Ch. 1091..1100

My Dreamy Old Husband Chapter 1092

Louis Osborne is going to change his last name?This was the first time Sophia ever heard of this. “Master Osborne is going to change his last name? Why didn’t I know about that?” she asked in puzzlement.

Snorting, Sandra crossed her arms. “If you hadn’t known about it, you and your husband wouldn’t have been ingratiating yourselves to him so ardently,” she snarled in a scathing manner. “Cut this ignorant act of yours! I can tell your thoughts plain and clear, so stop dreaming about other people’s wealth. Sooner or later, Anne Osborne will be the daughter-in-law of the Mitchells! Her status is lofty, so you’re not worthy of speaking to her when you all are nothing compared to her!” After uttering these insulting remarks, she spun on her heels and left.

Sophia, on the other hand, was mystified.What has Louis Osborne changing his last name got to do with me? And what’s all that about the daughter-in-law of the Mitchells? As long as Anne Osborne isn’t flirting with my brother or my nephew, I don’t care who she wants to seduce! Anyway, Sandra brought a lot of handsome young men from the Mitchell Family here today, so it seems that she’s determined to win Anne over. Speaking of that, she seems to be behaving these days, no longer doing anything dumb.Sophia had been collecting evidence of her crimes, and it was almost enough to have her convicted.

Then, Sophia returned to the exhibition hall, only to be greeted by the sight of Michael carrying Carmen in his arms while talking to a few veterans in the art and literary industry. The previous time, he’d invited a group of veterans in the art and literary industry to make a guest appearance in a Hollywood blockbuster which resulted in a huge uproar in the Cethosian art and literary circle. Thus, many veterans were now standing in line, hoping that he could help them make a debut in a blockbuster. They weren’t even concerned about having any pay or lines, for they were satisfied with merely an appearance just for sensationalism’s sake.

Cooper wasn’t back yet, but Sophia caught sight of Linus seriously studying paintings everywhere. Of course, he was a true connoisseur of art, not a dilettante. All of a sudden, something occurred to Sophia, and she excitedly rushed forward to drag him toward the front. “Come and have a look, Linus!” She dragged him into the crowd like a childish sister who wanted to share a new toy she’d seen with her brother.

Holding her petite hand, a wealth of warmth filled Linus’ heart.It’s really nice to have a sister! I once thought that this was love, but I’ve finally understood that it’s a bone-deep familial bond!

Sophia pulled him into the crowd where a group of veterans were showcasing their artistic talents. Since this was Louis’ solo exhibition, many veterans who seldom made public appearances attended to exchange ideas with each other. At this time, a painter was wielding a brush as he did a color painting of a humongous yellow dog with its tongue hanging out. The painting was vivid and lifelike since it was done by an expert. Now, it was on the verge of completion with just the finishing touches left. The name of the painting was Lucky, and the dog in the painting was none other than Linus’ Lucky!

As joy flooded Linus, Sophia explained, “I commissioned this painting. Look how photogenic Lucky is!” The painting was fabricated from the videos and photos taken by Sophia. It was undeniable that the veteran had remarkable talent, for he managed to capture the dog perfectly just after a few looks at the videos, especially the look in its eyes. He painted it on the spot, and the painting was completed in no time. After paying for the painting, Sophia carefully took it. Meanwhile, Linus grew increasingly fond of the painting as he gazed at it, a contented smile blooming on his face.

The siblings then found a place to sit. Thereafter, a server came over with drinks and snacks. Linus sat there admiring the painting, while Sophia took a sip of juice as she scrolled through her cell phone, looking at the stock and real estate markets as she took a breather.

The few stocks under Michel Group which Linus split and listed weren’t doing too good recently. Michel Group was extremely stable internally, but it couldn’t withstand the rumors flying around outside. Nonetheless, Linus didn’t seem to be doing anything about it. Instead, he seized the opportunity to purchase loose stocks in bulk when people sold off Michel Group’s stocks. After all, the more shares he had in hand, the greater his power in Michel Group and the Michel Family. Michael had also taken the opportunity to purchase tons of stocks.

Meanwhile, Plum Technology that was jointly founded by Sophia, Stanley, and the others had also developed from a company into a corporation after its rapid development over the years. It had established many divisions and expanded into various industries, from the initial online games, applications, websites, and live streaming to computer games, movies and even agencies. Likewise, it’d also been split into several subsidiaries to be listed, and a few stocks were doing pretty good. What’d once been a cottage industry by a few university students was now a multi-disciplinary mammoth entity.

Out of the blue, Sophia felt the air turning heavy. Raising her head, she spotted a crowd of people consisting of both males and females standing beside her and Linus, all young and bearing Alex’s crest.

As Sandra and the array of Mitchells stared at Sophia and Linus with stark hostility, Linus surreptitiously put away the painting in his hand before lifting his head and looking at them warily. “What is it?” Similarly, Sophia pinned her eyes on them vigilantly.

Stretching out a hand, Sandra thrust it before Sophia. “I want Anne Osborne’s Phoenix Harp. Give it to me.” After learning from Anne that Sophia had taken her beloved harp, she immediately thought of getting it back from Sophia so that she could claim credit before her.

“Oh, you want my Phoenix Harp?” All at once, Sophia understood her intentions. Propping her cheek with a hand, she stabbed at the pulp at the bottom of the juice with her straw. Then, she lifted her eyes to the Mitchells who were staring at them viciously. “I’m sorry, but I donated it to the ancient Imperial Palace museum. It’s now national property, so do seek out the ancient Imperial Palace if you wish to have it.”

Sandra went ballistic. “You dare donate the harp Master Osborne gave you? Do you have any shame?”She’s claiming that she donated such a priceless Phoenix Harp just like that? I’ll never believe that!

Sophia chuckled leisurely. “That’s right. The harp was given to me by Master Osborne, so what has my disposal of it got to do with you?”

At this, Sandra lost her temper and slammed her hands on the table. “Give it to me! If you don’t hand the harp over today, I’ll dig up your father’s grave!”

The lounge area was adjacent to the exhibition area, but there were just a handful of people resting there at this time. The moment Sandra slammed her hand onto the table, the few Mitchells there spread out and blocked the people’s inquisitive gazes. Thus, they could only see a group of people surrounding Sophia and Linus, but the conversation was lost to them.

Upon seeing Sandra’s desperation, Sophia realized that the harp was quite important to her.After all, it’s a crucial element in currying favor with Anne Osborne!“I’ve truly donated it, so it’s been taken away by the ancient Imperial Palace,” she drawled in exasperation. In fact, she’d already braced herself for the possibility of her harp becoming a national cultural artifact.

Sandra had long since expected that Sophia wouldn’t possibly give it to her so easily. Crossing her arms, she stared at the two of them, her gaze moving back and forth between the siblings. Suddenly, she gave a bark of laughter. “Are you two truly siblings? You don’t resemble each other at all. Cooper is probably crazed for a son, so he simply acknowledged someone as his son.”

Both Sophia and Linus said nary a word. They were indeed not alike in looks, so much so that even Cooper himself doubted it. He even had a test done between them, only to have the test results indicate that the possibility of them being biological siblings was 99%. The experts themselves were likewise astonished as it was the first time they’d ever seen such a pair of twins since the probability of it happening was very low, scientifically speaking. Linus mostly inherited genes from his paternal grandmother, while Sophia dominantly inherited genes from the maternal side of her family.

When Sandra saw that they were both ignoring her, a wave of utter humiliation swept across her. All of a sudden, she seemed to have thought of something, so she commented maliciously, “I heard that you like men, Linus. You’re Cooper’s only son, so he’ll likely… die without descendants, huh?”

My Dreamy Old Husband Chapter 1093

Sure enough, such a subject was much more fascinating, for the rest of the Mitchells started taunting Linus viciously as soon as they heard that he favored men. “I didn’t know that he’s a f*ggot!”

“Well, there’s this saying—God gave you a drill, yet you’re using it to stir sh*t!”

“Hey, hey, you might be wrong there. He might be the catcher. Haha…”

“How I wish to yank his pants down and see whether he’ll be in heat like a b*tch and spread his legs whenever he sees a man!”

