669  Chapter 668

Keira was deep in thought when the sharp crack of someone cracking pistachio shells broke the silence.

Mrs. Horton and Fiona heard the sound behind them and immediately turned around. When they saw Lewis standing there, old Mrs. Horton quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and forced a bright smile. “You rascal, you finally brought your wife back home!”

Lewis clenched his fists, then took a step forward and spoke firmly, “Grandma, don’t worry. I won’t do anything to the main family. The Horton family… I’ll just let them have it.”

The moment those words left his mouth, old Mrs. Horton’s expression darkened. “What nonsense are you talking about?!”

She continued, “This estate was built with every penny I earned. I founded the Horton Group from the ground up. If you give it up to those people, the company will go downhill fast. You’re the only one I trust with it!”

Lewis paused, taken aback.

Old Mrs. Horton patted his hand. “Forget what I just said. I was just rambling. I’m getting old, and my heart’s gotten softer. If I were younger, I would’ve kicked those people out long ago and saved you from this mess… Just promise me, don’t hold it against me.”

“How could I ever?” Lewis gently held her arm. “You’re the closest person to me.”

Old Mrs. Horton chuckled and glanced at Keira before playfully taking Keira’s hand and placing it in Lewis’s. “No, sweetheart. She’s the one who’s going to be the closest to you from now on.”

Keira and Lewis exchanged a look then shared a small smile.

Erin, who had been circling them, suddenly said, “Oh, look at you all. Such a picture of harmony… but it’s only on the surface.”

She then turned her gaze to old Mrs. Horton. “Ma’am, if you don’t make the hard decisions now, it’ll come back to bite you. A family’s success depends on cutting off the branches that hinder its growth. By being too soft, you’re just leaving Lewis with a mess to clean up.”

Everyone was momentarily stunned.

Old Mrs. Horton’s face stiffened.

Lewis immediately snapped, “Erin, shut up!”

Despite his scolding, Erin seemed ready to retort, but before she could say anything, Keira’s voice cut through the tension, “Be quiet.”

Keira’s tone was lower and calmer than Lewis’s, yet for some reason, it intimidated Erin enough to make her reluctantly close her mouth.

Old Mrs. Horton sighed, “I’ve been so foolish…”

Lewis quickly offered, “Let me help you inside, Grandma.”

She nodded, and as Lewis guided her into the room, Keira turned to Erin, narrowing her eyes. “You talk too much.”

Erin shrugged, “I’m just looking out for you. With Lewis in control of the Hortons, he’d be your biggest ally. After all, you’re set on this man, aren’t you?”

She spat out the pistachio shell she’d been chewing on and continued, “You should know, to win this battle for the inheritance, you need to preserve and unite all the forces you can. The Horton Group is thriving, rivaling the five major families, and if you had control of it, that would mean another powerful family backing you. It would make the next steps even easier…”

Here’s the translation adapted to fit the style of American light fiction:

Keira lowered her eyes. “Do you really think Lewis and I aren’t aware of all this?”

Erin scoffed. “I’m just worried that Lewis might get all sentimental and promise old Mrs. Horton that he won’t kick the main family out after she’s gone, leaving Horton Group in the same messy state.”

Keira gave her a cold stare. “And you think Lewis got to where he is today by being indecisive?”

Just like that time with that woman, Madeleine.

He thought she was his savior, but the moment he learned the truth, he cut her out of his life without hesitation.

Lewis has always been a man of ruthless decisions!

Erin blinked, caught off guard. “What are you saying?”

Keira didn’t mince words. “Old Mrs. Horton is clinging to life because she’s worried about what will happen with the main branch after she’s gone. But if she knew that the outcome would be the same no matter how long she lives, what do you think she’d do?”

Erin quickly caught on. “So, Lewis never intended to spare the main branch. He’s just using them to keep old Mrs. Horton holding on?”

Keira raised an eyebrow. “Took you long enough to figure that out.”

Erin pouted. “I just don’t get it. She’s clearly not going to make it, so why drag it out?”

Keira’s jaw tightened. “Because… that’s what family is.”

Erin was puzzled. “What?”

Keira explained, “Family is like that. You wish for them to live a long life, and you cherish every extra day you get with them.”

Erin lowered her head, falling silent.

Keira then warned her, “If you want to stick with me, that’s fine. But from now on, think before you speak. Understand?”

Erin sulked. “Got it…”

…

That night, Keira and Lewis stayed at the Horton residence in the room next to old Mrs. Horton’s.

Lewis had a bedroom prepared for himself there.

Erin stayed in the guest room next to theirs.

The next morning, Nathan arrived with Oliver and Jake in tow. Without wasting time, Nathan addressed old Mrs. Horton directly, “Mom, Jake is getting married again. After what happened last time, we want to make sure this one goes smoothly. We were hoping you could help us make his wedding a bit more grand.”

Old Mrs. Horton looked at him and asked bluntly, “Getting married again? Who is it this time? Someone like that Isla again?”

“No, no,” said Oliver. “This time, it’s someone from a well-known family in Clance. Selena helped set it up. We met her yesterday—her name’s Eve Clark. She’s a famous socialite and also runs a charity organization.”

Old Mrs. Horton frowned. “And Jake agreed to this?”

Everyone turned to look at Jake.

Keira, who had been having breakfast with old Mrs. Horton, also looked at him.

And when she did, she was slightly taken aback.

Jake was different now…

He seemed lifeless, completely disconnected from everything around him. It was as if nothing in the world concerned him anymore.

Even when old Mrs. Horton mentioned him, he only glanced up briefly before lowering his head again, retreating into his own world.

Oliver nudged him. “He agreed. Jake is very pleased with Eve.”

Keira narrowed her eyes.

“Pleased” didn’t seem to fit what she was seeing…

She arched an eyebrow as a thought began to form.

Nathan said, “Mom, you might not know this, but Miss Olsen’s reputation has taken a hit. The companies associated with her are facing backlash from investors, and the Olsen Group’s stock dropped ten percent today. We’re even getting bad reviews under Horton Group’s accounts, with people demanding that Lewis break off the engagement.”

Old Mrs. Horton responded immediately, “That’s not an option. No matter what Keera’s done, we won’t kick her while she’s down.”

Nathan hesitated, then coughed lightly. “You’re right, of course. So, we thought of a solution—Jake should marry Eve. In Clance, there’s a saying that Eve’s reputation is golden. Whoever marries her will earn a good name in the elite circles of the city.”

Oliver jumped in, “Exactly, Grandma. So, we need to offer a substantial dowry to show our sincerity. Do you think we could give five percent of Horton Group’s shares to Eve as a wedding gift?”

Five percent…

Old Mrs. Horton had already given a portion of her shares to Lewis.

If they got five percent… it would significantly strengthen their influence!

Giving them those shares would only cause more trouble for Lewis!

Keira’s lips curled into a cold smile.