Aiden Thompson had just gotten back to Los Angeles from New York, and it was almost noon. As soon as he stepped into his office, Vera Thompson followed him in, casually shutting the door behind her. With a teasing tone, she asked, "You were MIA last night—where'd you disappear to?"
Aiden sat down in his office chair and opened his laptop, replying nonchalantly, "I went over to her place."
Vera chuckled. "Well, at least you're being honest. Not hiding anything."
"I've got nothing to hide when it comes to her," Aiden said. "Our thing's pretty straightforward."
Vera casually asked, "You're not thinking of marrying her, right? Don't rush into anything."
Aiden looked her dead in the eye and said seriously, "Let's put it this way: if it's not her, it's no one. I'm sure about her."
Vera couldn't help but remember when she was young, swearing she was going to marry that guy and nobody else. She'd even felt like a modern-day Romeo and Juliet. She'd fought with her parents, even considered running off with him. Looking back, she realized how naive and impulsive she'd been. But she didn't have the heart to talk Aiden out of it. She knew all too well that feeling of being sure about someone, even if in her case, it turned out to be more of an illusion.
Vera sighed. "Well, I hope it works out for you. But you know how Mom and Dad can be about this stuff."
Aiden glanced up at her, sensing there was more to her words. He knew that their father, Rex Thompson, and mother, Mabel Thompson, definitely wouldn't approve of the relationship. With Vera's experience, he knew they'd be strict about his marriage, too. But Aiden had never been one to go along with what others expected. He wasn't afraid of going against his dad, and this wouldn't be the first time. Once he was set on something—or someone—he'd do whatever it took.
Not wanting to linger on the topic, Aiden changed the subject. "By the way, how's the company stock doing?"
Vera answered, "It's been on a downhill slide for a week, but it finally bounced back this morning. People were seriously stressing over it."
Aiden opened the stock performance screen, seeing that it had gone up by three percent since opening. "Not bad. Looks like the previous strategy is paying off."
Vera studied his calm demeanor, feeling a little uneasy. When the stock was dropping, he'd acted like it didn't even faze him, as if it wasn't his problem. Did he have something else up his sleeve?
**
Yesterday, Rex Thompson had just been discharged from the hospital. To introduce Aiden Thompson to some key business partners and improve his standing in the financial world, helping him expand his network to better handle the current situation at the company, Rex Thompson had to head to a banquet hall in New York. The family didn't have the chance to properly celebrate his recovery. Earlier today, Mabel Thompson sent a message to Aiden and his sister, gently insisting that they come home for dinner tonight.
Aiden Thompson, finishing work, didn't get home until 7:30 PM. As soon as he entered, he saw that his parents and sister were already at the table. He quickly washed his hands and sat down. It occurred to him that the last time they had dinner together as a family was over a year ago. Mabel Thompson smiled warmly, clearly happy. After all, as a mother, she wanted her family to be close and united.
At the start of the meal, the table was quiet. Mabel Thompson looked at Aiden with care and affection, then gently said, "Aiden, make sure you eat more tonight. I know you've been so busy at work lately, you must be exhausted."
Aiden softly replied, "Mm," as he picked some food for his bowl.
Rex Thompson glanced at Aiden and spoke up, "Last night at the banquet, Keith Pierce from Fortune Group mentioned you. He said he really admired you."
Aiden responded casually, "Oh." But something in his gut told him that there was more to it.
Sure enough, Rex continued, "He even asked about your relationship status."
Aiden had a feeling where this conversation was going. He calmly asked, "What did you say?"
Rex Thompson, without hesitation, said, "I told him you're still single."
Aiden kept eating and responded coolly, "That's a lie. I have a girlfriend."
Rex Thompson scoffed, "A girlfriend? The one five years older than you?"
Aiden was taken aback. He'd never told his family about the details of his relationship with Grace Li, and especially not the age gap between them. It seemed Rex had had someone look into it. Aiden hadn't planned on revealing this so soon, knowing his parents would likely disapprove. But since his father already knew, he didn't hide it anymore and simply admitted, "That's right."
Mabel Thompson raised an eyebrow, looking confused. "Five years older? So she's in her thirties?"
"Yeah, I celebrated her 30th birthday with her six months ago."
"Hmm..." Before Rex could comment, Mabel spoke up with concern, "I thought your girlfriend would be around your age, or at least younger. But she's five years older? That's quite a big age difference. She's even older than your sister by a year."
Vera Thompson had been quietly eating, silently listening to the conversation.
Aiden Thompson, firm in his stance, said, "Age isn't an issue. I like her, and that's all that matters."
Mabel Thompson could see that Aiden wasn't going to back down. Though she had her doubts, she didn't push the issue further, knowing her son well enough to understand his determination.