The nasty remarks that would drive even a saint to anger fell into Sophia and Linus’ ears. Linus initially didn’t want to make trouble here, but he could no longer stand it. Unexpectedly, before he’d even made a move, Sandra, who’d been all triumphant, felt a wave of intense pain shooting through her scalp. In the next instance, she felt her world turning upside down as her exquisite face was plastered to the ground while she was yet unaware. To top it all, Sophia’s high heel was pinning her head to the ground.

Sandra opened her mouth, but before she’d made a single sound, she heard Sophia’s snide voice drifting into her ears. “Go ahead and scream. Get everyone here to see how pathetic you are beneath my feet!” Sophia hadn’t wanted a fight, but they actually dared to use Linus’ sexual orientation to humiliate him. If it weren’t for the shred of sanity left within her, she would’ve long since strangled her to death.

Sandra didn’t dare yell for fear of losing her dignity. After all, there was a high heel on her head, and Sophia still had her hair firmly in her grip. The slightest movement had a bolt of agony lancing through her, so she could only bitterly call out for help. “Come and help me, quick!”

The rest of the Mitchells were dumbfounded. Sophia’s movements earlier were simply too swift that it was mere seconds between her making a move and Sandra being pinned to the ground. It was only now that they thought of helping, but it was already too late, for a crowd had amassed behind Sophia while they were stunned silly.

The ones who stood in front were Justin, Dimon, Vincent, Derek, and Drake Mitchell. Besides, there was also a drove of bodyguards, all strapping members of the Mitchell Family. As the two opposing factions confronted each other, their eyes blazed with hatred.

“You’re a traitor, Vincent Mitchell!” someone on the opposite side instantly lambasted while pointing a finger at Vincent.

Vincent, however, gave a nonchalant chuckle. “I’m not a traitor of the Mitchell Family.” I’m a Mitchell by birth, and I’m loyal to Cooper, so I’ve got nothing to be ashamed of!

Pinned on the ground, Sandra immediately caught sight of Derek, who was standing on Sophia’s side, and she grew all the more pissed.

Conversely, Derek no longer gave a fig about her. Back then, Sandra ruthlessly erased her heinous past by having someone mow down her biological mother and uncle just to preserve her glamorous identity as the young lady of the Mitchell Family. While her biological mother and uncle deserved their fate for using her as an ATM machine, Derek was still an Oak back then, and he wasn’t even 18 years old yet. He abruptly became an orphan with no shelter and food, yet she didn’t even care. If Sophia hadn’t taken him home, given him a shower, fed, and even sent him to school, he would probably be on the streets now!

Justin was quite powerful among the Mitchells, so he crossed his arms and said to those on the opposite side, “Well? Go on and make a move. Why aren’t you fighting? It’s Mr. Osborne’s exhibition today, so we don’t mind offending him. After all, we aren’t the ones interested in becoming his live-in son-in-law. If you all ruin his exhibition, however, you might be out of the running.”

Snickering, Derek added, “And I don’t recommend calling for security. After all, if people were to know that the high and mighty Young Lady Mitchell is pinned to the ground, it’ll be a great humiliation. At that time, Miss Osborne will disdain you guys!”

The Mitchells on the other side looked at each other. On second thought, they have numbers on their side, so it’ll be an embarrassment to fight, not to mention that we might not win. Justin alone can defeat us, so it’ll be mortifying if we were to be pinned to the ground later. Hence, they closed ranks and blocked other people’s inquisitive gazes. After all, it was better to have Sandra beaten up furtively than to have it known publicly.

Sophia was very much considerate as well, pummeling Sandra within the constrained area so as not to humiliate the Mitchells. “Apologize!” Yanking her hair mercilessly, she shoved her to the ground to have her kneel before Linus.

However, Sandra was still exceedingly conceited. “You want me to apologize to a disgusting gay man? Dream on! It’s a real shame that the Mitchell Family has someone like you! How sickening! You embarrass the entire family! You’re just as repulsive as Sean!”

How dare she say that Linus is repulsive? Sophia found Sandra all the more repulsive. Pressing her head and face against the ground, Sophia rained punches and kicks on her. Yet, Sandra didn’t dare make a single peep, afraid that she’d attract attention and humiliate herself.

When Sophia was done hitting her, she again smashed her face against the ground. “If my memory serves me right, Miss Mitchell, you publicly expressed your support for the LGBT group a few days ago to attract fans. The little speech you gave during the interview was a polar opposite of what you’re saying today, so your hypocritical and putrid attitude stinks even worse than sh*t!”

Recently, Sandra had gone to great lengths to market herself in the industry, going wherever the wind blew; at one time, she opposed the consumption of dog meat before moving to express her support for the pride parade out of the blue, then advocated the acceptance of Middle East refugees by the Cethosian government in addition to becoming an ambassador for women and children. In short, she truly acted as though she was a saint! In front of the public, she put on a loving act, but behind it all, she still had a foul mouth that had an even worse stink than a decaying corpse!

Sandra opened her mouth to say something else, but Sophia raised her hand and slapped her mouth. “You can choose not to apologize to my brother today, but I’ll warn you today that God is watching you!” Without giving her a chance to say anything, Sophia again slapped her mouth until her face grew swollen.

At this time, Linus stopped her. “Okay, that’s enough. Don’t hit her anymore,” he urged. When the others thought that he was feeling sorry for Sandra, he unexpectedly took Sophia’s hand. Upon seeing that it was all red, his heart clenched. “Look, your hand is all red by now, so don’t hit her anymore. Shae, come here and slap her on behalf of Sophia. Just make sure that she doesn’t die,” he ordered.

Then, Shae marched out from the corner and took over for Sophia, giving Sandra a few hard slaps. The pain was so severe that Sandra passed out. After she fainted, the rest of the Mitchells on Sandra’s side summoned their bodyguards and had her surreptitiously carried away under the watchful stares of the other Mitchells.

As they gazed at the bodyguards on this side of the Mitchells—Drake in particular—their eyes brimmed with envy. In the past, when we all gorged ourselves on grilled skewers and played poker, Drake was the one guarding the door. He also had to address everyone subserviently, but after he’d gone over to Cooper Mitchell’s side with his family, he’s a celebrity now! Yet, we’re still lowly bodyguards, one of them thought.

Another Mitchell on Sandra’s side thought, Look at them. Though they’re just bodyguards, they’re still dressed finely. Their leather belts, watches, and leather shoes are all branded! Any one of them are outfitted in full attires worth tens of thousands, yet we’re wearing a uniform worth only a few thousand, courtesy of Alex Mitchell. They’ve got an annual salary and are even allocated quarters in Bayside City.

And rumor has it that they get to have an overseas vacation every quarter. Those who are handsome even have the opportunity to go for an audition with the family’s son-in-law, Michael Fletcher, and might become a celebrity like Drake! Also, their young lady is so domineering! And their young master… is much more handsome than our young master! In a nutshell, they have everything better!

My Dreamy Old Husband Chapter 1094

Comparison was the source of all discontent. Once, they’d derided those who’d gone over to Cooper’s side as being too dumb to judge the situation, but their young lady had now pinned theirs to the ground, yet they didn’t even dare retaliate.

As Sophia watched as the Mitchells carried Sandra away with their tails between their legs and disappeared into the exhibition hall, she was still feeling peeved. Upon seeing that Linus wasn’t saying anything, she instantly urged, “Don’t take their words to heart, Linus.”

Linus caressed her head gently. “I’m fine,” he reassured.

Grabbing his hand, Sophia tugged at it slightly. “You’ve always been the pride of our family, Linus. Dad is always asking me to learn from you!”

Warmth infused Linus. Truly, I’ve got the best father and sister in the world! Dad is aware of my sexual orientation, but he has never interfered. He’s really open-minded. Sophia, on the other hand, has never had a problem with me liking men. In this family, no one ever thought that I’m a monster. How nice… This family is truly great! However, he knew that the Mitchell Family would never accept it. They’ll definitely use my sexual orientation to kick up a fuss, but so what?

All the Mitchells sat at a table. It was rare that everyone was sitting here today to receive some exposure to art. All of them found those few slaps of Sophia impressive since Sandra indeed had a foul mouth.

All of a sudden, Sophia felt a burning sensation in her back. The moment she glanced over her shoulder, she noticed Lucy staring at her. Lucy was drinking alone, and she quickly averted her gaze the moment she saw Sophia looking at her. Nevertheless, Sophia still felt that her gaze earlier was brimming with sorrow.

