Chapter 174

Chapter 174

Wendy said nothing, just looked at William.

"It's okay if you need time to think. I just wanted you to know how I feel. I don't want you guessing, and I need you to know I'll always be here for you," William said sincerely.

He wasn't looking for an answer right then. He just wanted Wendy to feel secure.

He belonged to her and no one else.

Tears rolled silently down Wendy's cheeks. In all the days they'd been apart, she had missed him just as much as he'd missed her.

She had always known how she felt. She'd just been waiting — waiting while William was caught up in the Ford Group scandal.

Now that William had finally taken this step, how could she possibly say no?

"Will you put it on for me?" Wendy's voice was soft and gentle. William almost thought he'd heard wrong.

It wasn't until he saw her eyes shining as she looked at him that it finally hit him.

Wendy had said yes.

They were officially together.

William's hands were trembling. This man, who commanded boardrooms and made decisions without blinking, his hands were actually shaking right now.

Wendy laughed at him, and William felt a little embarrassed. He gently kissed her eyes, her nose, then her lips.

That same familiar feeling from the first time they met rose up from deep inside him. He would never forget that night. He was even grateful for that one-night stand — it had led him to someone as wonderful as Wendy.

His only regret was not recognizing her sooner, letting so much time slip by between them.

But then again, he was also glad he hadn't. Not knowing had given them the chance to truly understand each other.

Wendy tilted her head up to kiss him back.

When they walked out, Hannah and Edward were standing at the door, smiling. The moment they saw William holding Wendy's hand, they knew.

"So? Don't you owe me a nice dinner?" Hannah teased.

Wendy dropped her head, flushing with embarrassment. "Mom!"

"Dinner is absolutely happening, and I've already had gifts sent to the Green family. I'm sure Mr. and Mrs. Green will love them," William said.

Even if Wendy had said no today, the gifts had already been prepared. They were from his heart, no matter what.

Hannah nodded with satisfaction and exchanged a glance with Edward.

She was very happy with William. She had always hoped for a union between the two families — not just because it made sense for both sides, but because, more importantly, the two of them genuinely liked each other.

And so it was settled. But since Wendy had just taken over the Green Group, for now they had no choice but to do long distance.

William couldn't stand it. Every evening after work, he'd catch a flight just to see Wendy for a little while, then fly back to Novaria first thing the next morning.

This went on for a whole year.

Even Wendy hadn't expected him to keep it up — crossing over a thousand miles every single day for a year.

Even Hannah was moved. "William treats Alice so well — honestly better than your father treated me back in the day. Have you two thought about when you're getting married? I'd love a grandchild sooner rather than later."

Wendy was in the middle of eating fruit when the topic of kids came up out of nowhere. She nearly choked. She hadn't thought that far ahead at all.

The Green Group was in the middle of expanding into new territory. She had no time to think about having a baby.

Wendy felt like things were just fine the way they were — dating and taking it slow. And William hadn't pushed her either.

So she wasn't in any rush.

Seeing Wendy frown, Hannah decided not to press her and went to corner William instead.

She asked him why he wasn't moving things along faster. William was at a loss for words. Wendy had said she wasn't in a hurry, so he couldn't exactly push too hard.

If Wendy got fed up and broke up with him, he'd have no one to blame but himself.

Seeing that both of them were equally stubborn, Hannah gave up for the time being and went to take it out on Edward.

Life for both families carried on, steady and in good order.

On Shirley's end, she had gotten a job at Atlantic Chemicals through Wendy's recommendation and started from the bottom without complaint. Within just six months, she had already worked her way up to manager. Shirley was deeply grateful to Wendy for giving her the chance.

As for John, it turned out he did have an illegitimate child — one he had been grooming as his heir. But one day, a routine health check at kindergarten flagged a blood type mismatch. A paternity test confirmed the child wasn't his.

John was furious. And when he saw how well Shirley was doing at Atlantic Chemicals, he wanted her back.

When Shirley told Wendy about all this, she couldn't have been more satisfied.

"Wendy, be honest with me — where do things stand with you and Mr. Ford? Everyone at our company is dying to see you two get married."

Shirley had already married Charlie and they were trying for a baby. Wendy had been together with William for so long without any sign of a next step — it was enough to make everyone around them anxious on their behalf.

Wendy replied, "No rush. I've got to get the company sorted out first. Besides, why don't you two hurry up and have a kid, and make me the godmother? I'd get all the perks of being a mom without the labor — how amazing would that be?"

"Oh, stop it. Who's going to inherit two empires that size? If you ask me, you should just say yes to Mr. Ford already. Otherwise he keeps coming around to 'inspect' us, and it's every single day," Shirley joked.

They traded a few more laughs before hanging up.

Wendy really did need to think seriously about whether she and William should take things to the next level.

Then Nina called. "Wendy, I'm getting married. Are you coming?"

Nina had set the date quickly — she was pregnant, so she wanted to make it official as soon as possible.

"That's so fast." Wendy said yes on the spot and booked a flight back to Novaria.

"Once I'm married, you're next. Don't drag your feet," Nina said.

Wendy suddenly felt that everyone around her was a lobbyist sent by William, each dropping hints that it was time for her to settle down and get married.

She thought it over. This trip back, she could stay for a week.

It would also be the perfect chance to surprise William.

"You hear me? I really think Mr. Ford is good for you," Nina said, a hint of envy in her voice.

Wendy thought about all the little moments she and William had shared, and her cheeks went warm. "I know, I know."

She hung up.

She hadn't expected William to win over everyone around her too. Then again, it made sense — Nina was always saying how much William had done for her. He had even connected her with her first client when she started her own business. With William's backing, Nina's company had gotten off the ground without a hitch.

And then there was the Green Group itself. The two companies were now closely tied, and William had directed most of the profits to the Green Group.

For Wendy's sake, William had done so much.

Wendy's eyes grew red. It was time she did something for him too.

The next day, Wendy told Hannah she was heading back to Novaria for a while. Hannah agreed right away, grinning as she said, "Good — spend some time with William. Don't make it all about work. Your dad and I have got things covered here."

"Don't worry."

Wendy nodded. This time, she would be the one to propose.