Ch. 1151..1160

Chapter 1151 Study Abroad

If that was the case, then he’d tell her to dream on. He never reciprocated her feelings, so no matter what she did, he would never let her have her way even if she used the child in her belly to threaten him.

The kind of people he hated most were those who threatened him. Right then, Charles couldn’t not think that Daphne was scheming something using her pregnancy.

He wasn’t entirely to blame, for Daphne’s pregnancy came way too coincidentally. She affirmed that she had taken contraceptives, so why would there be a bun in the oven when she did?

Thus, he could only assume she didn’t take the contraceptives and lied to him so that he wouldn’t suspect a thing. That way, she’d have plenty of time to get pregnant without worry.

Once she managed to get pregnant, she’d be able to use the child in her belly to hold him accountable for her.

Yes, that must be it.

Charles grew more certain the more he thought about it, not changing the notion even when he knew Daphne had already made an abortion appointment.

Something must be wrong with the child for her to abort it, or why would she do so when she wanted to use the child to move up the ladder?

However, no matter the circumstances, he would make her sorry when she dared lie to him, hide her pregnancy from him, and even selfishly drop the baby.

To think he would one day let a woman wrap him around her little finger. I swear I won’t be Charles Lane if I don’t retaliate.

“Daphne Robinson!” Charles snarled through gnashed teeth as he glared grimly at the road ahead like Daphne was standing right there. His voice was filled with nothing but anger and hatred as though he wanted to mangle her.

There was desperation he didn’t even realize interwoven in his voice.

Desperate for what, exactly? Perhaps only he knew.

However, all of that was oblivious to Sonia at the moment, for she went back to her long and dull work after seeing Charles away.

It wasn’t until Toby called in the afternoon that she put the pen down, stretched, and relaxed that she answered it with a smile. “Hello?”

Her voice was kittenish and laced with a hint of fatigue, causing Toby to frown as he sat in the car. “Do you have a lot of work to do?”

“Not really. Why do you ask?” she asked with a smile while curling up in the chair.

Toby had parked his car on the side of the road beneath Paradigm Tower, and he rolled the window down and looked toward a window on the top floor of the building. Behind it happened to be Sonia’s office.

“You sounded tired,” he explained.

She smiled in response. “Do I? Well, I am a little. I have to look at more and more papers now, and it has only been months since I joined in the first place. With more and more papers to look at, the more strenuous it is for me to go through them. After all, there are a lot of things that I still don’t know. I even have to find out what a technical term means whenever I encounter them, or I won’t know what the paper is talking about as a whole. Imagine the consequences I’ll have to bear if I sign it blindly. I’d sometimes encounter some papers that, although I understand, I don’t know the actual situation. I’ll then have to call the guys for verification before I can sign the papers assuredly. Hence, I’d end up woozy at the end of the day. I’m not just tired physically but mentally as well.”

“It’s normal that you don’t know a lot of things when you never systematically learned how to manage a company. You’ve moved up the position very suddenly, after all. You can only grasp some skills while exploring during work. Simply put, you won’t be able to learn everything at all like this,” said Toby as he rested his hand on the window while tapping it.

“Yeah,” Sonia affirmed. “But as a newbie, I still haven’t made a mistake after looking through so many papers. This proves that I actually have talent in business, doesn’t it?”

“Of course.” Toby acknowledged her talent without hesitation, making her giggle with pursed lips, feeling joyous.

Toby smiled upon hearing her laughter as well. “But you can’t go on like this forever. It’s still too slow if you learn and explore by yourself from practical work. You won’t be able to catch up when Paradigm grows stronger when you don’t have basic professional knowledge.”

“I know, but…”

“What do you say to studying abroad after the holidays?” Toby interrupted her with his suggestion.

The suggestion stumped Sonia so much that she straightened her back subconsciously. “What did you say? Study abroad?”

“You heard me. You have to study professional knowledge in a college to make up for your lack of groundwork. Only then can you manage Paradigm with ease in the future.”

“I know I should further my studies, but what school should I go to, and how do I get into one?” She scratched her head glumly.

This was where she hesitated.

Toby chuckled under his breath at that. “You don’t have to worry about that. I will recommend a college that suits you best. As for how to enter, you can rest entirely assured. I—”

“Stop!” Sonia hurriedly interjected as she gestured a stop, looking grave. “Don’t tell me you want to help me enter a school through the back door. I won’t agree to it even if you want to do it. I’d rather not go than enter through the back door. Do you know how humiliating that sounds?”

