Chapter 197 That Was Four Years Ago
Those projects were critical to the Watson family. How could they possibly give them up?
“Don’t try to change the subject. I’m not falling for your tricks,” Rachel snapped, her face flushed with anger. "Those projects were compensation for breaking off the engagement. No one said anything about you cheating and running off with someone else. Why should I give them back?"
Ethan might act like an obedient puppy around Daisy, but with Rachel he didn't bother hiding his true nature. “Could you stop being ridiculous for once?” he shot back coldly. “We were engaged and everything was fine—then suddenly you called it off. Of course people would assume I found someone else. And even if it had just been a normal breakup, do you really think my father would’ve handed over that many projects? Get real!"
"You!" Rachel was so furious she could barely speak.. Badmouthing Daisy was one thing, but going after Ethan was another matter entirely. She had to think twice before crossing him.
She couldn't afford to truly offend any of these people. The only one she could freely unleash on had hidden inside.
Rachel had never felt so suffocated.
Jennifer’s voice suddenly turned sharp with sarcasm. “Well, you’re the ones with all the power and money. What are we Watsons in your eyes, anyway? Whatever you say goes, I suppose. We’re just powerless nobodies.”
She paused, as though remembering something. Her eyes suddenly lit up. "But no matter how powerful you are, you can't silence us completely, can you?” she continued. “That Daisy woman meddled in my daughter's engagement and got her dumped. If word gets out, it won't look very good for her reputation.”
“She’s an actress, isn’t she? The entertainment industry cares about these things even more. If the Green family doesn't give us a proper explanation, don't blame us for ruining her career.”
Rachel’s eyes lit up as well. She let out a cold laugh as Ethan’s expression darkened, clearly satisfied with the reaction.
So he wanted to take that woman’s side?
Fine.
She would just wait until Daisy’s career was completely destroyed. Then she would see how Ethan planned to protect her.
Rachel wasn’t worried about Ethan twisting the truth. In this situation, she knew she had the upper hand.
Ethan shot Jennifer a furious glare. "You wouldn't dare!"
Jennifer ignored him and turned to Evelyn instead, giving her a pointed look. "Mrs. Green, honestly, I don't want our families to end things on such ugly terms either. If it weren't absolutely necessary, I wouldn't want to offend the Green family. But my daughter was perfectly fine before your son started chasing that actress. No matter how you look at it, your son is the one in the wrong. Wouldn’t you agree?”
"What exactly do you want?" Ethan asked coldly, not even waiting for his mother to respond.
He stared straight at Jennifer. “You’re making such a scene over this—you must have something in mind. Why not just say it? What will it take for you to drop this?"
Jennifer seemed to think he was backing down, and immediately grew more aggressive. She planted her hands on her hips and said, “First, that little vixen needs to kneel in front of Rachel and apologize until my daughter is satisfied. And on top of that... the Green family needs to hand over two more projects!"
Ethan let out a short laugh, clearly amused by the absurdity of the situation. He looked at her as if she had completely lost her mind. "Are you dreaming? Bully my girlfriend? Not a chance. And as for that that second condition—if I recorded this conversation, I could have you arrested in a heartbeat. Do you even realize how much a single project is worth? What you're proposing is extortion. Understand?”
Jennifer didn't know much about the law and Ethan’s threat clearly rattled her. Seeing this, Rachel immediately stepped in, her tone sharp and combative. “Say whatever you want. You were the one who asked us to name our terms—we didn't force you! Either way, if you refuse to agree, then fine. We’ll settle this on the entertainment news tomorrow.”
Ethan's expression turned icy as his gaze locked onto Rachel. "No room for negotiation?"
"None." Rachel folded her arms across her chest, completely unyielding.
"Fine." Ethan shrugged casually. “Then every bit of compensation the Watson family received before this is now void. If you won’t accept my conditions, do whatever you like. But I refuse to believe the Green family can’t protect the woman I love.”
Rachel and Jennifer's faces immediately paled. "No! You already gave us those projects—you can't take them back!"
“They belong to my family,” Ethan said coldly. “I’ll give them to whoever I want.”
He looked at them with the brazen confidence of someone who had nothing to lose. “And while we’re at it, I’m releasing this recording right now. Not only will you lose those projects, but from this moment on, the Green family and the Watson family are enemies. Don't blame me when I start targeting you in the marketplace!"
Only then did Rachel and Jennifer finally feel a flicker of fear. Their leverage had always been Daisy’s career—but if Ethan truly decided to go scorched-earth and stop caring about the consequences, what power did they actually have?
The Watson family still depended heavily on the Green family’s support.
