Chapter 646
646:
Brenna handed out the goodies she’d brought from Norview—a rare perfume for Giselle, a couple of cigars for Shepard, and sleek bottles of high-end cologne for Ernst and Dalton.
They all gathered in the cozy third-floor lounge, chatting. Brenna said, “Ethan’s pushing for me to move.”
Shepard and Giselle shared a quick look, both caught off guard. Displeasure flickered across their faces, especially Giselle’s. She was against Brenna moving in with Ethan before marrying him.
Shepard thought the same. He believed Brenna and Ethan at least needed to have a wedding ceremony before they could move in together.
Giselle spoke up, her tone gentle but steady. “Brenna, honey, I’m not so sure about this. You two aren’t married yet. And Elsa’s still not on board with you and Ethan being together. I think we need to get both families together and hash this out properly.”
Shepard nodded. “She’s right. You’re still young, Brenna. No need to dive headfirst into marriage.”
Brenna blinked, genuinely thrown. “Whoa, hold up. I didn’t mean moving in with Ethan. I was talking about moving my studios to the Mitchell Group building instead of the Harper Group building.”
Giselle let out a warm laugh and swooped in to wrap Brenna in a quick, cozy hug. “I mistakenly believed you’d already packed your bags for Ethan’s place! I thought that was too fast. He’s supposed to be your life partner. Our family needs a good couple of years to evaluate him for you. Of course, you can’t move in with him just after being in a relationship for a few months.”
Ernst couldn’t help but defend Ethan. “Mom, honestly, Ethan’s a great man. When the Harper Group ran into trouble, he stepped in without a second thought. He threw hundreds of millions into the market to stabilize our stocks, asking for nothing in return. You won’t find a better son-in-law than him.”
The five of them shared a hearty laugh, their chatter filling the room with warmth. Just then, Patrick toddled over, clutching Brenna’s car model, the one she used for her lectures. He clambered onto the couch beside her, his big eyes pleading. “Brenna, can I play with this for a while?”
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Brenna’s smile was instant, and she gave a quick nod. But then, a thought struck her, and she tilted her head, “Yes, you can. But how about you sleep in your own room tonight?”
Patrick’s eyes sparkled like he had just won the lottery. “I don’t have to bunk with Dalton tonight? That’s wonderful!”
Dalton shot a fake scowl and leaned over to give Patrick’s nose a playful pinch. “What’s that? Did I not treat you well? Ungrateful little squirt, after all the times I’ve taken care of you, how can you be like this?”
Patrick puffed out his chest, glaring at Dalton with all the seriousness a kid could muster. “I’m a big man now, okay? I don’t need you to take care of me!”
The whole family burst into laughter.
Giselle chimed in, her voice dripping with affection. “How about you stay in the room next to Brenna’s, huh?”
Since Rosie had moved out and clearly wasn’t coming back, her room was now empty and could be used by Patrick.
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