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Toby knew she would certainly take it the wrong way as soon as she interrupted him, and sure enough, with the way she put it, this was a pretty big misunderstanding.

He held his forehead helplessly. However, despite the helplessness, his eyes were filled with adoration for her. “Who said I’m getting you into a college through the back door? I just wanted to tell you the college I’m recommending has a global admission next year around the early second half of the year. I have connections, and I can get you an application to the entrance exam.”

It was precisely because he knew she wouldn’t accept his arrangements for her to enter a school directly that he didn’t even think of doing so from the beginning but rather had her prepare for an entrance exam.

Knowing her pride, this was the best arrangement.

Sure enough, Sonia calmed down after hearing his explanation, and she chuckled somewhat embarrassingly. “Is that so? Sorry, I thought…”0

“Don’t worry about it. I should’ve made it concise. Well? What do you think?” Toby asked as he propped his head up with a bent arm against the window.

Sonia bit her lip and pondered with a lowered head instead of giving him her answer immediately.0

She was tempted, but furthering her studies abroad was no small issue, for she didn’t know when she’d be able to return after she left and whose care she should leave Paradigm Co. with.

These were all things she needed to mull over.

Toby knew her concerns as well, so he didn’t rush her for an answer but waited patiently.

It wasn’t until a couple of minutes later that Sonia sighed as she rubbed her temples. “You said the school is taking in students in the second half of next year. In other words, I have less than half a year to get ready for the exam, am I right?”

“Yes.” He nodded in affirmation.

At that, she bit her lip. “Will I be able to pass when I have zero basic knowledge and at such short notice?”

She didn’t have the slightest confidence in herself.

However, Toby thought otherwise, and he soothed her with a chuckle. “Don’t worry. Have you forgotten that you have me? I’ll be your teacher for the next half a year and guide you with dedication. I’m sure that you’ll inevitably pass with my guidance.”

Sonia chuckled at that. “Is it me, or are you flattering yourself?”

Toby smirked in response. “Do you not have confidence in me, then?”

At that, Sonia stuck her tongue out. “How can I not have confidence in you when you have a few doctorate degrees under your belt, great President Fuller? I’m just not confident in myself. I don’t even know how well my brain functions. What if I can’t do it?”

“You won’t. Have faith in yourself. Also, you have to and need to do it for Paradigm Co. You have to get into this college, got it?” Seriousness enveloped Toby’ face at this point.

Chapter 1151 Study Abroad

The kind of people he hated most were those who threatened him. Right then, Charles couldn’t not think that Daphne was scheming something using her pregnancy.

He wasn’t entirely to blame, for Daphne’s pregnancy came way too coincidentally. She affirmed that she had taken contraceptives, so why would there be a bun in the oven when she did?

Thus, he could only assume she didn’t take the contraceptives and lied to him so that he wouldn’t suspect a thing. That way, she’d have plenty of time to get pregnant without worry.

Once she managed to get pregnant, she’d be able to use the child in her belly to hold him accountable for her.

Yes, that must be it.

Charles grew more certain the more he thought about it, not changing the notion even when he knew Daphne had already made an abortion appointment.

Something must be wrong with the child for her to abort it, or why would she do so when she wanted to use the child to move up the ladder?

However, no matter the circumstances, he would make her sorry when she dared lie to him, hide her pregnancy from him, and even selfishly drop the baby.

To think he would one day let a woman wrap him around her little finger. I swear I won’t be Charles Lane if I don’t retaliate.

There was desperation he didn’t even realize interwoven in his voice.

Desperate for what, exactly? Perhaps only he knew.

However, all of that was oblivious to Sonia at the moment, for she went back to her long and dull work after seeing Charles away.

It wasn’t until Toby called in the afternoon that she put the pen down, stretched, and relaxed that she answered it with a smile. “Hello?”

Her voice was kittenish and laced with a hint of fatigue, causing Toby to frown as he sat in the car. “Do you have a lot of work to do?”

“Not really. Why do you ask?” she asked with a smile while curling up in the chair.

“You sounded tired,” he explained.

“Yeah,” Sonia affirmed. “But as a newbie, I still haven’t made a mistake after looking through so many papers. This proves that I actually have talent in business, doesn’t it?”

“Of course.” Toby acknowledged her talent without hesitation, making her giggle with pursed lips, feeling joyous.198836

“I know, but…”

“What do you say to studying abroad after the holidays?” Toby interrupted her with his suggestion.

The suggestion stumped Sonia so much that she straightened her back subconsciously. “What did you say? Study abroad?”

