Chapter 168 Sending a Bank Card
In the car, Arabella nibbled her sandwich, curiosity getting the better of her. "What kind of surprise did Grandma prepare?"
The shift in their relationship had naturally changed how she addressed Chloe—'Grandma' instead of 'Mrs. FitzRoy.'
She wasn't greedy for gifts, but after that bracelet incident, she worried Chloe might present her with something else she couldn't possibly accept. If she knew in advance, at least she could mentally prepare herself.
Hearing that "Grandma," Alexander's lips curved almost imperceptibly, amusement flickering in his eyes. He answered without hesitation. "The family bought us a house."
He deliberately kept it vague—"the family"—hoping to ease any guilt Arabella might feel about accepting.
Arabella promptly choked on her sandwich.
Alexander quickly grabbed the milk from the bag, opened it, and handed it over.
She coughed for what felt like forever, then downed half the carton in one go before she could breathe properly again. The sandwich sat forgotten in her lap. "You're saying... your family bought you a house?"
"Bought us a house," Alexander corrected gently.
Worried she might spiral, he continued, "When people get married, the groom's family traditionally provides a house and car. It's expected. Before, when we had our arrangement, I didn't ask them to. But now that we're actually married, Grandma brought it up again. I agreed."
He glanced at her expression, then added, "Besides, I'm their only child. They've had the money set aside for years. This is just... catching up on what should've been done from the start."
Arabella clutched the milk carton, at a complete loss for words.
In normal marriages, sure—new house, new car. If the groom's family had money, they'd prepare everything. If not, both families would contribute to help the young couple start their lives together.
But that was for normal marriages.
What she and Alexander had couldn't exactly be categorized as normal, could it?
Accepting such an enormous gift made her stomach twist with guilt. But this was his family buying a house for him. She couldn't exactly refuse on his behalf.
She felt utterly adrift. "Did they buy it outright or take a mortgage?"
"Cash," Alexander said casually.
Her anxiety spiked. "How much did it cost?"
Alexander had never been poor, but hearing that question, he understood immediately—she felt unworthy of accepting it. "I'm not sure exactly. Whatever it was, my family can afford it."
She asked about the location and square footage. After he answered, she did some quick mental math. At least ten million dollars, probably more.
She was shocked his family could casually drop that kind of money on a house, but given their relationship's nature, she couldn't convince herself to accept it with a clear conscience.
After a moment's thought, she turned to Alexander. "This house was purchased after our marriage. Unless we do a prenup addendum, it's considered a gift to both of us—shared property. I think... just to be safe, when we do the paperwork, we should specify it's a gift to you alone."
Alexander hadn't considered this at all. He frowned slightly, rejecting the idea without hesitation. "That's not necessary."
Arabella sighed quietly, meeting his eyes with forced calm. "Your family bought this house and car based on the assumption we have a normal marriage. But we both know we're not... exactly normal. I can't have children. I might never be able to give your parents grandchildren. So I think it's better if we—"
"They didn't buy us a house so we'd give them grandchildren." Alexander kept his eyes on the road, his voice gentle but firm as he interrupted. "This house is a gift to both of us. Your share is because you're my wife, not compensation for producing children."
Arabella stared at him, stunned.
"But I don't deserve—"
"You're my wife." Alexander's brow furrowed slightly. "You don't need to draw such strict lines between us. Even if—well, even if my orientation is uncertain, I'm absolutely committed to this marriage. I chose you. That means a lifetime together. Everything I have, I share with you. That's how it should be. That's what you deserve. Legally, that's how it works."
Arabella had no comeback for that. After a long hesitation, she finally mumbled, "Okay then."
Alexander glanced at her, his gaze lingering.
She seemed insecure about this, or maybe just sensitive.
Was it because of her first marriage—being forced to sign that prenup? Or had the Watsons beaten her down so badly during the marriage that she'd internalized this sense of unworthiness?
They'd been divorced almost a year. On the surface, she seemed to have fully recovered her old spark. But the moment anything touched on emotions or money, she instinctively flinched, made herself smaller.
