Who Cares About Him When I'm Married to the Richest Man?-Chapter 85: Brother Mason and I Both Hope You Can Witness Our Happiness
Elara seemed to casually ask, "How are things going between you and Attorney White lately?"
Zion Fitzwilliam was visibly taken aback by this question.
What did she mean by that? The brotherly bond he shared with Brandon was naturally good, but it wasn’t like they were in constant contact.
A sudden terrifying thought crossed his mind. Did she think...he and Brandon?
Ugh, how disgusting.
But you reap what you sow, and he had to go through with it.
His expression changed multiple times before he finally forced out, "...Pretty well."
Elara relaxed and smiled, "From what I’ve seen, Attorney White seems like a nice person. You two are sure to make it work this time."
Zion Fitzwilliam was a pro in the business world, effortlessly navigating through intrigues and schemes. But in matters of the heart, he was truly a novice. Seeing the worry in Elara’s eyes, he suddenly had an epiphany.
He instinctively started playing the tragic hero, "Actually, whether we make it or not doesn’t matter anymore. As long as I have no regrets about the sincerity I gave, even if we can’t be together, I wish him well for life."
Elara became anxious hearing this. She left the shrimp steaming in the pot and turned to ask, "Why would you say that? Did you encounter some difficulties?"
When they helped her with the lawsuit against the Jacobs Family, they seemed fine!
It’s barely been a month, how could things have changed so suddenly?
Zion Fitzwilliam noticed the worry in her eyes and immediately grasped the "love code." He lowered his head, his usually magnetic voice now somewhat low.
"Perhaps this kind of love, one that defies societal norms, is still too difficult for him. But I don’t blame him, that’s how society is, and I don’t dare wish for true happiness."
Seeing his sadness, Elara’s motherly instincts kicked in, feeling immense pity. She hurried to comfort him, "It’s his loss for not cherishing someone as good as you. It’s his fault, not yours. You’re so wonderful; you’ll definitely find happiness."
Zion Fitzwilliam’s voice was sorrowful as he softly responded, "Hmm."
He always exuded a confident air, combined with his handsomeness and good fashion sense, he looked like a celebrity wherever he stood. But today, with his head lowered and a sorrowful expression, he was enveloped in a thick aura of sadness—a sight no woman could bear.
Elara, filled with empathy, extended her hand to hug him, gently patting his back. In a soft voice, she said, "I understand, I truly do. Don’t be sad. Time will heal everything. You deserve better."
Zion Fitzwilliam restrained his impulse to reach out. He leaned on her soft, petite shoulder for a moment before reluctantly pulling away, knowing the danger of overindulgence.
He smiled at Elara and said breezily, "It’s all in the past. Let’s not talk about it. People need to look forward. Let’s cook first."
Seeing his forced smile, Elara felt even worse. What a wonderful person Zion was, why did he always end up unlucky in love?
She was already accustomed to encountering jerks, but the love between men was supposed to be pure. Why did Zion keep meeting jerks too?
Perhaps love really has nothing to do with gender.
Clearly, Zion Fitzwilliam’s strategy was effective. Elara’s attitude towards him changed significantly, not only was her voice softer, but she also took special care of him during the meal.
Elara was initially worried that Zion Fitzwilliam, due to heartbreak, would lose his appetite. She attentively placed food in his bowl and racked her brain for topics, all to distract him.
Fortunately, it worked well. Zion Fitzwilliam, chatting and having dinner with her, soon returned to his usual self, allowing Elara to breathe a sigh of relief.
To comfort Zion Fitzwilliam, Elara, who usually didn’t drink much, even opened a bottle of red wine. The two of them sat by the window, each with a glass, and chatted away into the night breeze.
Elara reminisced about her childhood, with a bit of longing, "I remember back when Northgarde wasn’t as prosperous. In middle school, we’d have Friday afternoons off. My parents would come pick me up, and we’d go to a small shop a few streets away to buy fried cicadas. Have you ever had cicadas?"