Lucy Edwards is really a tad strange these days. She helped Sandra settle the open and secret dual-priced contracts, invested a lot of money in her project, and even facilitated her meeting with Billy Kim. Besides, she also rebranded King—the luxury brand for pets Sandra previously ruined—to go head-to-head with Pourl. It’s truly puzzling… Could it be that Sandra has some dirt on her? But she’s such a strong woman, independent and outstanding. What could Sandra have on her? Because of her, it’s been rather difficult for me to eliminate this signature advocate of Alex Mitchell, so I should really take some time to investigate her.

As the exhibition was drawing to its end, Michael came looking for Sophia with Carmen. Carmen was pretty tired after all the exposure she’d gotten today, so she was dozing off in Michael’s arms. Cooper, however, had disappeared somewhere. The curtain is falling on the exhibition, yet Dad hasn’t even seen Louis Osborne. If he misses him this time, it’ll be a long wait before he’ll get to see him next time. They then phoned Cooper, but he said he wanted some time alone and would go home by himself later. Sophia then bid Louis farewell. She initially wanted to also bid the Yard twins and Anna farewell but found it rather abrupt to seek them without a prior appointment, so she returned home with Michael first.

Meanwhile, Anne and the Yards discussed building an ancestral hall since they’d returned to their homeland. In the end, they decided to have dinner together. Anne happily went in search of Louis as she contemplated a name that would be worthy of her identity. No, I’ve got to find myself a husband first! Stanley Fletcher, Michael Fletcher, and the likes aren’t worthy of me. I want to find someone like the head of the Michel Family, Fass Michel! While rumor has it that he has a daughter who’s pretty old, his brother named Linus or something will do. When I’ve changed my last name in the future, I’ll be able to associate with top-notch people like them. I’ll definitely figure out a way to meet Linus! I’m going to be a princess very soon, so I’ve got to find my destined Prince Charming!

Unexpectedly, her enthusiastic footsteps abruptly came to a halt at the corner as she seemingly spotted something. She saw a man standing quietly before a window in the corridor ahead. The man was tall and slim, his profile more than perfect. From his looks, he appeared to be in his early 30s. His gaze shone with profound maturity, the blue of his eyes bright and alluring as the ocean. He seemed to be of mixed blood. A fallen leaf fluttered in, upon which he stretched out a hand and caught one. He gazed at the leaf caught between his long and slender fingers, his mind wandering to thoughts unknown as his eyes teemed with grief.

He merely stood there silently, forming a beautiful picture of a tragic song. It held Anne so transfixed that her steps ceased, and she stood there looking at him quietly. Has he experienced something devastating? From his back, she could see the sorrow that overflowed from the depths of his soul. He’s a person with a story.

Out of the blue, the man seemed to have sensed that someone was watching him furtively. All at once, his sorrowful gaze turned forbidding and domineering. “Who’s there?” he demanded frigidly.

Anne jumped in fright. When the man’s gaze shifted to her, she felt her breath catching in that instance. The man’s powerful aura and shockingly handsome countenance stole her every breath, depriving her brain of oxygen that she couldn’t think for a moment, merely staring at him blankly. For the first time, her usually eloquent self was rendered speechless.

The man nonchalantly glanced at her. Upon seeing that she was a young girl, he didn’t take offense to her and whirled around to leave.

Anne, on the other hand, was gripped by shock. She’d never seen such a unique man—handsome, mysterious, and powerful. The moment the man disappeared from sight, the powerful aura vanished as well. As a breath of fresh air entered her nostrils, she finally snapped back to her senses, only to immediately chase after the man.

“Sir! Sir, wait a moment…” She’d never felt as bold as she did in that moment as she called out to him. She felt as though she’d regret it for the rest of her life if she didn’t call him back. However, never could she have known that she’d suffer for the rest of her life just because she called out to him.

“What is it?” The man turned back, his gaze still as indifferent as ever.

Mustering her courage, Anne stepped forward and tried her best to control the stammer in her voice. “You must be here to attend the solo exhibition of my grandfather, Master Louis Osborne,” she noted. When she drew near to him, she suddenly felt his aura growing increasingly distinct the closer she was. At this, the man nodded slightly.

“Why don’t you go and discuss the finer points of things with my grandfather?” she instantly blurted.

The man’s voice was low yet devoid of emotion. “Mr. Osborne is a busy person, so I won’t intrude.”

Anne, however, immediately countered, “My grandfather is free now, so I’ll take you to him!” After saying that, she led him to Louis. I’ve decided on him! I don’t want any prince or rich heir. Instead, I want this man!

Thus, the man followed her lead to Louis.

Louis’ private exhibition was drawing to an end, so he happened to have his head raised, looking everywhere for Anne. He’d particularly asked his fellow acquaintances to bring along their unmarried descendants to this exhibition today, hoping that she’d take a fancy to one of them. To his surprise, he caught sight of her approaching excitedly with a man in no time.

Nudging his reading glasses, he scrutinized the man. Hmm… he looks pretty decent, so it seems that Anne has quite some taste. But he appears to be somewhat up in years. No matter how I look at him, he can’t be any younger than 30 years old. Nonetheless, 30 isn’t too old. After all, my idol, Michael Fletcher, is already 40 years old, and this man looks much younger than him.

Bringing the man over to him, Anne exuberantly exclaimed, “This is my new friend, Grandpa! His name is Cooper Mitchell, and he’s your long-time fan!”

 

My Dreamy Old Husband Chapter 1095

“Cooper Mitchell? Cooper Mitchell as alluded to in the phrase, ‘if the city generals were present’?” Louis hurriedly asked.

Cooper nodded. “Yes, that’s correct.” He didn’t dare reveal himself as the arms leader, Fass, so he merely introduced himself with his real name.

Louis then cordially shook hands with him. “What an impressive name! It’s truly remarkable!” I approve of this grandson-in-law! His name marks him as one with sophistication and character. Besides, he looks like a gentleman at a single glance, so he’s worthy of my granddaughter! But… if my memory serves me, Michael had just asked me for a writing of that stanza the other day. Perhaps this Cooper Mitchell is an acquaintance of his! I’ve got to inquire about him from Michael someday and ascertain his background. If his family background is fine, then Anne can just marry him!

Meanwhile, Anne’s face had been stained pink the entire time with the exact kind of shyness one would exhibit when bringing one’s boyfriend home to meet one’s family. Upon seeing that Louis seemed very much satisfied with Cooper, she swiftly advocated him, saying, “Mr. Mitchell has been a fan of your writing for many years. His writing is also very impressive!”

At this, Louis quickly ordered his assistant to get him a dip pen and inkwell. “Here, here. Why don’t we learn from each other? I love learning from young people like you!”

Joy welled up within Cooper. It’s a great honor to learn from a great artist like Louis Osborne! Who said that an arms leader can’t pose as an arts aficionado? Picking up the pen, he wrote two lines, the two phrases from which his name originated.

When he was done writing, shock inundated Louis the moment he looked at the writing. A person’s writing reflects the person himself, for one’s writing mirrors his inner character. He’d been looking at people’s writings his entire life, so he knew that this person before him was someone remarkable when he saw his writing. It’s neat and tidy, the writing penetrating to the back of the paper itself. There’s spirit and mettle. It’s impressive writing, proving him to be an impressive man!

Since Cooper wrote the second stanza of ‘Beyond the Border,’ he picked up the pen and wrote the first stanza: ‘The same moon shone on the same fortress, yet hardly anyone made a return from the distant border.’ The moment he was done, he stamped it with his seal and gave it to Cooper when the ink had dried. “Here, here, this is a meeting gift for you.”

Cooper accepted the writing in delight. It’ll be a poem when I combine it with the one I got from Michael! “Thank you, Mr. Osborne.”

Subsequently, Louis inquired about Cooper’s family background on behalf of his shy granddaughter. “Young man, you must be a giant among men considering your remarkable looks. You’re definitely someone, so would you mind leaving me your contact for future communication?”

Cooper then asked his assistant for a business card before handing it to him with both hands. As he did so, he expounded, “I’m Cooper Mitchell from the Mitchell Family in Bayside City. My father is Woody Mitchell.”

At the mention of Woody Mitchell, a light bulb went off in Louis’ head. So, it’s him… Woody Mitchell! Sure enough, he’s from an influential family. I strongly agree with this marriage!