Jennifer steadied herself and forced out a response, still trying to hold her ground. “That’s impossible. You don’t even manage anything at the Green family’s company. You don’t have the authority to make decisions like that.”
Ethan spread his hands, almost amused.
“Do you really think my father only has one son for decoration? Ethan spread his hands, almost amused.
“Do you really think my father only has one son for decoration? No problem. For you guys, I can take over the company. I'll definitely destroy you before the Green family goes down!"
Rachel and Jennifer fell completely silent.
At that moment, the elevator doors slid open. Anthony stepped out, his expression dark as storm clouds. His sharp gaze immediately swept over his mother and sister. “Mom. Rachel. What exactly are you doing?”
On the way over, Leo had already briefed him on the situation. But seeing things unfold in person made it even worse than he had imagined—these two idiots had actually managed to provoke Ethan.
Jennifer had originally thought her son had come to back her up. But when she saw the stormy look on Anthony’s face, her heart sank.
Had she and Rachel really messed things up this badly?
"Anthony..." she said hesitantly, stepping forward.
Anthony didn't spare her a glance, He walked straight over to Ethan instead. "Mr. Green, my mother and sister don't know any better. Please don't hold their behaviour against them. s for your engagement to Rachel, I've already discussed the terms with your father. Whatever conditions we agreed upon will stand—we won’t be making any further demands.”
Ethan looked at him expressionlessly. "Mr. Watson, I hope you keep your word—and keep your family in line. Otherwise, if my girlfriend faces any trouble in the future, I'll hold the entire Watson family responsible."
Anthony had never felt so humiliated.
To be threatened by someone several years younger—pointed at and warned like that. Rage boiled inside him, but he forced himself to remain outwardly agreeable. “Don’t worry,” he said evenly. “I’ll make sure they behave.”
Seeing Ethan remain silent, Anthony ventured cautiously, “In that case, I’ll take them and leave. We won’t disturb you again.”
Ethan gave a short snort and waved a hand dismissively.
Like someone shooing away a stray dog.
A flicker of cold fury crossed Anthony's eyes, but he said nothing. Instead, he turned sharply toward Rachel.
“This is embarrassing. Let’s go.”
Rachel and Jennifer both shuddered under his glare and hurried into the elevator.
Anthony was the last to step in. Just before the doors closed, he glanced at Alexander.
Alexander looked back with a faint half-smile. Anthony's expression stilled for a moment. Then he gave a slight nod in acknowledgment before turning away.
Once they were gone, the hallway suddenly felt much more spacious. Ethan walked up to Alexander to thank him. "Mr. FitzRoy, thank you for coming today. I'll definitely repay the favour another time.”
He considered inviting them inside for a drink but quickly dismissed the idea. This wasn't his apartment—it was Daisy's. He had no authority to invite guests. What if he invited them in and Daisy kicked him out? That would be humiliating.
Alexander nodded faintly, his tone blunt.
“No need. I came for my wife, not for you."
Ethan paused, scratching his head sheepishly. "Well, you still helped us tremendously. Either way, thank you."
He then turned toward Evelyn, who stood nearby with her lips pressed into a thin line. "Mom..."
Evelyn crossed her arms and looked at him sideways. “What you said earlier about going back to take over the company—were you serious?”
Ethan froze. "Huh? I wasn't—"
Before he could finish, Evelyn cut him off. Her voice turned cool. "“You can’t keep waving the family name around to scare people off every time your girlfriend gets bullied. If you want to protect the woman you love, you need real capability. Don't you think?"
Ethan paused. For once, he didn’t argue about taking over the company.
Evelyn knew the was probably settled. She felt pleased and couldn't wait to go home and tell her husband the good news. But she wasn't ready to leave just yet—she was still curious about the girl inside the apartment.
Meanwhile, after Alexander had Moris escort everyone away, he remained standing there like a statue.
Ethan found it strange. Shouldn’t these two be leaving by now?
But he couldn't exactly throw them out, and he didn’t dare invite them in either. For a moment, the three of them stood awkwardly outside the door in silence.
Finally, the door opened.
Daisy stepped out. Seeing the three of them staring at one another, she asked curiously, “What are you all doing out here?”
Without waiting for an answer, she turned to Alexander with a bright smile. "Mr. FitzRoy, are you in a hurry? If not, come in for a bit."
She winked at him and glanced back toward the apartment before leaning closer and lowering her voice. "Arabella just told me she wants to prepare gifts for your parents. You're taking her to Europe this weekend, right?"
Alexander nodded. "Yes."
Daisy stepped aside to let him in, still speaking quietly.
“Let me tell you a secret—Arabella has the softest heart. The more sincere you are with her, the harder it is for her to say no."