She hadn't been like this before.
Alexander's grip tightened on the steering wheel.
It hurt, seeing what they'd done to her. Whenever he thought about how the Watsons had treated her, he wanted to grind every last one of them to dust.
But even if he destroyed them all, it wouldn't erase the damage they'd inflicted. All he could do was protect her now, use warmth and love to drive out the cold they'd left behind.
They didn't speak the rest of the way. Soon enough, they arrived at the hotel.
With so many people attending, they weren't meeting at Chloe's house. She'd reserved a private dining room instead.
Arabella followed Alexander through the entrance. He was tall, his broad frame blocking half the world from view. Walking behind him felt... safe. Sheltered.
When they reached the private room door, Alexander slowed his pace. Without a word, he reached back and took Arabella's hand.
Her face flushed instantly. She felt stiff, nervous, letting him lead her forward—but beneath the awkwardness, a quiet, barely daring joy bloomed in her chest.
The moment they stepped inside, her eyes went wide. The room held about a dozen people. Besides Chloe and Vera, she didn't recognize a single soul.
"Arabella! I've missed you so much!"
Chloe spotted her and rushed over—well, as much as an elderly woman could rush—throwing her arms around Arabella. "These past two months, has Alex been mean to you? Tell me. I'll straighten him out!"
Arabella quickly steadied her. "Careful! Alex has been really good to me."
She helped Chloe into a chair, then turned to greet Vera. Vera looked back at her with an expression that could only be described as conflicted, stabbing at something in a small dish with her fork.
She'd been trying to chase this daughter-in-law away. How had her attempts somehow made the marriage stronger instead?
The handsome middle-aged man beside her noticed and smiled, gently taking her hand. Vera immediately melted, gazing at her husband with puppy-dog eyes. The two were disgustingly affectionate, completely shameless about their PDA.
Alexander had long since become immune to his parents' lovey-dovey displays. They were the great love story. He was the surprise. Yeah, it had been like this his whole life.
He kept Arabella's hand in his and began introductions. "You know Grandma and my mom. This is my dad."
Arabella looked at the handsome older man beside Vera. Yep, definitely cut from the same cloth as Alex—practically identical.
She felt shy calling him that, but managed, "...Dad."
Marvin looked almost honored. He patted his pockets and pulled out a thick envelope, handing it to Arabella. "Your grandmother rushed this, so I didn't have time to prepare anything proper. Take this. Use it to decorate your new place."
Arabella gauged the envelope's thickness—probably around five thousand dollars. She didn't refuse. "Thank you."
Marvin beamed at Arabella with fatherly warmth. When he turned to Alexander, the smile cooled significantly. He gave his son a brief nod. "Arabella's a good girl. Treat her well."
Alexander's response was equally chilly. "Mm."
Arabella felt puzzled by the exchange.
Alexander didn't linger. He turned, pulling Arabella with him. "That's my uncle Robert and his wife. Their younger daughter. Over there is my second uncle Neil with his wife and their eldest son."
Arabella awkwardly greeted each of them in turn.
It was uncomfortable, mainly because Alexander's introductions were painfully perfunctory. He didn't even walk over to say hello properly.
Visibly phoning it in.
Both families looked displeased. Robert and Neil's expressions darkened. They'd come specifically to size up Alexander's new wife, and before they could even start their little tests, he'd already snubbed them.
But with Chloe present, they didn't dare say anything. Besides, they both ran subsidiary companies now while Alexander controlled the entire group. Even without Chloe here, they wouldn't push too hard.
Subtle power plays were one thing. Open confrontation that forced Alexander's hand? That would end badly for both families.
Chloe spoke up at just the right moment. "Robert, Neil—where are your gifts for the newlyweds?"
Robert and Neil exchanged glances, both mentally cursing. Gifts? Nobody told them about gifts!
Chloe might have let it slide if she hadn't mentioned it, but now that she had—especially after Marvin set the precedent—showing up empty-handed would make them look terrible. The family would never let them hear the end of it.
