Chapter 701
702
Aria glanced at the nearby room and said, “If you’re pressed for time, can we skip the chat?”
The butler paused briefly, then smiled politely. “We can certainly arrange another time, Ms. Saxon. Mr. Aiden Shaw is very kind. He won’t give you any trouble. He simply wishes to have a conversation with you.”
Aria closed the car door, her tone softening slightly. “Please lead the way.”
The change in her attitude brought a smile to the butler’s face. He gestured politely and said, “This way, please, Ms. Saxon.”
A hoarse voice came from within the room. “Come in.” The butler bowed respectfully and remained stationed outside the door.
Aria stepped into the inner chamber and saw a white-haired elder meticulously making coffee.
“Hello, Aiden,” Aria said as she took a seat across from him.
Aiden looked her up and down, then suddenly chuckled. “No wonder that lad is head over heels for you. Aria, you’re absolutely stunning, and you’ve got the Shaw family’s elegance written all over you.”
Aria offered a polite smile. “I’m a Saxon.”
Aiden instantly grasped her meaning. “So, you still want to go back to the Saxon family?”
“There’s no connection between the two. A surname is just a label. I could be a Saxon, or something else; it doesn’t matter. That’s fundamentally different from ‘the Shaw family’ you speak of as your own.”
No matter the surname, it only marked her as herself, not as part of any family. Aiden finally understood why she acted with such resolute independence.
“You’re right. My choice of words wasn’t precise enough.” Having finished speaking, Aiden pulled a thick stack of documents from his bag, including property deeds, contracts, and checks, spilled out, covering the entire table.
Aria’s heart skipped a beat. She thought, ‘Wait, is this the part where he tries to pay me off to leave his grandson?”
Aiden said, “This is a beachfront villa. This hotel is a Shaw Group property. This is 5% stake in the Shaw Group… And this is a check for over 300 million dollars, ready for immediate cashing…”
Aiden methodically slid each document across the table toward her. Aria remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
“These are the engagement gifts, and the wedding gifts will be arranged separately,” Aiden chuckled, his eyes twinkling. “Let’s pick an auspicious day and have you and my grandson Owen tie the knot.”
This time, Aiden came fully prepared, even bringing along all the contracts and official seals to show just how serious he was.
Aiden added, “Once you marry into the Shaw family, there will be even more assets for you to manage.”
His meaning was not to send her away, but to rush the wedding. Honestly, dealing with this was even trickier than breaking up with Owen,
Aria was direct. “Sorry, Aiden, but marriage isn’t in my plans right now.”
Aiden narrowed his eyes and asked, “So when exactly are you planning to get married?”
“Maybe never in my lifetime.”
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“What?” Aiden looked a bit bewildered, then his face darkened as a thought struck him. “Could it be that Owen, that rascal, is just fooling around and not willing to commit?”
Aria replied honestly, “No, that’s not it. I’m the one who doesn’t want to get married.”
Aiden was stunned. He thought, “Even putting aside the Shaw family’s prestige, my grandson Owen is both handsome and capable. How could you actually not want to marry him?”
Aiden had a smooth-sailing life. He came to Mandino City to make his way, building up the Shaw Group. But never in his wildest dreams did he expect that the one thing to trip him up in life would be his grandson’s marriage.
This wasn’t the first time Aiden had rushed to get someone married off.
When Aiden learned he had a long-lost great-granddaughter, he had also gone all out with an equally extravagant marriage proposal on her behalf, making quite a spectacle of it.
As expected, he was turned down flat. At that moment, history was repeating itself.
Aiden couldn’t help but wonder, ‘Is marriage really this cruel to both my grandsons when it comes to love? Even if I come in person, it still doesn’t work.