“You heard me. You have to study professional knowledge in a college to make up for your lack of groundwork. Only then can you manage Paradigm with ease in the future.”0

“I know I should further my studies, but what school should I go to, and how do I get into one?” She scratched her head glumly.

This was where she hesitated.

Toby chuckled under his breath at that. “You don’t have to worry about that. I will recommend a college that suits you best. As for how to enter, you can rest entirely assured. I—”

Toby knew she would certainly take it the wrong way as soon as she interrupted him, and sure enough, with the way she put it, this was a pretty big misunderstanding.

Knowing her pride, this was the best arrangement.

Sure enough, Sonia calmed down after hearing his explanation, and she chuckled somewhat embarrassingly. “Is that so? Sorry, I thought…”

“Don’t worry about it. I should’ve made it concise. Well? What do you think?” Toby asked as he propped his head up with a bent arm against the window.

Sonia bit her lip and pondered with a lowered head instead of giving him her answer immediately.

She was tempted, but furthering her studies abroad was no small issue, for she didn’t know when she’d be able to return after she left and whose care she should leave Paradigm Co. with.

These were all things she needed to mull over.

Toby knew her concerns as well, so he didn’t rush her for an answer but waited patiently.

“Yes.” He nodded in affirmation.

At that, she bit her lip. “Will I be able to pass when I have zero basic knowledge and at such short notice?”

She didn’t have the slightest confidence in herself.

Sonia chuckled at that. “Is it me, or are you flattering yourself?”

Toby smirked in response. “Do you not have confidence in me, then?”

“You won’t. Have faith in yourself. Also, you have to and need to do it for Paradigm Co. You have to get into this college, got it?” Seriousness enveloped Toby’ face at this point.

Chapter 1153 Rose’s Gift

Sonia naturally felt the animosity coming from Asher. After all, the feeling wasn’t inchoate but a long-existing one. Thus, she made no reaction toward his hatred-filled stare but only looked straight ahead as though she hadn’t noticed it and walked right past Asher, going out of the building.

Asher, on the other hand, was so livid that his clenched fists trembled when Sonia disregarded him entirely. Standing behind him, his crony even more so stirred his anger by huffing, “Look at how arrogant that woman is, President. Even if she’s the chairman, she’s still your junior. How can she be so rude as to not even say hi to you?!”

To that, Asher sneered. “How can she not be when she has Toby backing her? But one day, I’ll see that she can never be arrogant again.”

“Ain’t that the truth, President.” The crony very much agreed with him and was confident Asher would succeed. “Alright, enough flattery. Let’s go.” After taking a gander in the direction Sonia left, he withdrew his gaze and barely calmed down as he made his way to the elevator.

Of course, Sonia had no clue what Asher and his cronies talked about behind her back, but she didn’t want to know, nor was she interested in knowing. Right after seeing Toby’ car, she waved and jogged over to it with a smile.

Toby, on the other hand, hurriedly got out of the car and spread his arms wide apart upon seeing so.

The next second, Sonia fell into his arms, completely wrapped in his embrace.

“What are you running so fast for? What if you fall?” Toby put an arm around Sonia’s back while ruffling her hair with the other.

“But I don’t want you to wait for too long.” She looked up at him.

“You can’t do that even so. If you really fall, both of us will be in pain. Besides, I never think waiting for you is a nuisance. I’m more than happy to wait,” said Toby as he planted a kiss on her forehead.

Sonia noticed some passersby smiling affectionately toward their canoodling and immediately felt abashed, her face flushing crimson.

“Okay, I got it. Let go of me and get into the car. There are a lot of people here, and everyone walking by is looking at us. It’s pretty embarrassing.” She patted Toby’ chest.

Knowing she was bashful and didn’t like other people seeing them being intimate, he ruffled her hair affectionately and let go of her, respecting her wish. “Alright, get in.”

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With that, he held her hand, led her around the front of the car to the front passenger seat, and opened the door for her.

After entering the car, Sonia put the handbag on her shoulder on her lap before handing another bag to Toby. “Put this in the back seat, will you? There’s not enough space here.”

“What’s this?” Toby looked into the bag after taking it, but the contents were well-concealed with different other plastic bags, so he couldn’t make anything out.

“We’re visiting Grandma later, no? I can’t go empty-handed, can I? But then I didn’t have time to prepare anything during the day, and Charles happened to have come over in the afternoon with some expensive dried goods from Mrs. Lane’s hometown. I thought these things would be good for Grandma, so I thought I should give some to her,” answered Sonia while pulling on the seatbelt.

