Gerald Clarence was the oldest son of the Clarence family, pushing forty, still single, but with a kid in high school.
Word on the street was that his first love had the kid, but she passed away from an illness. Gerald took the kid in and never thought about getting hitched.
From Alfonso's perspective, the Clarence family wasn't exactly a walk in the park.
Gerald, in particular, was cold and distant, rarely cracking a smile on that handsome face of his.
Alfonso really didn't want to deal with him.
But in this generation of the Clarence family, Gerald was the top dog.
Not even forty yet, and he already had a high-powered job.
He was the only family member in politics, admired as the eldest brother by the rest.
The Campbell and Clarence families had some history together.
Both families had a daughter as their youngest child.
The Clarence family had three boys before finally having a daughter, who was the apple of their eye.
The Campbell family had a similar story, with a daughter after three sons.
Sadly, both families' daughters went missing.
Their paths crossed during the search for their children, bonding over their shared misfortune.
Subsequently, the Campbell family took in Shirley, treating her as their own lost daughter and showering her with love.
At that time, Betty's mental state improved as they adopted Shirley, while the Clarence family, who never adopted anyone, continued their relentless search for their daughter.
But after so many years, it was clear the chances were slim.
The Clarence family was always grieving their lost daughter, especially Nicole, Gerald's mom, who hadn't been in good health since her daughter went missing.
Throughout the years, the Campbell family maintained a strong bond with the Clarence family, leading to mutual benefits that propelled their business to success.
However, when the Campbell family proposed for Shirley to wed into the Clarence family, even if it meant marrying Gerald, who was older and had a son, they believed that by having Shirley marry him, their future would be secure.
But the Clarence family wasn't interested, and because of this, their attitude towards the Campbell family cooled off.
While Shirley used to visit the Clarence family occasionally, now she was no longer welcome there.
The Campbell family refrained from voicing their grievances, yet they subsequently experienced a series of misfortunes.By now, the once-wealthy family had lost more than half of its fortune.
When Alfonso called Gerald, he was a bit nervous.
When the call connected, he quickly said, "Gerald."
Gerald's voice was cold, "Alfonso, what's up?"
"I need to talk to you about something. Got a minute?" Alfonso replied.
"I have a meeting in ten minutes that I can't miss," Gerald said. "You have eight minutes."
Alfonso quickly said, "That's enough. Gerald, do you know Stuart?"
Gerald shook his head, "No."
Alfonso thought, 'Stuart isn't as big a deal as I thought. The Clarence family hasn't even heard of him.'
Gerald then asked, "What's the deal with him?"
Alfonso said, "Gerald, there might be some misunderstandings between Stuart and me. Now he's targeting our family. My parents and your parents have always been close. Stuart's behavior towards our family is also disrespectful to your parents! Gerald, please help my family!"
Gerald replied coolly, "I'll have someone look into it."
After hanging up, Gerald pinched the bridge of his nose.
At his age, holding a high position, he was always under scrutiny.
But he was a straight shooter, no corruption, no scandals, nothing for people to latch onto.
When Alfonso mentioned Stuart, it didn't click right away. Only after hanging up did he remember who Stuart was.
Stuart, a prominent entrepreneur who had collaborated extensively with the government, was likely the wealthiest individual in the nation . Whenever there was a disaster, his donations were always the biggest.
Was Stuart really going after the Campbell family?
Honestly, Gerald had always looked down on the Campbells.
The Clarence family had their share of literary folks, and a few generations back, they had some great writers.
But Gerald's grandpa joined the military, fought through tough times, and became a hero.
So, people thought the Clarence family's success was all about military achievements, not knowing they had some famous writers too.
But they were all low-key, humble, and many didn't even know they were related to Gerald.
On the other hand, the Campbell family seemed to love flaunting their status, wanting everyone to know how important they were.
If it weren't for Betty and Nicole's good relationship, Gerald wouldn't have bothered with the Campbells.
But over twenty years ago, when his sister went missing, it was a huge blow to Nicole.
Betty was there for her, and later adopted Shirley, often bringing her to see Nicole.
Seeing Shirley, Nicole would sometimes smile a bit.
Because of this, Gerald reluctantly tolerated the Campbells.
But the Campbells didn't know when to stop, even wanting Shirley to marry into his family.
Of course, his family never said they had to marry someone of similar status.
But it was clear that if it wasn't for true love, not just any family's daughter could easily marry into their family.
Because of this, Nicole also saw the greed of the Campbell family.
Plus, her health had been getting worse over the years, and she didn't have the energy to entertain guests.
So, her relationship with the Campbells gradually faded.
Unexpectedly, Alfonso came directly to him.
Gerald pressed the intercom and called his secretary in, giving a few instructions.
After that, he got up and headed home.
He had a driver, so he didn't have to drive himself. On the way, he used his phone to look up renowned foreign surgeons.
Nicole's health wasn't good, and several doctors in the country didn't recommend surgery, saying the risk was too high and that conservative treatment was the best option.
But Gerald never gave up.
While most women in their sixties were out dancing daily and traveling, Nicole, despite her age, had been battling poor health for an extended period.
Gerald desired her to remain healthy and reach the age of a hundred.
The Clarence family still lived in the military district's residential area, but it was no longer the old-style housing of the past.
Now, it was all individual villas, and the Clarence family's villa was the best among them.
Gerald's grandpa, the formidable old general, was one of the few elderly people still alive.
He was over ninety, and although a bit frail, his health had always been good.
With Gerald's son, the Clarence family now had many family members.
When Gerald got home, he asked the housekeeper, "Where's my mom?"
"Mrs. Clarence is upstairs," the housekeeper said. "She watched some TV in the afternoon, and I noticed her mood was a bit affected."