Rex Thompson set down his bowl, barely eating anything. After taking a sip of water, he said slowly, "Keith Pierce also mentioned that his daughter is very fond of you. You graduated from Oxford, and she's no slouch either. She just got back from studying at Cambridge last year. I remember you two got along well when you were abroad. You'd be a much better match for her. As for the girl you're seeing, it's probably best to cut ties with her."
Aiden did know Daphne Pierce, but it was strictly in the context of a friendly relationship. Keith Pierce had asked Aiden to look out for his daughter while she was studying in the UK. Considering the business relationship between the two families, Aiden never refused, but there had never been anything romantic between them.
Aiden didn't get angry. His tone remained calm, much like Rex's. "You don't need to worry about that. I take relationships seriously. I'm not just fooling around. I'm committed to my girlfriend, and I won't marry anyone else."
At this, Rex raised his voice slightly. "Are you out of your mind? What does this woman have that Keith Pierce's daughter doesn't?"
Mabel, worried about Rex's health, quickly got up, walked over to him, and gently patted his back, trying to calm him down. "Let's not get worked up, okay? Your health isn't something we should risk over this."
Rex pointed at Aiden, his voice a little sharper. "You can't forget what happened with your sister. Do you really want to make the same mistake?"
Aiden wanted to defend Grace Li, saying she wasn't like his former brother-in-law, but he knew his father wouldn't believe it. It would only make him seem foolish.
Mabel nearly begged Aiden, her voice soft. "Aiden, please, listen to your mom. Don't argue with your father. The doctor said his health can't handle stress like this."
Aiden knew very well the state of his father's health, and seeing the conversation slipping into tension, he decided to keep quiet, swallowing the words he wanted to say.
Rex seemed to realize he needed to calm down and didn't say anything more. The table went quiet again.
Eventually, no one brought the subject up again. Aiden resumed eating.
Rex Thompson stood up, and Mabel, looking concerned, asked, "Honey, you haven't finished your meal. Where are you going?"
"I'm full. I'm going upstairs to rest."
"I'll help you upstairs."
After Rex Thompson and Mabel Thompson went upstairs, Vera Thompson turned to Aiden and said, "I'm not against you finding happiness, but maybe you should hold off for now. At least until Dad's condition stabilizes."
Aiden sighed, "If I don't make it clear where I stand, he'll probably start arranging a marriage for me tomorrow. It's exactly what happened with the Porters. My parents didn't even ask for my opinion and just tried to set us up. In the end, it just made everything awkward."
Vera knew her father could be stubborn enough to try and arrange a marriage without Aiden's say-so.
"If you end up in the same situation I did, would you regret it?" she asked.
Aiden looked at her seriously. "It's not the same. You can't just compare it."
"How's it not the same?"
"I know people way better than you think."
Vera raised her eyebrows, a little annoyed. "You…"
Aiden put down his bowl. "I'm full. You can finish eating."
Vera watched him walk away, but didn't say anything more. Looking at the food left on the table, she realized she had lost her appetite. What should've been a nice family dinner had turned into an uncomfortable situation.
After finishing her shower, Vera was surprised when Mabel knocked and walked into her room.
Vera looked up curiously. "Mom, what's going on?"
Mabel sat down beside her, looking serious. "I need you to find out more about Aiden's girlfriend. What's her background?"
"Why do you need to know?"
"I want to meet her. I think I need to talk to her directly."
Vera, trying to lighten the mood, said, "You're not planning to pay her off, are you?"
Mabel looked at her with a serious face. "If it were that easy, I'd do it. But I'll do whatever it takes."
Vera laughed. "Mom, come on, this isn't some TV drama."
Mabel sighed, shaking her head. "Your dad says she's five years older than Aiden. How can that work? Plus, she's from a small town. Their backgrounds are so different—there's no way it'll work. Even I can't accept it, and your dad will never go for it. Aiden's just blinded by love. He's willing to go against your dad for a woman in her thirties? And with your dad's health? He can't take this kind of stress."
Vera sighed again, feeling torn. She didn't want to interfere in Aiden's life, but things were getting out of hand. If they kept going down this path, it would tear the family apart and seriously affect her father's health.
She tried to reason with her mom, "Aiden didn't bring up his girlfriend to us, probably because he knows we wouldn't approve. If you go after this girl and try to break them up, Aiden's definitely going to be upset."
Mabel, realizing the complexity of the situation, nodded. Aiden might seem calm, but he had his own mind. If he was willing to go against Rex, he'd do the same with her. "So what should we do? We can't just let this go."
Vera thought for a moment and said, "I'll have someone look into her background first. Then I'll arrange to meet her and have a conversation. I'll see where she stands."
Mabel nodded, looking relieved. "That sounds like a good plan. But Aiden can't know about this. We can't let him find out."
"I know," Vera assured her.