“Charles got them for you?” Toby frowned at once.0

Sonia knew at once that he was jealous for assuming they were gifts from a love rival, and she couldn’t help shaking her head, amused. “Not from Charles. Mrs. Lane deliberately got them from me when she visited her family. She knows I like this stuff, so these are from Mrs. Lane. She just had Charles bring them over to me here at Paradigm. He barely has much to do with this. Well, my dear husband? Are you feeling better?”

‘My dear husband’ was all it took to dampen Toby’s jealousy and brighten his mood.0

At that, he raised his chin slightly. Despite still looking somewhat aloof, a hint of a smile and contentment could already be seen laced within his eyes. “Better. I’ll thank Mrs. Lane on behalf of my grandmother.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll give Mrs. Lane your thanks. Alright, let’s go, or we’re going to be late,” Sonia urged as she fastened her seatbelt.

With that, Toby put the bag in the back seat and closed the door before saying, “Let’s go.”

Then, he walked around the back of the car to the driver’s seat and headed to the Fuller Residence.

Meanwhile, at the Lore Residence, Lynette returned home in the afternoon. She was so tired that she retired as soon as she came home and had only awoken at this time.

The moment she went downstairs, she heard her grandfather and father arguing as well as her mother mollifying the situation, causing her to instinctively walk down the stairs slowly and lightly while holding the handrail.

As she moved further downward, her elders’ voices became clearer.

First came her father’s lowly, cowardly apology. “Dad, please stop yelling at me. I already know my mistake. Are you not done when you’ve already yelled at me all afternoon? Besides, even if you yell at me, I can’t change anything anymore. As if things will turn around after you yell at me when it’s screwed!”

“Grayson’s right, Dad. Please don’t be mad anymore.” Grayson’s wife, Amelia, poured some tea for the father and son while soothing Harry as she sat next to her husband.

Harry looked disappointingly angry at the couple as he took the cup of tea from her. “You’re a fine one to talk.”

He put the cup down angrily and pointed at Grayson with trembling fingers. “I’ve already warned you time and time again before you head off to be nice, give a decent apology gift, and apologize properly to that woman. Sonia Reed is a daughter of a lost affluent family. She’s surely vain deep down, or why would she keep latching onto Toby again and again? Once we appease her and promise that we’ll think of her whenever we gain any advantages, she might go soft and put in a good word for us in front of Toby, and who knows? He might just forgive us. You’ve also given me your word that you’d do just that, but look what happened! What did you actually do?! Not only did you not bring her a gift, you even behaved insolently. I swear you’re doing this to piss me off!”

At that, he flew into a rage. “Forget about Sonia. Even I would kick the person out when he comes begging me without a gift and an insolent attitude.”

Grayson couldn’t help tucking his neck as he listened to Harry’s scolding. “Well, I didn’t think that woman was so pragmatic, did I? Yes, I agreed to get her a gift and apologize nicely, but then I gave it a second thought and thought, why should I?! Who are we to Toby?! Even if we’re in the wrong, she’s nothing but an outsider. She should forgive us and intercede for us to Toby without having us apologize. After all, you’re Toby’s teacher, and our family is close with the Fullers. If she doesn’t do so, she can’t blame us for opposing her relationship with Toby. A little finagle is all we need to break her and Toby up. So…”

“So you threw my adjure out the window just like that?!”

Grayson lowered his head silently at that.

Livid with rage, Harry pointed at his son’s nose and yelled, “You… Just how stupid can you get?! No wonder so many in the office say you’re useless and hopeless, and the company will go out of business sooner or later if it’s in your hands!”

“Who? Who dares say so?! I’ll fire him!” Grayson shot up in anger.

Chapter 1154 Never Ever Apologize

Seeing so, Amelia hurriedly dragged him back onto his seat. Harry, on the other hand, sneered at the sight of Grayson’s fury. “You? Fire them? Can you even fire them all?! Don’t go around thinking I don’t know what you’re like in the office. It’s only because we have competent employees and Fuller Group’s aid that I don’t bother ranting about your incompetence, turning a blind eye to those who call you useless.

After all, you are very much useless, and now you want to fire them?! Well, I’ll have you know that there’ll be at least half of them who have to go if you want to fire them! What do you think you can accomplish alone with an empty company, huh?!”

“Come on, Dad, I’m not that useless.” Grayson moped. “Hmph, you’re more useless than that. You just don’t want to admit it,” Harry exasperated. “You threw my adjure out the window minutes after I told you and did things according to your idea, but you ended up screwing it. Now, tell me that’s competent!”

