Chapter 16

Stepping out of the car, Grace cleared her throat as she spotted her parents standing in the warm sunlight. A sweet smile graced her lips, and her eyes turned into crescent moons. "Mom, Dad, Oliver, and I are back!" she called out cheerfully. Oliver had gone to retrieve the gifts from the trunk. As he approached, he couldn't help but notice the warmth in her smile. For a fleeting moment, he was taken aback by the genuine emotion radiating from her. He had never seen such a natural and radiant smile on her face. It was sweet and warm, yet playful. Oliver's heart was touched. Showing a genuine smile to his family without the usual pretense and formalities was a luxury for him, but for her, it was effortless. Grace rushed toward her mother with her arms wide open for a warm embrace, while Oliver followed closely behind, carrying two bags of gifts. "Come on in. It's too sunny out here," Brad said, gesturing for everyone to follow him inside the house. In the living room, Grace excitedly shared her experiences living with the Jeffersons. "Mom, Dad, I've finally realized how liberating marriage can be! I can sleep in as late as I want, and Oliver never complains." A smile played on Oliver's lips, silently validating Grace's words. In reality, they had never even spent a night together. Returning to her bubbly and carefree self, she continued playing her part perfectly. As their son-in-law, Oliver felt compelled to speak. "Where is Isaac?" he inquired. Jennifer replied, "He's still in school. His break hasn't started yet." Isaac Gulliver, Grace's younger brother, was a 17-year-old student studying abroad. The family had kept his sister's marriage a secret from him. "I heard from Grace that Isaac wants to return to Zenith City for university," Oliver mentioned. Grace turned to Oliver, her brow furrowing in confusion. Had she said that? However, Jennifer responded, "Yeah, that's true. But the pressure of the college entrance exams here in Zenith City is overwhelming. It's easier abroad, so we really don't want to make him come back." Her brother wanted to come back and take the college entrance exams. It surprised her that she hadn't known about it. "Grace, stop staring at Oliver. You can look at him at home. You're in your parents' house right now, yet you can't take your eyes off him. Come on, help me out in the kitchen." Jennifer chuckled as she pulled her daughter along. Grace blushed and said, "I wasn't looking at him." She was then dragged away. Brad and Oliver were still in the living room. Recalling the Gulliver family's consecutive rejections of 15 companies' projects, he asked with doubt, "Brad, I heard you turned down projects from 15 companies. Is it because of a shortage of funds or materials? If that's the case, just let me know." "That's not it, Oliver. You and I both know how those 15 contracts came about. They were just trying to take advantage of the Gulliver family's connection to the Jeffersons. "If I had accepted them, it would have felt like I was really selling my daughter off for glory. It would seem like I had schemed to send her to the Jeffersons just for the Gulliver family's wealth and prosperity. That's why I didn't accept them. "First, I want to make it clear that the Gulliver family doesn't need to rely on the Jefferson Group. We do everything we can on our own and never covet what isn't ours. Second, we don't accept favors from the Jefferson family, so please don't get the wrong idea about Grace. Please respect her and treat her as an equal." Oliver didn't expect this to be the case, and he flushed at Brad's words. It turned out that the Gulliver family went to great lengths to marry their daughter to him, not for wealth or status. Even after the marriage, they deliberately avoided certain projects to protect their daughter's reputation within the Jefferson family. "Brad, since you love Grace so much, why did you agree to let Grace marry me?" After all, there was a big age difference between them, and their social status was very different. The two had no emotional foundation, so it was absurd for the two of them to be together. Brad was curious. "Didn't Grace tell you?" Oliver shook his head.