Zion Fitzwilliam looked down at the red wine in his hand. The crimson liquid, under the light, refracted a beautiful color. He recalled a long time ago when a little girl had eagerly presented him with a large plate of fried cicadas, asking, ’Have you ever eaten cicadas?’ 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞
He hadn’t tried them. The large plate of unappetizing fried insects had shocked him too much to take even a bite.
How did he come to like that food? Possibly, after leaving Northgarde, without anyone urging him from behind to try just a bite, his longing grew immensely.
It was hard to find fried cicadas abroad. He paid a significant price for the chance to taste them, only to realize the actual flavor paled in comparison to when that little girl had enthusiastically pushed them on him.
The reason he stubbornly ate them, time and again, was probably because every bite reminded him of that radiant smile.
Seeing his silence, Elara assumed he hadn’t eaten them before and reassured him, "No worries, the season for cicadas is coming soon. I’ll buy you some to try then."
Zion Fitzwilliam raised his eyes, looking into hers deeply, a gentle smile curling on his lips, "I’ve had them before."
Surprised, Elara laughed, "You’ve actually eaten them?"
But then she reconsidered and understood, "Of course, you’re from Northgarde. How could you not have tasted them?"
He observed her closely. They were sitting near enough for the light to illuminate every freckle on her face clearly.
It seemed like nothing had changed, yet everything had.
Ultimately, he was too late.
Zion Fitzwilliam lifted his glass, speaking with a double meaning, "The future is long, here’s to our future."
Believing he’d finally let go of Brandon, Elara happily clinked glasses with him, "To our future!"
The cold wind from the open window made them shift to the living room reluctantly. The house wasn’t big, just a two-bedroom unit over sixty square meters, so naturally, the living room wasn’t spacious either. The sofa wasn’t large.
The two nearly filled the sofa, which meant they were sitting quite close.
Elara had zero defenses, after all, she saw Zion Fitzwilliam as a "sister"—a recently heartbroken sister at that—what was there to guard against?
She mentioned something else, "The director of the orphanage called to say the adoption procedures are nearly complete. I can start preparing for adoption. I estimate I’ll be able to bring the child home in about a month."
Zion Fitzwilliam’s formerly relaxed posture tensed slightly at those words.
The adoption process was cumbersome. He thought it would take much longer, was surprised it was this quick.
Then again, she had been divorced for almost three months, and had already begun the process before the divorce. So, in reality, it wasn’t that short.
He felt it was too short, that no amount of time was enough.
He opened his mouth, some words on the tip of his tongue, but in the end, he didn’t say them. He only asked her, "What are you planning?"
Elara had actually planned long ago and had been looking for an opportunity to tell him, "I’m planning to buy a small house nearby. I currently have over eight million, keeping a few hundred thousand as a reserve, and the rest should be enough for a down payment around here. Jasmine is already eight; it’s inconvenient for her to stay here with you."
Jasmine is the child she wanted to adopt.
After moving out, the divorce proceedings could be handled smoothly.
This marriage, which happened by a twist of fate, is about time to end.
However, Elara had long considered Zion Fitzwilliam a friend. Whether the marriage ended made no difference to her; at most, they’d gather from time to time.
But Zion felt a weight in his heart; she’s moving out, she wants a divorce, everything he painstakingly planned was about to be dismantled.
A sudden panic rose in him like never before. Losing the advantage of being nearby, what if she fell in love with another man? What if she started keeping her distance from him?
His palms were slick with sweat, his mind in chaos, but his face showed no sign, smiling as he said, "That’s fine, though it’s hard to find a house. You can stay here until you find one."
After a pause, he added as though unintentionally, "Jasmine is a girl, just coming out of the trauma of losing her parents; her mental health should be a priority. The absence of a father figure can greatly impact a girl, especially as she’s nearing adolescence."
Elara took his words to heart immediately. Yes, how could she forget? Before, when she visited Jasmine, Jasmine expressed her longing for a happy family, asking her foster father many times then. At that time, her foster father was Mason.
Jasmine surely wanted to live in an intact family.
She thought about it and said to Zion somewhat embarrassedly, "You’re right; maybe I can’t divorce you temporarily. At least let the child settle in an environment where both parents are present. Zion, will it be a bother to you?"