“How can that prove that I’m incompetent?! I just did things according to regular thinking and logic. But who knew Sonia wouldn’t buy it and wouldn’t do things according to my envisage?! That’s only why things screwed up. I swear, nothing can get through to that woman! If it were other women, they’d have long sucked up to us when we’re family friends with the Fullers, paired with the fact that you’re Toby’s teacher. Also, they’d tactfully know to forgive us without even us saying a thing and even intercede for us to Toby. Only she would remain indifferent,” Grayson said with absolute resentment.

Evidently, he didn’t think even in the slightest bit that they were the ones at fault. The others wouldn’t even need to forgive them because of who the Lore Family were or what they had.

After all, no one owed them, and they weren’t influential to the degree where everyone needed to suck up to them.

However, in Grayson’s opinion, it was entirely Sonia’s fault that she didn’t suck up to them or choose to tacitly forgive them. Sonia had absolutely and undisputedly done a heinous misdeed.

Grayson aside, even Harry thought Sonia should tacitly forgive them. However, he had ultimately lived in this world a few decades more than Grayson, so he would consider things more thoroughly than Grayson would.

Thus, even when Harry thought so, he wouldn’t say it out loud but only narrowed his eyes and said icily, “Of course, she can be indifferent. Before what Lynette did was exposed, she didn’t know if she or I meant more to Toby, so she would still be nice to us. But after Lynette was found out, Toby stood by Sonia without a doubt and distanced himself from us entirely.

That means she clearly means more to Toby than me. After realizing that fact, she naturally won’t have to give a d*mn about us anymore and act more arrogantly.”

“I bet Toby doesn’t truly love that woman. She must have something on him that forced him to side with her and distance himself from us,” Grayson growled, refusing to believe that Toby would side with Sonia because he loved her.

Even Lynette, who eavesdropped at the stairs, nodded at once. Yes, Dad’s right. Toby would never love that woman. Tina was the only woman he ever loved.

Though Tina has died, Toby wouldn’t fall in love with Sonia either. Only I can get Toby to open his heart again! As the thought crossed her mind, her grip on the handrail tightened, and a harsh, ear-piercing sound came from her long, bejeweled nails scratching against it.

Meanwhile, the conversation downstairs was still continuing.

“No matter what reason Toby is siding with Sonia for, the fact that he sided with her and distanced himself from us is still a fact. Sonia refusing to respect us based on that is also a fact. After all, with Toby on her side, she can do so without fear, or would she have to worry that we’ll do anything to her.

After all, she has Toby on her side. She can have Toby hate us even more if we even as much as lay a finger on her. By then, we’d still be the ones losing out. Also, we can’t actually sever our ties with Toby and the Fullers. I’m sure you know what will happen to our family once our connection is severed.” Harry bore into Grayson.

Knowing he was in the wrong, Grayson lowered his head. “I know. It’s my fault. I screwed it up. Shall I pay her another visit? I’ll apologize nicely this time. She said if I apologize with a better attitude, bring a gift and Lynette with me, she might—”198838

“No!” Lynette ran down the stairs and interrupted him before he could finish his words, not wanting to hear any more. “I won’t go! I will never apologize to that woman!”

“Lynette, you’re awake.” Harry turned from grim to amiable the second he saw his beloved granddaughter, and the same went for Grayson and Amelia.

Amelia, even more so, pulled Lynette over to her, having her sit in between her and Grayson. “Did you sleep well?”

However, Lynette ignored her mother and pushed her hand that was stroking her hair away. She clenched her fists and looked straight into Harry’s eyes while protesting, “Grandpa, I don’t want to apologize to that woman. You all know I love Toby, and I’m shouldering the responsibility of marrying him. If I apologize to her at this time, that would mean that I’m beneath her. That way, even if I defeat her and marry Toby, I’d still feel that I’m beneath her. Besides, I’m the daughter of the affluent Lore Family. Am I not nobler than an adopted child of the Reed Family?! She doesn’t deserve my apology at all!”

“Yeah, Dad. Wouldn’t having Lynette apologize to that woman humiliate Lynette and also disgrace our family’s name?!” Amelia looked anxiously at Harry.0

Grayson nodded in agreement as well. “Even I can’t bear to scold Lynette. Forget about even asking Lynette to apologize to someone else.”

At that, Harry rubbed his temples. “Relax. I naturally won’t force my own granddaughter to apologize against her will. Just as Lynette said, she has the task of bringing our family and the Fullers together. In other words, she must marry Toby in the future. Naturally, I won’t let her apologize to Sonia even more so. Once she apologizes, it would mean that Lynette has lost to that woman and would be beneath her. Imagine how other people will ridicule Lynette and our family after she marries Toby.”

