Preston lounged on the couch, lazily peeling a tangerine he plucked from the fruit plate. âYou know, I think Jasper Beckett should marry Zoe.â
Corneliusâ eyebrows shot up at the statement, and Zoe couldnât contain a quiet grin in Corneliusâ arms.
âSure, Jasper might be an out-of-wedlock son, which isnât ideal, but Justin Beckett is unwell. Sooner or later, the company will be Jasperâs. If Zoe marries him, sheâll inherit Beckett Group. Not a bad deal at all,â
Preston remarked, crossing his legs and stuffing a piece of fruit into his mouth.
âUncle Preston, what are you even sayingâ¦â Zoe bit her lower lip and blushed.
âIâve thought it over. Weâll make an announcement saying that youâve been dating Jasper for a while now, but we kept it private because we didnât want to take up the press space.
âTwo single adults sharing a room is pretty normal, isnât it? Is there a need for public outrage? Look how badly theyâve scared Zoe,â Preston added. He was in charge of entertainment and PR agencies and was no stranger to sensationalism and whitewashing tactics.
âThatâs so typical of you, Uncle Preston. All youâre good at is bullshitting. Youâre such a great role model for the young,â Landon said with a snicker and strode into the study with an intimidating air.
âL-Landon â¦â Zoeâs heart sank as she buried herself in Corneliusâ embrace.
Prestonâs smile froze on his face, and he crushed the tangerine in his hand. âOh, Landon, looks like youâre in a bad mood. Attacking your uncle just when you walked in, huh?â
âLandon, watch your attitude,â Cornelius warned with fury.
Landon smirked and sat across from Preston, surly but still good-looking. âYou have expanded your reach ever since you became the CEO, havenât you, poking your nose into our family matters? Is it because you are childless? Does it feel good to roleplay a father in our marriage arrangements?â
Preston felt the anger rising, his childlessness a lifetime humiliation. Publicly, he explained it away, citing it was his wifeâs fault. Only his wife knew that he suffered from erectile dysfunction.
Nevertheless, he couldnât throw a tantrum in front of Cornelius and had to hold it in.
âLandon, how could you talk to your uncle like that? You brat!â Cornelius slapped the arm of the couch.
âGrandpa, Iâm joking around with him. He doted on me since I was young, so Iâm sure he wouldnât take it personally. Right?â Landon instantly switched his behavior and grinned cheekily at his uncle, his tone irritatingly thick-skinned.
Despite smiling, Preston secretly cursed Landon out.
âYou should quit worrying about Zoeâs marriage. Iâll introduce her to someone rich, but he is definitely not Jasper Beckett,â Landon declared. The air in the study immediately grew heavy.
Zoeâs glee had changed into glumness.
âLandon, I am confused. Who else can Zoe marry if not Jasper?â Preston asserted with an air of authority.
He added, âIf the Beckett Group doesnât agree to take her in, they will be humiliating us. They are basically saying that Zoe, a precious granddaughter and sister, is nothing more than Jasper Beckettâs plaything that can be discarded at whim. What do they take us as?â