Zion suppressed his urge to smile and said solemnly, "How could it be a bother? You know, with my orientation, I might never experience familial bliss in my life. I’m grateful for this opportunity you’re giving me."
By now, he was adept at stabbing himself with his own words.
Elara still felt embarrassed, "We’ll see by then; if Jasmine can accept it, I’ll still take her and move out. If her emotions are unstable, we’ll continue to stay some time. I’ll pay more rent."
Zion nodded very calmly on the surface but secretly contacted Assistant Harris with his phone, keeping a close eye on all housing listings nearby.
No matter what, he couldn’t let her move out. It was hard enough to get close to her, he’d be crazy to push her away willingly.
Although she wasn’t interested in relationships now, he had to ensure that when she decided to date again, he’d be the first candidate.
Elara didn’t know any of Zion’s thoughts; she still felt quite sorry for him. Lying in bed that night, she contacted Zara, "Zara, do you have time this weekend? I want to visit the orphanage."
Zara replied quickly, "Sure, I wanted to go last week, but you had just returned to work and were very busy, so I didn’t bring it up, thinking you wouldn’t have time for a while!"
Elara smiled back, "I’ve got a foothold now, no need for such relentless overtime."
A moment later, Zara called, starting with, "Elara, I have something to tell you, but promise me you won’t cry."
Elara was puzzled, "Why would I cry? What’s the matter?"
Zara was silent for a moment, "Mason is marrying Cecilia at the end of this month. My dad received an invitation."
After saying that, he hurriedly declared his position, "But don’t worry, I definitely won’t go with my dad. I absolutely won’t betray you!"
Elara was first stunned, then smiled, saying softly, "Him getting married, what’s it got to do with me?"
Zara was relieved to hear her indifference, "That’s good, I just worried you might have a hard time coping."
She had hesitated all day before telling her.
Elara laughed candidly, "I’ve already divorced him. His affairs have nothing to do with me. He can marry whoever he likes, and I got married before he did. We didn’t lose this round."
Zara laughed too, "I’m relieved to hear you say that."
After hanging up, Elara lay in bed, her expression distant, not because she missed that man, but because she realized, this time, she had to thoroughly say goodbye to that part of her past.
Forget it, irrelevant people aren’t worth thinking about.
Elara didn’t want to be entangled with the Jacobs Family anymore, but they kept inexplicably approaching her. The night after she learned about Mason marrying Cecilia, Cecilia came to see her.
Elara ran into Cecilia when she went downstairs for lunch. Initially, she didn’t want to pay attention to her and was about to walk around her when Cecilia blocked her path, smiling gently, "Elara, Brother Mason and I are getting married. Here’s the invitation."
She pulled out a beautifully ornate red invitation from a luxurious purse and handed it over, "You’ll come, right, Elara?"
Elara did not reach out to take it, looking at her and saying, "Miss Quincy, do you really want me to come?"
Cecilia’s face stiffened, her smile almost faltering.
During this time, Brother Mason had been very cold to her. The photos of her and Zayne Warner remained a thorn in his heart. Although he decided to marry her for the child’s sake, she knew everything was subtly changing.
Since that incident, Brother Mason hadn’t shown her any affection, not only rejecting her advances but also refusing to eat meals she personally cooked for him.
Kylie Dalton also disliked her, blaming her for not doing housework or cooking, leading to several new servants in the house, all the blame landing on her.
But she felt wronged too. The esteemed Jacobs Family, with such a large estate, why should she do housework? Kylie Dalton spends millions at an auction at the drop of a hat, yet is stingy about hiring servants?
That still wasn’t the most distressing part; the most distressing thing was she discovered Brother Mason often went into his study late at night.
She didn’t know what was in the study, but she once saw him looking at photos of Elara there.
She had never taken Elara seriously before, but now she felt an unprecedented sense of crisis.
So she impulsively sought out Elara.
But what she didn’t expect was Elara showed no discomfort when she saw the invitation.
Was that possible? Missing out on such an outstanding man as Brother Mason, how could Elara remain untouched?!
Cecilia bit her lip and softly said, "Elara, this is also Brother Mason’s wish. We all hope you can witness our happiness in person."