Secreting away Cooper’s writing and business card, Anne daydreamed about it the entire night. Even during the family dinner, she was still smiling for no reason. When Xena noticed this, she teased her, asking, “Why are you so happy today, Anne? Did you take a fancy to someone? Go on ahead and tell me!”

Her face flushing with embarrassment, Anne refused to talk, but Louis spilled the beans in the next instance. “I saw my grandson-in-law today. He’s from the Mitchell Family, an influential family. He seems pretty talented, a giant among men! Here, here, I’ve got his photo here! I’ll pass it around!” A photographer took pictures for him today, and he happened to snap one of Cooper. At this time, he took out the photo and passed it around the table.

“His writing was exceptional, too! Anne, take it out quickly and show it to the others!” Anne shyly took out Cooper’s writing which she’d already had someone secure within a scroll for safekeeping.

When the others glimpsed Cooper’s countenance in the photo, they all exclaimed, “He really looks handsome! Look at his shapely brows and eyes. Alas, he’s of mixed blood!”

“It’s okay. Mixed blood doesn’t matter. It’s the modern day now, so let’s just relinquish the old customs of the past!”

Xena, however, muttered with a frown, “This man… Well, I saw him a few days ago. He’s indeed very handsome, but he has a daughter. His daughter can’t be any younger than 17 or 18 years old, so I think he’s probably married.”

When Cade and Callum saw the picture, they both closed their mouths subtly. Isn’t this Sophia Edwards’ biological father? They then exchanged a look. Well, this marriage is feasible. Cooper Mitchell is very powerful, and he’s practically an overlord in Bayside City, so it’ll be beneficial in facilitating the Yard Family’s entry into Bayside City. Besides, if this marriage goes through, we’ll be Sophia’s uncle, and she’ll get it from us then!

Thus, Callum hurriedly said, “He’s indeed a little old for Anne, but for men who are established in their careers like him, such is usually the golden age. He has twins, a son and a daughter, but he’d been widowed for many years. If there are no objections, I can help out with this.”

Although there was a rule forbidding intermarriage with foreigners pertaining to direct descendants of the Yard Family to maintain the purity of the bloodline, with the penalty being disinheritance, Anne had no right to inherit, so it didn’t matter even if she intermarried.

When Anne learned that Cooper already had a son and daughter, mild disappointment swamped her. Nonetheless, she immediately disregarded it. Nothing matters as long as I get to be with him.

After they’d all discussed it for a while, everyone agreed that Cooper was quite a good candidate. He was a superior choice in all aspects, so age didn’t seem to be such a huge issue anymore when he’d gone well and above every other requirement. After all, the wives of successful men were always 20 years or so younger than their husbands.

Anna was the only one who kept mum. Slowly unfurling the scroll that had been passed around, she was greeted by powerful writing that penetrated the back of the paper. As she brushed her fingers across the writing, she could sense the great character within. Staring at the words, she inexplicably found it exceedingly familiar, but she just couldn’t remember where she’d seen them. Perhaps it’s because it’s an ancient poem… that I might have just seen it in my past life.

Meanwhile, at Villa No. 8 in The Imperial… Achoo! Just after Cooper had scooped some rice for himself, he sneezed loudly, feeling as though someone was speaking of him behind his back.

All at once, Sophia reminded him in utmost concern, “The weather is changing recently, so be careful that you don’t catch a cold, Dad. Speaking of that, I don’t think you should go home today. Just stay here at my place for a few days. I’ll have the kitchens prepare some nourishing soup for you.”

Cooper nodded. He’d been planning to stay for a few days anyway. In the past, he’d felt that distance wasn’t a problem with the advent of modern technology since meetings and business negotiations could be done through video via projection technology, but ever since he’d found his daughter, he realized that nothing could beat talking to her in person no matter how realistic the projection might be.

Thus, he was now coming over to Sophia’s place every so often when he used to be a homebody. It was quite a distance from Riverdale, so it was quite congested were he to drive here. Nevertheless, he was determined to come even if he had to cram into the subway. At times, when he couldn’t get onto the subway during peak hours, he’d avoid the packed subway and come over by riding a public bicycle!

It was difficult for Michael to imagine his good- and young-looking father-in-law being sandwiched on the subway. Perhaps there were even perverse old women who seized the opportunity to grope him! “It must be a tiring commute for you, my dear father-in-law. Why don’t you just move in?” he immediately griped moodily.

It was just meant as a dour retort, but Cooper unexpectedly took it seriously. “Sure.” Immediately after, he turned his head slightly and made a call to his housekeeping robot in Riverdale through his Bluetooth headset. “Siri, I’ll be living at The Imperial henceforth. Make preparations to move houses at once. Pack up everything in the workroom, study, gym, bedroom, and bathroom. Then, ship them over as soon as possible.”

 

My Dreamy Old Husband Chapter 1096

After Cooper was done making the call, he then said to Sophia, “Vacate a basement level for my workroom.”

At this, Michael was a moment away from biting off his own tongue. This young-looking father-in-law of mine is acting far too familiar! He’d just spent a fortune to renovate his place in Riverdale, yet he’s now moving in here! Doesn’t he find it wasteful? As he ate, he dourly remarked, “We actually have quite a big family, so it seems that I should be taking some time to build two more floors. Otherwise, we won’t all fit in here.” At the same time, he threw Cooper a glare. He said ‘a married daughter is like spilled water,’ promising not to interfere in Sophia’s affairs henceforth, but it’s only been a few days now, and he’s moving in!

Unexpectedly, Sophia instantly countered, “It’s not that many of us. There are four floors here including the attic besides the few basement levels, so there’s space even if Linus were to move in, let alone Dad!”

Michael was so vexed by his beautiful yet dopey wife that he almost burst a blood vessel.

Linus, on the other hand, was very much amused by the furtive antagonism between Michael and Cooper. “Don’t worry. I’ve still got some space at my place, so Dad can store some of his things there if you run out of space here,” he offered.

At the side, Celine, who was still in her confinement period, clapped her hands and exclaimed with a beaming smile, “Great, great! A family should be together!”

Justin merely smiled without saying anything, while Nathan had a profound look on his face, and Carmen’s eyes were darting around. Michael, however, was about to go ballistic.

After dinner, Sophia fed the cats. The guards from the ancient Imperial Palace deliberately timed their trip, only coming over leisurely to collect their cat when she’d probably fed it. This time, they also brought her harp back.

At the sight of her harp, Sophia grew so enraged that she was gripped by the urge to smash something. When they took it away, they treated it with great reverence, having six or seven people moving it into a sedan with gloves as though sending off a bride who was getting married, the only exception being the setting off of firecrackers. It’s only been two days, yet they’re now sending it back on a cat stroller without any sedan or even gloves!

“There’s this family known as the Yard Family. Are you familiar with the Yard Family? It’s the former royal family during the previous dynasty. This time, they donated quite a number of cultural artifacts to the ancient Imperial Palace, including three Phoenix Harps. So, we’re returning this harp of yours!” a guard from the ancient Imperial Palace drawled.

Humph! So, they already have three ‘mistresses’ over there, huh? No wonder they’re no longer interested in my harp. Sophia then put away the harp even as she thought, Judging from this action by the Yards, they seem to be angling for a full conciliation with Cethos. So, Ronney Group is probably going to enter Cethos on a large scale. Well, drastic changes are on the horizon for Cethos.

Meanwhile, in the basement, Michael showed Cooper around. He tried his best to put himself in Cooper’s shoes and consider things from his perspective. If Carmen gets married one day, I’ll definitely be even clingier than him! At this thought, he felt much better. “Feel free to look around, Dad. We can use any one of the basement levels you like for your workroom.”

These few basement levels in his house were constructed with reference to the secret tunnels during the previous dynasty. In those years, the price of land and real estate was still very low, so all real estate developers switched over to coal mining. Thus, he seized the opportunity to secure the development rights for this place. Basement level one housed the wine cellar and storeroom, thus frequented by many. However, access to further basement levels were restricted to the secret tunnels and hidden elevators. To that effect, some of his secret activities were conducted in the basement.

He was in the same boat with Cooper now, so Michael magnanimously took him down to the basement to check things out. There were lots of innovations by Justin in the basement, such as the corpse of an assassin under the Phantom Wolf. He’d been studying the miraculous stimulant used by Phantom Wolf, and his only sample was Kayla’s dead body that had been preserved all this while. Also, there were some bizarre collections he was reluctant to part with. For instance… Cooper’s coffin that was dug out furtively.