“So, I don’t have to apologize, right, Grandpa?” Lynette squealed with joy.

“That’s right.” Harry nodded in affirmation.

“But if Lynette doesn’t apologize, wouldn’t that mean we can’t get through to Sonia?” Grayson grew worried again.

At that, Harry shot him a side-eyed glance. “I’ve thought about this. I never intended to have Lynette apologize in the first place. As such, I’ve long given up on Sonia, hoping that she would intercede for us.”

“Does that mean you’ve already come up with another solution, Grandpa?” Lynette’s eyes lit up after hearing so.

Harry was beyond proud of his dear granddaughter seeing that she understood him immediately. My dear Lynette sure is smart.

“That’s right. I intend to set up a banquet for you, one that announces your return to the circle. I already had people send the invitations out in the afternoon,” he responded with narrowed eyes.

Chapter 1155 The Lore Family’s Scheme

Lynette was indeed smart, as she knew exactly what Harry was talking about right when she heard it. Then, she smiled excitedly at him, saying, “What you are saying is that we can use this party’s opportunity to invite Toby over. That way, we will have a chance to meet him and mend our relationship, unlike now when we can’t do anything or see him in person.”

“Yes, Lynette. That’s what I meant,” said Harry as he looked at her proudly. To him, Lynette was perfect in everything. There was nothing she could do wrong.

However, Grayson, who was beside them, frowned and said, “Dad, what if Toby decides not to come to the party? If that’s the case, can we still see him?”

When Lynette heard his words, she was also worried too. “That’s right, Grandpa. What if Toby isn’t there? It’s been seven years since I last saw him. I…”

“Calm down, Lynette. I will let you see him, so don’t worry,” said Harry while squinting his sharp eyes.

When Lynette heard his words, her eyes brightened up in delight. “Do you have something in mind, Grandpa?”

Harry nodded and said, “Yes. Toby will definitely come. When that time comes, I will need you to do something in order to boost your relationship with him. Although you might need to sacrifice something, for the sake of you being with Toby and making our family affinity with theirs, you must do this. Do you understand me, Lynette?” With that, he looked at her.

At that moment, Grayson and Amelia were looking at them in confusion.

“Dad, what are you trying to make Lynette do? Don’t do anything stupid.”

“That’s right, Dad.”

They were worried for their daughter’s well-being at this moment. However, neither Harry nor Lynette acknowledged them. At this moment, Lynette could only see Harry in her eyes and his words in her mind. Since she was smarter than her parents, she immediately knew what Harry meant by his words and understood what she would sacrifice. Thinking about it, Lynette could feel her heart thumping wildly.

Then, she put her hands on her knees, gripping them to surpass the excitement in her as she looked at Harry. “I understand what you mean, Grandpa. Don’t worry. I won’t let you down,” she said.

Seeing that she understood what he was implying, Harry smiled in relief. “That’s my granddaughter. Alright, it’s getting late. Come, accompany me to dinner, Lynette.”

“Okay.” Lynette stood up and linked her arms with Harry’s as they walked toward the dining room together.

As for Grayson and Amelia, they were being ignored by Lynette and Harry. The couple stood up and looked at each other after watching them leave.

“Honey, what were they saying just now? Do you understand?” Amelia said as she furrowed her eyebrow, looking worried.

“No.” Grayson shook his head.

In this house, Grayson knew his place. He knew that he wasn’t intelligent like Harry and Lynette. Most of the time, Lynette could immediately understand what Harry was talking about, but he had to ponder it for a long time. Due to this, they would discuss it on their own and leave him out of it like what happened just now. After it happened a few times, Grayson was used to it.

That’s enough thinking. It’s fine as long as they know what they are doing. With that thought, Grayson held Amelia’s hand and said, “Come on, let’s eat.”

However, Amelia was still worried about them. “I hope they know what they are doing. The situation is already a mess, and it will be troublesome if it gets any worse,” she said.

“It won’t,” Grayson said promisingly.

Hearing his words, Amelia managed to put up a smile and said nothing.

During dinner, Lynette was talking happily with Harry. The atmosphere in the house was relaxing as they thought that maybe everything would be solved after the party. With that thought in mind, they were not nervous and worried like they used to be when they first realized that Toby was keeping his distance from them.

During dinner, Harry, Grayson, and Amelia told Lynette what had happened during these years. Due to this, Lynette knew more clearly about the relationship between Toby and Sonia. However, she still believed that the reason Toby got back together with Sonia wasn’t because of love, and it was only because Sonia had evidence against Toby, so he had no other choice but to be with her. She wasn’t the only one who had this thought, for the others felt the same.