Robert shot his wife a desperate look. She caught on immediately, pulling a bank card from her purse and discreetly handing it to him. The amount loaded on it wasn't huge, but it was something.
Robert exhaled in relief, plastering on a smile as he approached. "Alex, Arabella—this is our wedding gift to you both. Just a small token. Please accept it."
Arabella had never received a gift in the form of a bank card before. She hesitated, unsure whether to take it, when a hand reached out and accepted it for her. Alexander's voice was flat. "Thanks."
Neil quickly followed suit, producing his own card. "Alex, this is from us. Don't think it's too modest. Please, take it."
"Thanks."
He casually tucked both cards into Arabella's jacket pocket.
Arabella's smile was starting to feel frozen on her face. The cards in her pocket felt like they were burning through the fabric. If it was just a few thousand dollars, why give a card? Whatever was on those things had to be substantial. Accepting them made her deeply uneasy.
Was Alex's family really this wealthy? Robert and Neil carried themselves like high-powered executives.
Then again, thinking back to the envelope Marvin had given her, she felt slightly better. Maybe the uncles were the rich ones, and Alex's parents were... regular people?
Though even 'regular people' who could casually drop ten million cash on a house for their kid were still leagues above Arabella's own background.
Technically speaking, she'd married up. Again.
Her thoughts were tangled, spiraling in a dozen directions at once, when a distinctly rude voice cut through. "So I hear Arabella's been married before? Alex, you stayed single for thirty years, finally tie the knot, and you pick someone like that? I'd be embarrassed to tell people."
Arabella's head snapped up. The comment came from Neil's eldest son, the one Alexander had just introduced.
Craven lounged in his chair with careless arrogance. Meeting Arabella's eyes, he sneered openly. "A divorcée marrying into the FitzRoy family. Alex, your taste is really something."
Arabella was debating whether confronting this jerk in front of a room full of elders would make her look classless—after all, this was only their first meeting—when Alexander beat her to it.
"Think before you speak."
His voice wasn't loud. His tone was almost calm. But something in it radiated pressure, an undeniable authority that made Arabella's breath catch.
Craven's expression shifted, his confidence faltering. He glanced at Chloe instinctively. When she didn't react, he found his nerve again. "Alex, I'm just being honest. You're not actually mad, are you?"
"No," Alexander said.
Then he picked up the glass in front of him and hurled it directly at Craven's face.
THUNK.
The glass connected with Craven's forehead, raising an immediate red, swollen lump.
The water inside had been hot. Craven let out a yelp, jumping from his seat and glaring at Alexander with fury. "You hit me? In front of Grandma?"
Alexander's expression remained blank. When his face hardened like this, his presence became genuinely intimidating. "That was a warning. Keep running your mouth and I'll throw you out myself."
Craven turned to Chloe, playing the victim card hard. "Grandma, you always say we should stick together as family, right? Look at Alex! I made one honest comment and he attacked me! Just because he's in charge now—"
"Craven." Alexander's voice cut like a blade, sharp with warning.
Craven flinched involuntarily, suddenly realizing he'd nearly blurted out exactly what Chloe had explicitly told him not to mention before coming here.
But resentment still burned in his chest. His parents had spoiled him rotten his whole life, yet within the family, Alexander had always overshadowed him. Over the years, Craven had become useless and dissolute. His family had given up on reining him in, and he took advantage of his outsider status—he didn't work for the company, so he had nothing to fear from Alexander. Everyone else worried about retaliation at work, but not him.
When Grandpa was alive, Craven had been the favorite. He knew how to sweet-talk the old man, keep him entertained. After Grandpa died, Chloe had continued to indulge him, partly out of affection for her late husband's preferences.
In the entire family, only Craven dared openly confront Alexander without worrying about consequences. Grandma would protect him. She always did.
So now, Craven looked at Chloe with wounded, expectant eyes. "Grandma, I just spoke my mind. You know I can't keep thoughts to myself—what I think, I say. I didn't mean any harm! But Alex is trying to kill me!"