Cooper was rendered speechless at this, so he hastily changed the subject after faltering briefly. “Next, we’ll be seeing the corpse of a young woman who’d once been injected with a miraculous stimulant that can give someone a temporary burst of energy with infinite strength besides a rapid increase in muscles. The side effects are minimal. It’s still in the research stage, but the efficacy is extremely miraculous. Justin has been studying the molecular formula of such a stimulant all these years to replicate and further improve it.”

“Get a sample, Linus. We’ll study it as well,” Cooper instantly declared. “Justin, give Linus a copy of your research data.”

Michael rolled his eyes. This young-looking father-in-law of mine is truly skilled at taking advantage of other people’s efforts! We’ve been researching this for years, yet he’s just butting in midway. What gives? But there hasn’t been much progress even after Justin spent so many years researching this stimulant’s molecular formula, and Quinton Clark refused to say anything even to death. I myself hadn’t researched it thoroughly either, so perhaps Cooper will have a breakthrough considering the professional resources he has. We’re all in the same boat, so sharing is just the norm.

Since he was giving Cooper and Linus a tour of his secret den, it was tantamount to him having attained a deep strategic partnership with his young-looking father-in-law. Henceforth, there wouldn’t be any chasm or distinction between them.

When the tour was over, a portion of Cooper’s daily necessities and work supplies had been transported over from Riverdale. It was all very much efficient. Michael then started vacating a basement level for him. After all, a family should be together. As the son-in-law, he couldn’t be indignant. Instead, he even had to help out and contribute physically. When they were done, he suddenly blurted, “My grandfather asked me to make a trip back to Fletcher Residence tomorrow, saying that he’s having guests over. He specifically phoned and requested that I go back just because of that. He even insisted that you go and visit him with Linus, Dad.”

Busy putting away his things, Cooper nodded in acquiescence. At times, he felt that this son-in-law was objectionable in every aspect, but whenever they truly interacted together, he found him exceedingly agreeable in all ways.

Sure enough, the Mitchell Family phoned to lambast Cooper since Sophia pinned Sandra to the ground today. The admonishment went from his son’s sexual orientation to the fact that his daughter hit Sandra. To summarize, it was basically this: “Cooper, you’re a shame to the Mitchell Family! You’re not worthy of being a Mitchell, so don’t ever dream that you’ll be listed in the Mitchells’ family records! I’m going to dig out your coffin from the Mitchell Family’s ancestral grave!” The other person was an elderly man in his 80s, so it was truly a feat for him to be tearing into someone at the top of his voice. Without listening until the very end, Cooper snorted and hung up.

I don’t care if I don’t get listed in the Mitchells’ family records. After all, I’m still a Mitchell wherever I go. Nor do I care if my coffin is dug out from the ancestral grave. In fact, my ‘good’ son-in-law has already done it!

The next day, Cooper’s luggage was steadily transported over. While his workroom was located in the basement of Villa No. 2, he lived at Villa No. 8. Despite feeling a tad resentful about it, Michael still helped to settle him in.

The day after, they all set out for Fletcher Residence. This time, Linus was finally going to step foot into Fletcher Residence in person. When they arrived, Michael and Cooper went in search of Mark. Meanwhile, Sophia and Linus took Carmen to Lorelei who was recently attending school in the military compound with the other children in the Fletcher Family, eager to know how she was doing in school, her progress in learning the Cethosian language, and whether she was getting along well with the other children.

Upon learning that they were coming over today, Stanley also came back very early. “Oh, you’re here, Aunt!”

Seizing the opportunity, Sophia asked, “Who’s the venerable guest who’s coming to visit Grandpa today that he even requested your uncle’s presence, Stan?”

Stanley had no idea either, and he scratched his head. “I’ve got no idea. I’ve just come back, and he’s been keeping it on the down-low. My brother and father are still angry at me because of the incident back then, so they refused to tell me a single word. Well, you’ll know when you go over for a look later!”

They all then made their way to visit Lorelei, but the moment Sophia turned a corner, she caught sight of someone entirely unexpected. “Why are you here, Anne Osborne?”

My Dreamy Old Husband Chapter 1097

Anne was taken aback by the sudden appearance of Sophia’s family, while Stanley’s presence was especially disconcerting. After listening to what Sandra told her, she assumed that the Fletchers were but a degenerate bunch of people after Mark Fletcher’s death. It was also why she assumed that Stanley wouldn’t be a good match for her, but upon witnessing that Mark was in fact alive…

Puffing herself up, Anne replied confidently, “Of course I was invited!” After that, she brushed past them with her head raised, even going as far as threatening Stanley. “I don’t like you, so I won’t marry you! You should give up on the thought of it!”

As soon as she left, Stanley muttered to himself in confusion, “Why is she here? Could Louis Osborne be the VIP who the old man invited?” All of a sudden, a devastating possibility came to mind. “Sh*t! Might this be another blind date for me? What if they decided on the date of the wedding behind my back? I need to know for certain!”

Sophia agreed that it might be possible, as both his parents seemed to have taken a liking to Anne after the blind date that Michael set up for them a few days ago. Therefore, Louis might very well have brought Anne along for a meetup between the Osbornes and the Fletchers.

There’s no way in hell that’ll happen! Anne tried to hook up with Linus, but belittled him as a man without morals soon after, so she isn’t someone who would deserve Stanley my boy! Sophia also hurried away in search of answers.

Meanwhile, Anne was taking a break from the stuffiness in the building. Today, Louis brought the entire family along to meet Mark, and they seemed to be affectionate toward each other throughout their conversation. Neither the Osbornes nor the Yards associated themselves with the Fletchers prior to that, whereas the only link between them was the prospect of Anne and Stanley’s marriage, so that had to be the reason for meeting up.

That won’t happen! I only have eyes for Cooper! I’ll definitely find a way to prevent the marriage from happening! However, Anne was stunned upon turning the corner—she saw the man of her dreams hurrying in her direction alongside Michael. The sight of Cooper made her burst with joy as she walked up to him shamelessly, all the while trying to conceal her elation by asking, “It’s such a coincidence to meet you here, Mr. Fletcher, Mr. Mitchell!” Upon noticing that Cooper was looking her way, Anne’s heart drummed as she wore a coy look on her face.

The sight of Anne acting so shyly upon her sudden appearance reminded Michael of her possible wedding with Stanley. So is Louis Osborne the VIP who my grandfather invited? Did Stanley’s parents invite Louis over to discuss Stanley and Anne’s marriage? If that’s the case, I’ll be required to be present during the occasion as their matchmaker.

Michael couldn’t think of another reason aside from that. Coupled by Anne’s shyness, he figured his assumptions should be correct, so he exclaimed, “My grandfather told me we would have some VIPs today, but I didn’t know he was referring to you and Master Osborne!”

To be honest, Michael didn’t know a lot about Anne, but from her looks, he assumed that she was an innocent girl and wasn’t as terrible as Sophia perceived her to be. After spending the last night listening to Sophia ranting about how Anne looked down on both Stanley and Linus, he came to the conclusion that Anne was at most a vain but naive girl who Stanley should be able to handle. Therefore, he determined that the two were a good match.

Meanwhile, Anne stole a glance at Michael. “Mr. Fletcher, do you know Mr. Mitchell?”

Michael frowned upon hearing her question. Without a doubt, Michael knew Cooper as the latter was his young father-in-law, but it was embarrassing for him to admit to an outsider that someone who looked even younger than him was in fact his father-in-law, so he muttered a vague response. “He is my grandfather’s godson.” Simultaneously, he introduced her to Cooper. “She is Anne Osborne, Master Osborne’s granddaughter. I was the one who played matchmaker for Stanley and her.”

As soon as Anne heard Michael’s words, her face blanched. So are we really here to talk about marrying me to Stanley? No! I don’t want to marry him! Not even if it would cost me my life! I want to marry Cooper!

Glancing at her, Cooper recalled Sophia mentioning to him that Michael had introduced Silly Stanley to a prospective partner. He tutted upon remembering that he was the one who first approached Stanley as a prospective partner for Sophia, but Stanley ruined the opportunity by his own hands. He wouldn’t have had to bear with a son-in-law who was only five years his junior otherwise. However, on the flip side, he figured that Stanley wouldn’t be as caring as Michael. His age aside, Michael had in fact ticked all the boxes.

