Chapter 104 Marriage is the Tomb of Love
The person Finn was talking about could only be William's father.
Thalia froze, feeling a bit scared sitting in the car.
Why was Vaughn looking for her?
"Thalia, I heard Mr. Vaughn Brown is a man of integrity and can't tolerate messy relationships. Could it be that he overheard what you said in his living room just now?"
Thalia swallowed hard. "But would he really wait for me here just because of that?"
"It's the 21st century. Relationships between adults come in all types. Is our relationship with Mr. Brown really that unusual?"
Isla: ... "Thalia, that's just your opinion."
"John, can you ask what this is about?"
Thalia kicked the back of the driver's seat.
Finn said, "We're not sure either. Mr. Vaughn Brown just asked us to bring Ms. Smith over."
"I'm not really available today. Can we do this another time?" Thalia didn't want to go.
Finn didn't say anything, but his firm stance made it clear.
Three cars escorted Thalia's car back to the Brown villa.
"Thalia, did you graduate from Westbridge University?"
"Undergrad, yes," Thalia replied.
"Do you think Mr. Vaughn Brown is going to bring your old professors over to lecture you?"
Thalia: ... "Shut up, thanks."
Isla shrank back, not daring to say another word.
Inside the Brown villa, Vaughn was lecturing William.
In the kitchen, Amara carefully asked Harper, "Mom, don't you think Dad is going overboard by calling Thalia here? William is an adult."
Harper gave her a look. "Being an adult doesn't mean you can't make mistakes."
"Adults take responsibility for their actions! How is this a mistake?"
"If adults truly took responsibility for their actions, the first thing they'd do is control their desires. Your dad is teaching William; don't interfere."
Amara, feeling reprimanded, muttered, "I'm just worried Dad calling Thalia here will scare her off, making it even less likely for her to be with William."
Harper: ... "What do you mean?"
Seeing Harper's interest, Amara continued, "Think about it. If Thalia and William are in the early stages of a relationship, still figuring things out, not thinking about marriage yet, Dad calling her here feels like he's pushing them. Who would want to be with William after that?"
"Besides, who is Thalia? She's practically royalty in Emerald City. William is lucky she even looks at him. He should be the one chasing after her."
Harper found herself agreeing with Amara's twisted logic.
As Thalia stood at the Brown villa again, she suddenly felt clear-headed. She glanced at Isla. "Just because they invite me, I have to come?"
Isla: ... "You're already at the door. Isn't it a bit late for that?"
Thalia: ...
As Thalia was pondering what to do, the door to the Brown villa opened.
William walked out, a ragdoll cat in his arms.
"Let's go!"
Thalia: ... "Aren't we going in?"
William glanced at her, holding the cat's paw to prevent it from scratching Thalia. "Do you want to go in?"
---
Finn was talking about William's dad.
Thalia froze, feeling a bit uneasy in the car.
Why was Vaughn looking for her?
"Thalia, I heard Mr. Vaughn Brown is a straight shooter and can't stand drama. You think he heard what you said in his living room just now?"
Thalia swallowed hard. "But would he really wait for me here just because of that?"
"It's the 21st century. Adults have all kinds of relationships. Is ours with Mr. Brown really that strange?"
Isla: ... "Thalia, that's just your take."
"John, can you find out what's going on?"
Thalia kicked the back of the driver's seat.
Finn said, "We're not sure either. Mr. Vaughn Brown just asked us to bring Ms. Smith over."
"I'm kind of tied up today. Can we reschedule?" Thalia really didn't want to go.
Finn didn't say anything, but his firm stance made it clear.
Three cars escorted Thalia's car back to the Brown villa.
"Thalia, did you graduate from Westbridge University?"
"Undergrad, yeah," Thalia replied.
"You think Mr. Vaughn Brown is gonna bring your old professors over to lecture you?"
Thalia: ... "Just shut up, okay?"
Isla shrank back, not daring to say another word.
Inside the Brown villa, Vaughn was lecturing William.
In the kitchen, Amara carefully asked Harper, "Mom, don't you think Dad's going overboard by calling Thalia here? William's an adult."
Harper gave her a look. "Being an adult doesn't mean you can't mess up."
"Adults take responsibility for their actions! How is this a mistake?"
"If adults really took responsibility for their actions, the first thing they'd do is control their impulses. Your dad is teaching William; stay out of it."
Amara, feeling scolded, muttered, "I'm just worried Dad calling Thalia here will scare her off, making it even less likely for her to be with William."
Harper: ... "What do you mean?"
Seeing Harper's interest, Amara continued, "Think about it. If Thalia and William are in the early stages of a relationship, still figuring things out, not thinking about marriage yet, Dad calling her here feels like he's pushing them. Who would want to be with William after that?"
"Besides, who is Thalia? She's practically royalty in Emerald City. William is lucky she even looks at him. He should be the one chasing after her."
Harper found herself agreeing with Amara's twisted logic.
As Thalia stood at the Brown villa again, she suddenly felt clear-headed. She glanced at Isla. "Just because they invite me, I have to come?"
Isla: ... "You're already at the door. Isn't it a bit late for that?"
Thalia: ...
As Thalia was pondering what to do, the door to the Brown villa opened.
William walked out, a ragdoll cat in his arms.
"Let's go!"
Thalia: ... "Aren't we going in?"
