne!’

Renee Rhodes looked at her perceptive and understanding daughter, her heart filled with relief, but also with a dense web of heartache.

"Have you had fun in Veridia these past few weeks? What places have you and Jared visited?"

Vesper Grayson recounted the sights she had seen and the interesting things she had encountered during her half-month of travel. Renee Rhodes listened with rapt attention, an unmelting tenderness filling her eyes.

"Jared is an excellent young man. With him protecting you, your father and I can finally be at ease."

A mother’s greatest wish is for her daughter to find a good partner, to be loved her whole life, and to live in peace and without worry.

"Yes, he’s wonderful. He’s patient with me in everything and treats me extremely well." Vesper Grayson’s lips curved up as she teased, "Dad dotes on you just the same!"

At the mention of Jenson Whitman, the smile in Renee Rhodes’s eyes grew even more tender, her expression filled with a girlish affection.

"Your father and I were each other’s first love. When he was young, he was cool and reserved. He seemed aloof, but he was actually the most inwardly passionate..."

"Huh?" Vesper Grayson’s eyes widened. "Dad has another side to him?"

"He does with me, anyway."

Renee Rhodes slowly began to recount the story of their young love, her eyes filled with a happiness deepened by time.

Back then, the Whitman Family was strict and traditional. They vehemently opposed Jenson Whitman marrying her, a woman whose family had fallen from grace, applying immense pressure and creating all sorts of obstacles. But with his own decisive methods, Jenson Whitman defied their objections, silenced all criticism, and stubbornly insisted he would marry no one but her.

The entire Whitman Family knew that Renee Rhodes was Jenson Whitman’s only weakness, and the one thing he would not allow anyone to touch.

For several years after their marriage, life was peaceful and warm, and they soon welcomed their first son, Chadwick Whitman. But after just four short years of peace, an enemy seeking revenge caused a tragic car accident. Jenson Whitman fell into a coma, and Renee Rhodes disappeared without a trace.

Vesper Grayson’s expression grew serious. She asked softly, "Was the person responsible for that ever caught?"

"He was," Renee Rhodes said slowly. "When your father woke up, he investigated thoroughly. He personally bankrupted the mastermind and sent him to prison. After that, he sent out many people to search for me, but the initial search was headed in the wrong direction, which is why there was no news for so long."

"For a whole year, everyone around him urged him to give up. Some people even repeatedly tried to set him up with someone new to replace me. But he never yielded. He was determined to find me, dead or alive, before he would ever give up hope."

"That year, your adoptive father, Mr. Grayson, took me on a trip to clear my head. As it happened, your father was on a business trip in the same area. He happened upon me while I was being harassed and got into a car accident, and he was the one who brought me, injured, back to Veridia."

That car crash injured her brain, causing her to lose all her memories of Northolme. She completely forgot Milton Grayson, and she even forgot that she had a young daughter.

For all these years, she thought she only had one child, Chadwick Whitman.

Everyone was afraid to tell her the truth. They worried she couldn’t handle the shock, so they protected her completely, keeping the secret watertight.

"Dad and Big Brother didn’t hide it from you on purpose. They just love you too much," Vesper Grayson said softly.

"I know."

Their silence was just their way of protecting her.

Just as she said that, Jenson Whitman walked in slowly.

Seeing the mother and daughter chatting warmly, his eyes softened with a smile. "I’m not interrupting, am I?"

Vesper Grayson immediately shook her head. "Not at all, Dad."

"Vesper, come and sign a few documents."

Jenson Whitman walked over and placed a thick stack of asset files gently in front of her.

Vesper Grayson looked down at them: real estate, commercial properties, land, mines—an incalculable amount of wealth.

"Dad, is... is all of this for me?"

"Yes," Jenson Whitman said gently. "If you don’t like them, you can have something else. Half of Veridia’s core industries belong to the Whitman Group."

He casually listed a few examples, "Commercial complexes, private islands, biopharmaceutical plants..."

He rattled off a dozen other major industries in one breath.

"Enough, that’s enough! It’s not that I don’t like them, it’s just... really too much! Shouldn’t you discuss this with Big Brother first?"

"I’ve already spoken with him. He has no objections."

Renee Rhodes gently took her hand, her voice soft. "I’ve told you before, you are my daughter, the rightful young lady of the Whitman Family. You are entitled to a share of everything your father has. Just accept it without any psychological burden."

"I understand."

"Go on, sign it."

Renee Rhodes pressed the pen into her palm, as if afraid she would refuse.

Under the couple’s eager gaze, Vesper Grayson signed her name.

"Dad, could I exchange some of the shares for the pharmaceutical plant?" Vesper Grayson looked up and asked earnestly.

During her recent travels, she had discovered that Veridia had abundant, high-quality, and affordable herbal resources. The soil and climate were also perfect for cultivating rare medicinal plants. She already had a blueprint in her mind: to research and develop her own medicinal plants and create an exclusive, high-end cosmeceutical brand.

"Of course you can. The entire pharmaceutical plant is yours to command." Jenson Whitman smiled dotingly. "And keep the shares, don’t worry."

"But I’ve never done anything for the company. Taking so much for nothing will inevitably cause gossip..."

"Your big brother is good at business. It’s only right for him to cover for his little sister and make money for her," Jenson Whitman said with a serious and firm expression. "It is a brother’s duty to protect his sister! That’s just the way it is."

Renee Rhodes smiled and urged her from the side, "Just accept it, dear. This is your parents giving you security. Think of it as an advance for my unborn grandchild."

Vesper Grayson’s heart warmed, and she smiled. "In that case, on behalf of the baby, thank you in advance, Grandpa and Grandma."

...

「Whitman Group Headquarters.」

In his office, Chadwick Whitman looked up coolly at the sudden appearance of Kyle Lockwood.

"Taking it easy today?"

"Just wrapped up a project. Got back last night." Kyle Lockwood sat down casually, his eyes full of curiosity. "Heard you suddenly have a long-lost sister?"

"News travels fast."

"The Lockwood Family received an invitation to your family’s banquet. By now, who in Veridia’s entire upper circle doesn’t know that the Whitman Family suddenly has a little princess who’s been lost all this time?" Kyle Lockwood leaned in closer and asked in a low voice, "We’ve known each other for over twenty years, and I’ve never heard you mention this. Is her identity confirmed?"

He had always thought Chadwick Whitman was the Whitman family’s only son.

’For a sister to just appear out of nowhere... I hope this isn’t some new kind of scam!’

"Her identity has long been verified." Chadwick Whitman lit a cigarette, the white smoke unfurling around him. His tone was calm. "I never mentioned it before because I thought she was no longer alive."

Kyle Lockwood’s doubts were completely dispelled. He smiled, "Mr. Whitman and Miss Rhodes must be over the moon, then."

"Yeah."

He was genuinely happy too.

Kyle Lockwood leaned back on the sofa, raising an eyebrow slightly. "How old is your sister? When are you going to bring her out so we can meet?"

"Twenty-six." Chadwick Whitman exhaled a puff of smoke and said flatly, "She’s already married."

’Don’t even think about getting any ideas about his sister!’

"I just want to say hi, get acquainted. I don’t have any other intentions."

"It’s not convenient."

"So you’ve got a sister and now you’re ditching your brother? How is it ’not convenient’ just to meet her?"

Chadwick Whitman looked up, his tone casual. "Her husband keeps a very close eye on her."

"The brother-in-law dares to disrespect his wife’s big brother?"

"How much face do I have?" Chadwick Whitman flicked his cigarette ash and said slowly, "You should have heard of this guy."

Kyle Lockwood was instantly intrigued. "Who?"