“I see.” After giving an unenthusiastic response, he took the lead and headed toward Mark. Right away, Anne followed him while attempting to strike a conversation with him, but he maintained a cool facade, not uttering a single word.

After Michael arrived at where Mark was, he realized they did have a few VIPs around. Much to his surprise, aside from Louis, Xena, and her husband, the Yard twins were also present for the occasion. The fact that the Yards were there caught Michael unawares. He thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, as both the Fletchers and Yards were sworn enemies after each killing off multiple of the other’s members. Therefore, it was a miracle that the twins were present, which was something that he was determined to get to the bottom of.

In the meantime, both the Osbornes and Yards were focused on Cooper. As soon as he got in, a few people were already observing him.

Wow, it’s Cooper Mitchell! He’s even more handsome in real life!

Both him and Anne look so charming together, so much so that the age gap between them can be gladly ignored!

What’s going on? Why is Cooper Mitchell here?

Upon entering the room, Cooper greeted his godfather politely. “Hello, Dad.”

Louis was stunned by the revelation. “Mr. Mark, is he your…”

Proudly, Mark looked at Cooper. “He’s my godson, Cooper Mitchell, the only son of my dear friend, Woody Mitchell!” Of course, he was also the father to his granddaughter-in-law, but he decided they could go into the complicated relationship at a later time.

Meanwhile, Louis was elated while shaking Cooper’s hands. “So you’re Mr. Mark’s godson! No wonder you look so extraordinary!”

Both Xena and her husband were also delighted to learn that Cooper was Mark’s godson, as it meant that he would be a good match for Anne. Therefore, they agreed immediately to the match, seeing that Mark was behind it. However, Cooper was a little weirded out by Louis’ enthusiastic attitude toward him. Even Michael noticed that Xena seemed to regard Cooper as one would their own son. Besides, Louis was bombarding Mark with questions regarding Cooper incessantly.

Mark was extremely proud of his godson, so he was keen to show him off to the others. “My godson is such an outstanding person! He already had many achievements even during his younger years! He got a double doctorate when he was eighteen! By the way, do you know about the USB drive? He was the one who invented it! However, my godson suffered a lot of misfortune throughout his life. He lost his wife early on, and later his children went missing. It took a lot from him to find them, which finally allowed him to reunite with his family.”

He lost his spouse early on, so he’s single indeed! The Osbornes were elated, while Louis quickly followed up with an inquiry. “Did you find another wife for him, then?”

Upon hearing that, Mark shook his head in remorse. “Not yet. He was busy building his career back then, so now that his career is established, his children had been asking him to find another spouse as he was still young and single. You can introduce someone to him if you have a suitable candidate.”

The Osbornes were ecstasized, while Anne was utterly overjoyed to hear that Cooper was a man who lost his wife early on and had an established career, which made him the perfect candidate as her partner. On the other hand, Cooper maintained a stoic expression that masked his embarrassment, as he was hoping that his daughter would come save the day so that he could leave.

My Dreamy Old Husband Chapter 1098

Upon witnessing Mark trying to sell his godson off, Michael quickly sipped on his tea to stifle a laugh, as it was an oddity to see Cooper being regarded as a prospective partner. At that moment, Stanley scanned the room as soon as he snuck in. After risking his life to ask for confirmation from his family that he wasn’t in fact the protagonist for the day, he decided to drop by, seeing that he no longer had a target on his back.

He was curious as to how Louis managed to connect with the Yards out of the blue, all the while wondering what was the relationship between the Yards and the Fletchers, as well as the objective of their meeting.

As soon as he got in, he heard Louis say, “Why don’t you check out my granddaughter, Anne? I think your godson is a great match with her. Anne, come over here. Let Mark take a closer look at you.”

Louis presented Anne to Cooper and Mark with much enthusiasm. Before Cooper could react though, Stanley let out a cry that bordered on dismal. “What the f*ck?”

At that same moment, Michael spat out his tea, whereas Mark stared daggers at them. “We have some important guests here, so you’d better behave!”

Even then, Stanley was still staring at them in bafflement, whereas Michael tried his best to stifle his laugh while wiping the tea he spat out with some tissues. It was the first time ever that Michael lost his cool like that, but the situation was way too unexpected. Nobody could’ve predicted that.

However, he decided that he couldn’t agree more to the proposition of marrying Cooper to Anne. He figured that their marriage would be a passionate affair that would soon produce multiple children, ensuring he could have some alone time with Sophia. Other than that, Cooper could no longer pick on him for his age if he were to have a young father-in-law himself, more so when he might very well be older than the latter! The fact that the Osbornes had been regarding Cooper like one would their son ever since he entered the room now made more sense to Michael.

Meanwhile, Cooper’s lips twitched as he was at a loss of words, whereas Mark nudged his reading glasses slightly to examine Anne. Although she looks decent…

“Louis, you have a fine young lady here, but… Isn’t there too much of an age gap between her and Cooper? He is already forty-five years old, whereas she is still in her early twenties.”

Hearing that, Xena quickly replied, “It’s only a twenty-year age gap, so it’s not that much. Besides, Mr. Mitchell is such a successful man, so he is the perfect match for my daughter!”

Cade quickly chimed in, “Mr. Mitchell is only a little over forty, which is the prime time of his life. Most established men married wives who are in their late teens, so this is quite a reasonable match.”

On the other hand, Callum showed his support as well. “I am inclined to agree with that. Isn’t Mr. Fletcher more than ten years older than his wife? With that in mind, a twenty-year age gap isn’t that far-fetched.”

Throughout their conversation, Anne was listening shyly, but she still held hope regarding the situation, expecting Cooper to make his position known. Meanwhile, Mark was gradually convinced by the rest of them. Although there was quite a huge age gap between Anne and Cooper, Cooper did have his pick of women considering how outstanding he was. After all, he was one of the most sought after bachelors in the world.

Besides, Anne was born to a clan of scholars, which served as a guarantee to her character and talents, but the most important of all was that her parents agreed to the union. Therefore, Mark thought the marriage was a fair deal, but he still felt the need to ask for Cooper’s opinion. “Cooper, what do you make of the arrangement?”

Throughout the ordeal, Cooper had kept his silence. While he was constantly complaining about the fact that Michael was only five years his junior, he would be in the same boat as him if he ever married Anne. Besides, he had no interest in her whatsoever despite the fact that Mark seemed quite keen on the idea. However, he wasn’t able to find the right reasons to refute him, nor could he embarrass both Mark and Louis in public, so all he could do was to buy himself more time. “I can’t decide on this just yet. I’ll discuss this with my children when they’re here.”

Since Sophia hated Anne so much, she would definitely be infuriated by the news, which would give him a reason to turn down the offer. Meanwhile, Mark nodded in agreement before saying, “He’s right. We’re not in a hurry, so we can wait till Cooper’s children arrive.”

Hearing this, anxiousness pervaded Anne, but she was also determined to do her best in front of Cooper’s children. She wondered who they might be, and judging from what Xena told her, they were present last night. They were both around eighteen years old, which marked them as being a little younger than her. After that, she continued to pay close attention to what Mark was saying.

Mark was telling Louis about Cooper’s children. “Both his son and daughter are outstanding people. His daughter graduated from Bayside University. I bet everybody knows about it, right? Bayside University, the top uni in the country, ranked among the top ten unis in the world. It’s hard to even get enrolled in there, but she enrolled as the top five students of the course that she was studying! Although she only studied for a bachelor’s degree, she set up her own company before even graduating uni, and the company is now already a listed company! On the other hand, my grandson—my little muffin—is even better! Not only did he get multiple doctorates, but he also owned his own listed company! Both of them are as illustrious as my godson! It is as they say: like begets like!”

Louis was ever more satisfied by his prospective grandchildren-in-law. On the other hand, Anne was also looking forward to meeting Cooper’s children, determined to earn their respect as well as to prove herself to be a good mother. Stanley, however, was exasperated by the development. And as for Michael, he continued to sip on his tea to disguise his smile; for the first time ever in his life, he had a hard time containing his joy. Coming back to Cooper, he was glaring at Michael morosely for just standing by, watching him getting humiliated, and he silently noted that he would teach Michael a lesson when they got home.