Alexander gave her a grateful look before heading inside to find Arabella.
Evelyn and Ethan watched expectantly.
If Alexander had been invited in, surely it was their turn next?
But Daisy’s eyes widened slightly when she looked back at Ethan.
“You two are still here?”
Since Evelyn had shown up earlier with Rachel, Daisy didn't have much goodwill toward her either. She didn’t say it outright, but her tone clearly suggested she wanted them gone.
After that, Ethan didn’t dare linger any longer. "We're leaving, we're leaving."
Evelyn shot her useless son an exasperated look. Then, in the next instant, she hurried over to Daisy. Slipping the bracelet off her wrist, she pressed it into Daisy’s hand. “This belonged to Ethan’s grandmother. She gave it to me herself—a family heirloom. It's yours now!"
Before Daisy could react, Evelyn allowed Ethan to pull her into the elevator.
Daisy stood there, staring down at the bracelet in confusion.
It was delicate, beautiful, and clearly expensive—though not quite as valuable as the one Chloe had given Arabella, of course.
Still, Daisy couldn’t make sense of it.
Was Evelyn trying to show goodwill? Did she actually approve? If so, why had she supported Rachel earlier?
Still, confused or not, only a fool would refuse something free. Daisy wasn’t like Arabella—she had no lofty principles. She was practical, even a little materialistic, and she had no shame admitting it.
Carefully tucking the bracelet away like a prized treasure, she headed back inside.
The moment she walked in, both Arabella and Alexander looked at her with curious expressions. Alexander simply raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Arabella, however, was her best friend and had no such restraint.
"You didn't invite them in? Evelyn's your future mother-in-law. That’s pretty rude.”
Arabella frowned slightly.
Daisy suddenly felt a strange twinge of guilt and hurried to explain. “Ethan and I barely have anything going on. Future mother-in-law? That’s way too early for that. Besides, didn’t you see how she was standing with Rachel?”
Arabella's sharp eyes immediately caught sight of the bracelet in Daisy’s hand. She paused. "She gave that to you?”
"Yeah." Daisy's confidence faltered. “Who knows what got into her? She suddenly handed me this bracelet and said it was a family heirloom. Weird, right?”
Arabella laughed softly. “And you still think she was on Rachel’s side? My guess is she just got dragged there at the last minute. She probably didn’t expect to walk into that situation.”
Put that way, Evelyn did seem fairly innocent.
Daisy had no response. She simply went back to her room to put away the bracelet first.
When she came back out, Alexander said, “The Watson family shouldn’t dare cause any more trouble for a while. I've had Moris station someone downstairs to keep watch. If anything happens, Moris will bring people immediately."
Daisy's eyes welled with emotion. "Mr. FitzRoy, you're the best."
Leave it to Arabella to know how to choose a man. Just look at the trash she’d picked up before.
“Arabella still has work to do, and I have some matters to take care of as well. We should be going,” Alexander said as he stood.
Daisy walked them to the door but didn't dare follow them downstairs.
Alexander took Arabella’s hand as they went down together. Once they were in the car, Arabella instinctively glanced behind them.
"What's wrong?" Alexander asked.
Arabella shook her head. "Nothing."
She had the strange feeling that someone had been watching her, but there was clearly no one there.
It must have been her imagination.
Alexander didn't think much of it either. As he drove, he said, "The Green family dynamics aren't too complicated. Gary and Evelyn seem like decent people. I originally thought Ethan was just a spoiled playboy, but he’s actually not bad. Daisy wouldn’t be settling if she ended up with him.”
Arabella knew he was saying that to reassure her. Daisy ending up with someone like Ethan wouldn’t just mean she hadn’t “lost out”—just like Arabella herself, she’d be considered to have married very well.
Before long, they arrived at the office. Alexander dropped her off and drove away.
Arabella walked toward the building. Just as she stepped into the lobby, a familiar voice called from behind her. "Arabella."
Arabella stopped and turned. Sure enough—Anthony.
Seeing him again stirred nothing in her heart. She asked calmly, "Do you need something?"
A wounded look crossed Anthony’s face. "We haven't seen each other in so long. Why are you so cold to me? Arabella, don’t you remember how good things used to be between us?”
His eyes grew distant with nostalgia. “Back when we first started dating, there was that day you got off work and it suddenly started pouring. You'd forgotten your umbrella. I went to pick you up and realized I hadn't brought one either. I ran to find you completely soaked, and you laughed at me. We held hands and stood under the awning of a shop, waiting for the rain to stop. It was freezing that day.You were trembling in my arms..."
Arabella cut him off, her expression calm and unmoved. "Anthony, that was four years ago."