William glanced at her, holding the cat's paw to prevent it from scratching Thalia. "Do you want to go in?"
"Are you messing with me?"
"You said whatever you wanted, and now you're saying I'm messing with you?"
Thalia was annoyed. "What do you mean I said whatever? Wasn't I telling the truth? And if you had agreed to my request in the first place, none of this would have happened. Mr. Brown might not be good at much, but he's great at twisting facts."
William felt a headache coming on. He was annoyed by Thalia's words.
William got into Thalia's car, still holding the cat.
Thalia stood outside, looking at William sitting in the car with the cat. "What do you mean?"
"Give me a ride."
"I don't want to."
"Then you can walk back," implying he wouldn't get out.
"Mr. Brown, are you being a jerk?"
William's eyes darkened a bit. He glanced behind Thalia and called out, "Dad—"
Thalia, hearing William call for his dad, quickly got into the car and closed the door.
Isla: ... Thalia couldn't outsmart William.
William was as cunning as a fox and had a heart as black as coal.
...
Thalia leaned back in her seat, looking at William with disdain.
William leaned back, eyes closed, petting the cat. If it weren't for the cat in his arms, Thalia would have thought he was asleep.
Looking at him, Thalia noticed the strong muscles under his polo shirt. His skin looked great, and the inside of his arms had a smooth, white texture that seemed very touchable.
Thalia felt her heart race.
Steadying her emotions, she asked, "Why did your dad call me over today?"
William casually petted the cat. "To ask if you're really pregnant with my child."
Thalia choked. "I was just angry at Chase, and he took it seriously?"
"My dad is pretty upright, unlike Ms. Smith."
Thalia got angry. "What do you mean unlike me? What's wrong with me?"
William opened his eyes to glance at her, then closed them again without a word, which was response enough.
Thalia, furious, kicked William's leg. The cat, who had been dozing off, was startled awake and got agitated.
The cat glared at Thalia, baring its teeth and hissing.
William covered its mouth and scolded, "No hissing."
The ragdoll cat pitifully looked at William, then turned around and showed its butt to Thalia.
"Mr. Brown, maybe you should consider agreeing to my request to prevent this from happening again."
"What request?"
"Ms. Smith, maybe you should consider accepting my proposal to prevent this from happening again."
Thalia: "I hire you for a case, and you want to drag me into marriage? Isn't that a bit much?"
"What marriage?"
"Marriage is the grave of love!"
William: ... "In that case, you're not losing out."
"When your dad is gone, and I don't take your case, you'll be broke. But if marriage is gone, at least you'll have a grave and a large inheritance."
Thalia thought for a moment, then leaned closer to William, staring at him with her long lashes almost touching his face.
"Evelyn said you like me. Are you trying to trap me into marriage because you actually like me?"
---
"Are you serious right now?"
"You said whatever you wanted, and now you're accusing me of messing with you?"
Thalia was annoyed. "What do you mean I said whatever? Wasn't I telling the truth? And if you had agreed to my request in the first place, none of this would have happened. Mr. Brown might not be good at much, but he's great at twisting facts."
William felt a headache coming on. He was annoyed by Thalia's words.
William got into Thalia's car, still holding the cat.
Thalia stood outside, looking at William sitting in the car with the cat. "What do you mean?"
"Give me a ride."
"I don't want to."
"Then you can walk back," implying he wouldn't get out.
"Mr. Brown, are you being a jerk?"
William's eyes darkened a bit. He glanced behind Thalia and called out, "Dad—"
Thalia, hearing William call for his dad, quickly got into the car and closed the door.
Isla: ... Thalia couldn't outsmart William.
William was as cunning as a fox and had a heart as black as coal.
...
Thalia leaned back in her seat, looking at William with disdain.
William leaned back, eyes closed, petting the cat. If it weren't for the cat in his arms, Thalia would have thought he was asleep.
Looking at him, Thalia noticed the strong muscles under his polo shirt. His skin looked great, and the inside of his arms had a smooth, white texture that seemed very touchable.
Thalia felt her heart race.
Steadying her emotions, she asked, "Why did your dad call me over today?"
William casually petted the cat. "To ask if you're really pregnant with my child."
Thalia choked. "I was just angry at Chase, and he took it seriously?"
"My dad is pretty upright, unlike Ms. Smith."
Thalia got angry. "What do you mean unlike me? What's wrong with me?"
William opened his eyes to glance at her, then closed them again without a word, which was response enough.
Thalia, furious, kicked William's leg. The cat, who had been dozing off, was startled awake and got agitated.
The cat glared at Thalia, baring its teeth and hissing.
William covered its mouth and scolded, "No hissing."
The ragdoll cat pitifully looked at William, then turned around and showed its butt to Thalia.
"Mr. Brown, maybe you should consider agreeing to my request to prevent this from happening again."
"What request?"
"Ms. Smith, maybe you should consider accepting my proposal to prevent this from happening again."
Thalia: "I hire you for a case, and you want to drag me into marriage? Isn't that a bit much?"
"What marriage?"
"Marriage is the grave of love!"
William: ... "In that case, you're not losing out."
"When your dad is gone, and I don't take your case, you'll be broke. But if marriage is gone, at least you'll have a grave and a large inheritance."
Thalia thought for a moment, then leaned closer to William, staring at him with her long lashes almost touching his face.
"Evelyn said you like me. Are you trying to trap me into marriage because you actually like me?"