All of them waited in anticipation until Cooper’s children finally arrived.

“Dad!” An animated yet graceful voice came through before any of them entered the room, whereas Cooper shot up from his seat to head in the direction of the voice. “My daughter! You’re finally here. Come on, meet our guests.” This will work out. Sophia complained to me about Anne throughout dinner last night, so she will never agree to the union. Both Linus and her will definitely object to this!

Mark was also waving gladly at them. “Lil Linas, you’re finally here! Come quickly, as I have good news for you!”

Incredulity was written all over Linus’s face. My name is Linus, but that’s not my surname. And neither is Linux my name nor… Lil Linas.

On the other hand, Anne stood up from her seat, intent on giving Cooper’s children a decent first impression, only to see Sophia coming in happily while holding onto Cooper’s arm. “Dad, who are our guests today?” she asked Cooper.

The room fell silent as all of the Osbornes were stunned. While they stared at Sophia in awe, Anne was shook to the core as she could only watch as Sophia and Linus entered the room, whereas Sophia was holding onto Cooper, all the while addressing him as her father. Meanwhile, Linus walked beside Cooper, showing off their identical eyes, as well as having a similar aura about them. It was apparent that Cooper’s children were none other than Sophia and Linus.

Anne’s face was drained of color, and her voice shuddered as she stuttered, “You… Sophia, how could you be Cooper’s daughter? Aren’t you an Edward? Cooper is a Mitchell, so why did you take on another surname?” This is impossible! Sophia can’t possibly have someone as perfect as Cooper as her father!

My Dreamy Old Husband Chapter 1099

Meanwhile, Mark assumed that things would be easier since they knew each other, so he slapped his thigh while exclaiming in delight, “It’s great that you know each other! Come, Sophia, Linus! Come closer! I have some good news to tell you!”

Anne watched on in trepidation while Sophia moved closer to Mark. On the other hand, Michael was explaining their circumstances to Louis. “Sophia and her brother both took on their mother’s surname.”

Linus’s name in the Cethosian language was Sophus Edwards. It was in fact derived from a joke from years ago, but it somehow clung to his memory. Although he was still officially a Michel, he already began using his Cethosian name while in Cethos. Somehow, it felt like an arrangement by fate.

Upon getting a grasp on the situation, Louis was feeling slightly abashed, as a marriage between Cooper and Anne would disrupt the familial hierarchy. Besides, he would be taking advantage of his idol if he married his granddaughter to Michael’s father-in-law, which was totally unacceptable.

On the other hand, Sophia and Linus were informed of the so-called ‘good news’. Linus was speechless after learning it, as no words could adequately describe the shock and unnerved feelings within him. Of course, he could never forget the feisty woman from two days ago who hurled insults at him, accusing him of being a ‘trophy husband’ despite having just recently tried to court him. Leaving her beside Cooper would be akin to keeping a ticking time bomb.

Meanwhile, Sophia’s reaction was even more intense as she stared at Anne glumly. First off, you tried to court my nephew, then my brother. How dare you f*cking try to do the same to my own father?

Anne returned the glare. So Cooper is Sophia’s father! If the marriage works out, won’t I become Sophia’s stepmother?

In the meantime, Louis and Mark were both looking at Sophia in anticipation, all the while asking eagerly, “What do you make of this? Do you like this young stepmother of yours?”

Although silent all this while, Cooper was in fact mentally distressed. Turning down the offer would only humiliate Mark, but if Sophia didn’t agree to it, he would have every reason to walk away. In the meantime, Sophia gazed at Mark and Louis, who were both all smiles, seemingly anticipating the union. After that, she turned to look at Anne.

At the moment, Anne was already feeling smug. Thinking herself to be pretty, being born into a noble and scholarly family, Anne assumed that Cooper would be overjoyed by the fact that a forty-year-old like him would be marrying someone more than twenty years his junior, so she didn’t think he could possibly reject the offer. Now that the grandparents of both parties as well as the rest of their families had agreed to the marriage, Sophia’s objection wouldn’t do sh*t to overturn the situation. Just wait till I chase you out of the house after I become your stepmother!

With her eyes narrowed, Sophia exchanged a look with Anne while pondering, Don’t you even think of courting my father! Either you or me; there can only be one of us in the family! Instead of giving Mark a direct reply, Sophia tugged on Cooper’s arms while putting on her best puppy-dog eyes. With a soft and adorable voice, she asked, “Dad, are you really planning on finding me a stepmother? Are you going to leave me and Linus behind?”

Seeing her aggrieved expression as if she had suffered some great grievance, Cooper was feeling sorry for her despite knowing she was just putting on an act, so he declared with haste, “No! How could that be possible? They’re just joking, as I only have eyes for your mother! I will never remarry!”

Upon hearing Cooper’s declaration, Sophia smiled sweetly before rubbing her face on his shoulder. “You’re the best, Daddy! Don’t you ever leave me and Linus!”

The crowd was stunned into silence by the development. While Louis seemed to have something to say, he eventually bit his tongue upon seeing Sophia’s reluctance regarding the matter. Well, we’ll have to scratch that if she doesn’t like the idea. It isn’t like we absolutely need the marriage to happen anyway.

On the other hand, Mark also noticed Cooper’s tactful rejection, so he silenced himself over the matter, figuring that Cooper already had it hard as things were. Not only did he lose his wife early on, but he also spent so many years alone before finally reuniting with his children. It wasn’t until recently that he reunited with Sophia, so he still saw her as a baby. He even went as far as moving into her house, seemingly averse to the idea of leaving her alone at all, so he wouldn’t possibly want to remarry.

I’ll just let it go, since forcing this will only bring more trouble to Anne. After all, she is only just over twenty years old. Mark took it as an opening to switch the topic. “Callum, why is your mother not here yet?”

The man who Mark spoke to replied, “Mr. Mark, I am Cade. Mom gathered up a bunch of previously lost artefacts that she would like to return to the ancient Imperial Palace museum, so the other party insisted on holding a ceremony to commemorate the donation. Meanwhile, Cethos Central Television arranged for an impromptu interview with my mother, so she got held up, but she will soon be here.”

The explanation seemed to amuse Mark. “That’s great.” Then, he seized the opportunity to tell Michael and Cooper, “Throughout the years, Mrs. Yard had been collecting artefacts that were lost to foreign countries, which she donated to the ancient Imperial Palace museum. She sure is a benevolent woman!”

Mrs. Yard? Does he mean Anna Yard? Sophia was curious about it, but she quickly caught on to what happened upon relating it to what the security told her. It was just that the Yards’ charity came as a surprise to her.

With that, the topic was changed, and none of them mentioned the arranged marriage between Cooper and Anne again. Hanging her head low, Anne was trembling with anger while stealing a baleful glance at Sophia. This is disgusting! Why would she even pretend to be a baby when she’s almost thirty?! She’s already an old woman with her own daughter, so how dare she forbid Cooper from remarrying, especially when Cooper already agreed to this! She was on the verge of tears, so she left in a hurry after excusing herself.

On the other hand, Cooper could no longer stand the awkwardness hanging thick in the air, so he was ready to leave as well, but Mark insisted that he stay. “Cooper, wait till after lunch! You aren’t allowed to leave since we have some important guests! You’re all staying here, and none of you are allowed to leave!” Then, Mark added in a mysterious tone, “I have a story to tell later on. We aren’t allowed to pen anything down on paper, so we can only pass them down orally. I will be passing it down to you all today, and you will have to make sure that you etch the story into your minds from now on.”

Nodding, Cooper stood to leave for the washroom after excusing himself, whereas Sophia followed behind him. Michael did the same, while Stanley literally fled the scene as he feared that the Osbornes might turn their attention to him after missing out on Cooper.

Back then, Michael had lived in Mark’s house for the past eighteen years. After his departure, the room was left empty, so Sophia would occasionally stay over with Nathan and with Carmen later on. As soon as she got into Michael’s room, Sophia flared up. “Anne Osborne is acting way out of line! How dare she court my father after courting both Stanley and Linus?”

Michael quickly soothed her temper. “Alright, it’s all over now. As long as I am with you, I will never allow Anne to leave with our father.”

Sophia was disgruntled at the mere thought of Anne marrying her father, so she began to bad mouth Anne unabashedly. “Dad, you should be wary of Anne! She derided Linus as a ‘trophy husband’ that day!”