From their perspective, Toby would never fall in love with someone like Sonia, who didn’t have a good family background and was an orphan. With that thought, they assumed that Toby didn’t love Sonia. In that case, they would find a way to help Toby escape Sonia’s control. At that moment, surely Toby would be grateful for their help.

After finishing dinner, Lynette was about to head back to her room. Just as she was about to walk up the stairs, Amelia suddenly pulled her. “Lynette,” she said.

“What’s the matter, Mom?” Lynette turned around and looked at Amelia. Her cute, doll-like face was filled with confusion.

“Lynette, I just want to tell you that aside from Sonia, there is another woman from the Acree Family that would get in your way if you want to be with Toby.”

“A woman from the Acree Family?” Lynette’s face turned dark as she spoke. “Do you mean the family in the seafood business, Mom?”

198839

“That’s right.” Amelia nodded. “Recently, business hasn’t been going great for them, and they’ve been trying to come in contact with the noble family. With that, they had their eyes on Toby. I heard that they’ve been asking around for the banquet’s invitation cards since Toby would be there. Although I’m not sure why Toby would be there, the Acrees have been finding ways to enter the banquet after knowing about this matter. The reason is to seek connections with Toby and introduce their daughter to him.”

When Lynette heard her words, she smiled in disdain, saying, “How dare she, someone who reeks of fish, try to get her hands on Toby? That’s impossible. Do they have the invitation, Mom?”

“Yes.” Amelia nodded. “I heard they got it from someone by giving them a timeslot for a dock.”

“What?” At that moment, Lynette’s face was gloomy. “They actually got it? If that’s the case, won’t they be able to get in touch with Toby? No, I can’t have another competitor. Having Sonia alone is unbearable, let alone two. Does our family have the invitation, Mom?”

“No. The host of the banquet didn’t send us an invitation. There are two reasons behind it. Firstly, our business’s genre has nothing to do with them, so it would be a waste of time to invite us over. Secondly, our status is lower than theirs, so they didn’t give us one since they look down on us.” As Amelia spoke, she had a grim expression.0

Hearing her words, Lynette gritted her teeth and said, “Don’t they know that Grandpa is Toby’s teacher? They should give it to us because of this.”

“So what if Grandpa is Toby’s teacher? Although they can’t compare themselves to the Fuller Family, they don’t need to invite us just because of Toby. Moreover, Toby will not have anything against them over such a small matter. After all, it’s their choice to invite whoever they want.”0

“Are you saying that we can’t join the banquet to stop the Acree Family?” Lynette’s face scrunched up in anger. Her doll face was twisted angrily, seemingly like an eerie puppet from a horror movie.

Chapter 1156 Blacklist

“No. I can’t let them have their way.” Lynette gripped her knuckles while viciousness filled her eyes. “Although I can’t do anything to Sonia, I don’t need to worry about the consequences if it is the Acree Family.”

Listening to her words, Amelia looked at her in horror. “What are you trying to do, Lynette?”

“Don’t worry, Mom. Don’t the Acrees want to be in-laws with Toby’s family? Well then, I will make them give up on this thought. Toby is mine, and no one can take him away from him. Just wait, Mom. On the banquet day, the Acrees won’t dare do anything.” Lynette smiled wickedly.

After finishing her words, she ignored Amelia and went up the stairs.

Then, she immediately took out her phone and searched for a phone number. It was a set of numbers that she had always seen when she was aboard, and she had engraved it in her soul. As she found the phone number, she swiped it gently before taking a deep breath and dialing it.

While waiting for the call to be picked up, her heart was thumping wildly, and her face was red. At this moment, her face was not eerie anymore, and she looked cute and shy.

Right now, Lynette looked shy and nervous as if she was calling the person she loved in secret.

In fact, she was indeed calling the person she loved. It had been seven years since she last saw her sweetheart, so she was subconsciously nervous when contacting him now. Moreover, she was slightly timid and afraid. How am I going to tell Toby about this? Will he even answer my call?

As she thought about it, she bit her lips, her heart filled with nervousness.

On the other hand, Toby had driven Sonia to the Fuller Residence.

As soon as he parked the car, his phone rang in his pocket. Then, Toby unfastened his seatbelt and reached out for his phone. When he saw who was calling him, his expression changed, and the atmosphere around him felt heavy.

Sensing the changes in Toby, Sonia unfastened her seatbelt and looked at him. “What’s wrong? Who’s calling?” she asked.

“It’s Lynette.” Toby didn’t hide it from her and handed his phone to her to have a look.

When Sonia saw Lynette’s name on the screen, she couldn’t help but frown. “How shocking that she’s calling you. Are you going to pick up the call?”

“No. This is just a scam.” With that, Toby denied the call without any hesitation. Not only that, but after denying the call, he blocked Lynette’s number, doing it all in one shot.

When Sonia saw his actions, she burst into laughter. “She likes you. Aren’t you afraid that you will break her heart if you do this?”

After closing his phone, Toby said faintly, “That’s none of my business. I only care about your feelings. I don’t have to care for others. Besides, don’t you feel happy about what I just did?”

Listening to his words, Sonia blushed and huffed, “Alright, let’s get inside the house. Grandma had called and asked where we were when we were on the road. Let’s go.” Then, she opened the door and left the car hurriedly.

Seeing that she had run away from embarrassment again, Toby couldn’t help but smile. Then, he got out of the car too.

On the other side, Lynette was waiting for Toby to pick up her call expectantly when she heard the call hanging up. At that moment, she was in disbelief.

Did Toby just hang up on me? Lynette widened her eyes in disbelief as she assumed that Toby would answer her call since they had not seen each other for seven years. Shouldn’t he be excited that I’m calling him? Why did he hang up on me?198840

Thinking about it, Lynette bit her lips as tears brimmed her eyes.

No, I have to call him again. Maybe he just hung up on accident. He didn’t deny my call on purpose. Yes, that should be it!

Lynette was deep in her trance as she called Toby again. However, the call didn’t pop up on the screen. Instead, a cold, robotic woman’s voice said, “Hello. The person you are calling is on the line. Please wait—”

Before the robotic voice could finish its words, Lynette screamed and threw her phone away in anger.

I’m being blacklisted! Toby blocked me! she thought. There was no way she would believe that someone had called Toby at this moment. After all, her call had gone through the first time. However, it was on the line at this moment. There was no way such a coincidence would happen, and it only proved that Toby had blacklisted her.0

At that moment, Lynette couldn’t hold back any longer. She curled into a ball on the bed while hugging her knees as she sobbed.

All this was unknown to Sonia and Toby, but even if they knew about it, they would have ignored it. To them, Lynette was just a stranger, and there was no need to be mindful of her. Moreover, she had offended them, so it would only be natural if they ignored her.

“Oh my, Young Master Toby and Miss Reed. You guys have finally arrived.” As Toby and Sonia linked their arms together and walked into the building, they were met with an excited Mary. When Mary walked toward them, she beamed happily as she saw their interactions. “Old Mrs. Fuller was asking for your arrival, so she asked me to take a look. I never expected that you guys would be here right when I walked out. This is just perfect,” she said.

“Sorry, Madam Mary. We were stuck in traffic, so we couldn’t arrive here on time. I’m sorry that you and Grandma had to wait for us. Thank you for coming out to escort us.” Sonia smiled at Mary.

“It’s nothing. Now, let’s go inside, Young Master Toby and Miss Reed. Dinner is ready, and Old Mrs. Fuller is waiting,” urged Mary.

Then, Toby held Sonia’s hands as they trailed behind Mary. Soon, they arrived at the dining room. When they entered, they saw Rose sitting on the main seat while waiting for them. The moment she saw them, she smiled, stood up, and walked toward Sonia.

At that moment, Sonia let go of Toby’s hand and went to Rose. “Grandma, what are you doing? I won’t leave since I have just arrived. You don’t have to walk over here. What if you fall?” As she spoke, she led Rose back to her seat.

“It’s fine. I haven’t left this house for quite a long time. I can see even with my eyes closed, so I won’t fall. I’m just happy to see you after a long time, Sonny.”

“Me too, Grandma. I haven’t seen you for a long time. I’m thrilled today,” Sonia replied as she helped Rose to sit down.

When Rose sat, she patted the spot beside her. “Sit here, Sonny. Tell me, how have you been?”

“Sure.” Sonia didn’t refuse and sat down beside Rose. While pouring a glass of water for her, Sonia told her about her recent doings. At that moment, Rose was smiling at her while listening attentively. The atmosphere between them was harmonious.

On the other hand, Toby was standing by the door. He couldn’t help but twitch his lips when he looked at them speechlessly as they seemed to have forgotten about him.

Have they really forgotten about me? Grandma, with that kind look on your face while you look at Sonia, do you still remember that I am the one who is your grandchild? he thought.