However, Cooper merely kept his silence while glancing out of the window, only to see a lady in an exquisite white gown and a quaint-looking umbrella walking through the entrance. With the security showing her the way, she was walking toward Mark’s house. Cooper was looking out of the window from the second floor, so all he could see was half of her face. She had a pointed chin and rosy lips, while her nose had an elegant curve, but her eyes were obscured by the umbrella. As soon as Cooper saw the woman, his heart began to flutter.

Meanwhile, Linus was holding Carmen in his arms while standing at the side. Witnessing Sophia fretting over what happened, the little girl asked, “Uncle Linus, what does ‘trophy husband’ mean?”

Linus was a person who followed the trends, so he was up to date with a lot of the latest trending terms. “Well, I suppose it can mean a man who married into riches by utilizing his own good looks.”

Nodding, Carmen announced, “Dad is definitely a trophy husband!” The fact that Michael always went shirtless and wound up marrying into a rich family might indeed make him ‘trophy husband’ material, as per Carmen’s definition, but to Michael’s credit, he did work hard for it.

Abruptly, Cooper turned to go downstairs in a hurry without a word, which startled Sophia before she ran behind him. “Dad, what are you doing?”

Michael shot up from his seat to look out of the window, only to see the woman with the umbrella walking toward the house, which he surmised to be none other that Anna Yard.

My Dreamy Old Husband Chapter 1100

Did Cooper realize something? It seems that some secrets are destined to be uncovered! Michael and Linus went after him as well. When Sophia got downstairs, she saw Cooper standing in front of the house while watching the person with an umbrella approaching them. His gaze was fixated on her as her figure gradually came into view. Slowly but surely, the woman’s dainty figure took all of his attention, gradually overlapping with the figure of the woman from his memories.

At that moment, Sophia tugged on his sleeve before asking in a lowered voice, “Dad, what’s the matter?” Cooper remained unresponsive to her, as if not noticing her presence at all. Looking up, Sophia noticed the woman with an umbrella walking up to them from afar, immediately recognizing the latter as Anna Yard. Therefore, she quickly tugged on Cooper. “Dad, don’t stand in the middle of the road. You’re blocking her way.”

Upon hearing her words, Cooper moved aside, but his eyes were still fixated on Anna. While on her way to the house, Anna saw Sophia from afar. In fact, she was expecting to meet Sophia here. Meanwhile, Sophia was guessing that Anna managed to secure a truce with the government of Cethos by donating all the artefacts she collected, which was the reason why Mark invited her to the house. Thus, she quickly greeted Anna. “Mrs. Yard, it’s great to see you. My grandfather and I have been expecting you.”

In the meantime, Anna put the umbrella away while tucking her hair away from her face. Although she was already over forty years old, she still looked attractive and way younger than her age. Her beauty was both temperamental and physical, for despite her relatively light makeup, she was still immeasurably beautiful.

Beauty came in all shapes and forms; some would wear beauty over their physical frame, whereas some exuded it from within, and Anna was classified as the latter. Even if the Yards were no longer royalty, their nobility and grace were embedded deeply within them; they simply oozed beauty and grace.

Meanwhile, Anna said, “I’m sorry for being late. I was attending an interview with Focal Point, which was produced by Cethos Central Television, so I was held up.”

Even Michael had only been on the program once! I didn’t even get the chance to be on it! Sophia was in awe of Anna. “Come on in! It’s searing outside.”

In a few strides, Anna had one leg on the steps, exposing one of her calves. Every single inch of her fair skin screamed exquisiteness, and it was as if she was a princess from a long lost empire. She already saw Cooper from afar, who was standing beside Sophia in all his glory, so she asked, “Who might he be?” Since she had seen Cooper’s photos, she knew who he was, but she still chose to inquire politely on his identity regardless.

Unexpectedly, Sophia began introducing her father to Anna with much pride. “He is my father, Cooper Mitchell! He is the head of the Mitchell Family in Bayside City, as well as the president of Mitchell International Energy and Technology. Other than that, he is also Mark Fletcher’s godson.”

When Anna heard that, she finally realized who he was. No wonder Cooper Mitchell looks so familiar. So he is Sophia’s father! They sure bear semblance to each other now that I take a closer look. “Hello, I am Anna Yard, president of Ronney Group. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She extended her fair arms toward Cooper.

Meanwhile, Cooper checked on her hands to see that she was wearing a delicate ring that used to symbolize the power of the Yards back when they still ruled as ancient royals. The ring had been passed down for centuries, and while it used to be an apparel exclusive to the reigning monarch, it now belonged to the head of the Yard Family. Extending his hands stiffly, Cooper shook her hand. A shudder traveled down his spine as soon as he did so, but he maintained his composure while speaking monotonously, “The pleasure is mine.”

They let go after exchanging a brief handshake. As Anna made her way into the house, Sophia walked alongside her, engaging with her in a friendly conversation. “Why is General not with you?”

Anna replied, “I sent General to be bathed in your shop.”

“Oh, that’s great! You can come pick your cat up later on, and we can spend some time together!”

…

Watching Anna’s figure from behind, Cooper shuddered slightly, then he suddenly laughed. Back when he just found Sophia, and upon having the doctor tell him that she survived, he laughed in the same jubilant, yet agonized and self-deprecating manner. After he did so, he turned around while tears stained his cheeks, which was something that had never happened ever since he found Sophia.

He could recall in vivid detail everything regarding Annabel Johnson. Her right hand was slender and pretty, embellished with lustrous nails, but the only flaw on it was that the joints on her index finger were much bigger compared to her other fingers. Thus, she always made sure to wear some sort of apparel around it to cover it up. Anna Yard had a similar bone structure, which was why she could wear the huge ring around her finger.

Thirty years had passed, during which the woman had been physically transformed by the circumstances that she was met with. Also, there was a drastic change in her temperament. However, instead of searching for those physical traits that resembled Annabel, Cooper could recognize her soul, which had him lamenting internally, My Anna is back! She is finally back!

After regaining his composure and returning to the main hall of the house, everybody was already seated, engaging in pleasant conversation with each other, with Michael being one of them. Meanwhile, Carmen had somehow ended up on Anna’s lap. While holding onto Carmen, Anna looked at the child closely. She sure seems bright. She has a bright future ahead of her.

The more Anna looked at Carmen, the more she took a liking to the girl, which caused her to regard Carmen with a gentle look on her face. It melted the harsh exterior she usually wore, revealing her softer side as a normal rich lady. After a while, she asked Carmen a question. “What’s your name? How old are you?”

Meanwhile, Carmen could sense the underlying kindness in the beautiful lady who was holding her, so she replied with all seriousness, “Miss Beautiful, my name is Carmen Sophia Fletcher. People call me Carmen, and my other name is Gianna Michel. I am four years old!”

Amused by Carmen’s introduction, Anna took off the bracelet she was wearing before showing it to the latter. “Can I present you with a gift?”

Despite her longing for the bracelet, Carmen decided she had to at least show some decorum, so she turned down the offer. “That won’t do! Mom told me to never take other people’s things without good reason, so I can’t take this!”

With a smile, Anna was somehow beginning to perceive Carmen as a sweet little girl with a radiance about her. She loved holding the girl in her arms. “It’s okay; I have a lot of other trinkets like this.”

After a few more rounds, Carmen finally took the bracelet while putting up a show. Then, she said sweetly, “Miss Beautiful, why don’t I perform a Bear Dance that is being passed down in the Fletcher Family for you to see?”

Seeing that Anna agreed to it, Carmen got down from the lady’s lap and began dancing. She was a talented performer just like her father, and her expressive moves could easily hype any situation up. With her presence, she managed to ease the awkward atmosphere between both the Fletchers and the Osbornes after their failed arrangement.

Meanwhile, Anne had been sitting beside Anna, but she didn’t even have the chance to speak to Anna despite the fact that it was hard for Anna to be able to make time for a gathering like this, as all of Anna’s attention was focused on Carmen. While Anne was watching grimly, Carmen finished her dance, only to be pulled into Anna’s arms once again. Anne took the chance to approach Anna while calling out to the latter. “Aunt Anna—”

However, Mark interjected with a stern look on his face before she could say anything else. “Alright, let’s get down to business!”