Chapter 782: Too exceptional for any of you to even mention her name,

Originally, everyone was interested in Zoren’s marriage. Even though it hadn’t been brought up yet, everyone was curious.

Where was the matriarch of the family?

Wasn’t she supposed to come today?

Didn’t Zoren agree to bring Jonathan into the family gathering to avoid talking about his marriage? But with Jonathan out of the picture for the moment, Zoren was leaving himself vulnerable on that front.

’He’s not bluffing, is he?’William wondered to himself, watching Zoren talk to Dean and Lloyd without touching his food. ’Does he want me to bring up his wife? Or is he not prepared?’

But then again, since when had Zoren ever been unprepared for anything? If Zoren could make a move the moment he learned about Jonathan, he would surely have done something to salvage himself from the family’s judgment over a questionable marriage.

Soon, William had to make a decision: Should he bring up Zoren’s marriage? Or let it pass for now?

To him, the latter was more tempting because William wasn’t the type to back down. But then again, he had already lost a few of his bullets before he could fire them. Risking his last shot seemed more likely to miss than to hit. Not to mention, the vicious panther was here, and knowing Zoren, he might order his vicious pet to do something horrible and then call it an accident.

"By the way, Uncle, where’s your wife?" Dean asked meaningfully right after a brief exchange with Zoren. "Everyone was anticipating her presence tonight. However, I don’t see her anywhere. Today was the perfect chance to introduce her to everyone."

"It’s not like your wife is mandated to come," Lloyd added politely. "But since this is a family gathering, it would be better to introduce her to everyone and help her get familiar with us."

Zoren’s mouth parted, but before he could speak, William chimed in.

"Are you saying that Zoren hasn’t told his wife everything she needs to know?" Slowly, everyone shifted their attention to William after he spoke. "You mentioned it. The matriarch of the house didn’t have to be here if she didn’t want to. I mean, she should be a woman of great standing to capture the heart of the most powerful man in Anteca."

The corner of William’s mouth lifted in a slight smirk as he looked at Zoren. "Though I understand everyone’s curiosity, as I share the same sentiment. Just how exceptional was she to capture your heart—and the empty seat at the table that has been left unoccupied for years?"

"Too exceptional for any of you to even mention her name," Zoren quickly retorted without hesitation. "Though I may sound arrogant, what I told you is the truth. I understand that all of you are curious and eager to meet my wife. However, even though she is part of the family, she doesn’t need us."

"What?" someone at the table muttered under his breath.

That person wasn’t the only one who seemed in disbelief. Some were not pleased to hear this at all.

"Master, what do you mean she doesn’t need us?" Lloyd asked politely, though a hint of nervousness crept into his voice. "The matriarch of the house might not need us, but we certainly need her. After all, she is now part of the family, and if anything goes wrong, she should know the ins and outs of the company. With all due respect."

"She’s already well aware of the ins and outs of the company, so there’s no need to worry," Zoren replied indifferently. "Moreover, nothing unforeseen will happen. I can assure you of that."

"Is there a particular reason you don’t want her to get involved with the family?" Karina, William’s daughter, asked, unaware that she had spoken too soon. Fortunately, Zoren didn’t take offense at the simple inquiry.

"There isn’t any particular reason, aside from the fact that my wife is a busy woman," Zoren explained casually. "As I said, I understand your enthusiasm. However, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but my wife’s too exceptional to bother herself with Pierson Family affairs."

A mix of reactions followed—some were displeased, while others remained neutral. However, they all shared the same sentiment: no matter how exceptional Zoren’s wife was, as he claimed, it wasn’t proper for her to completely disregard the Pierson Family.

The role of the matriarch was critical in the family because she was meant to balance the power dynamics within it. She would need to hold as much authority as Zoren himself. There was much complexity in all of this, which was the very reason Zoren didn’t want Penny involved.

She couldn’t just ignore the Pierson Family.

In their minds, the first thought that came to them was that Zoren’s wife was either arrogant... or perhaps an illusion. There was no way a woman would exist without interest in taking on this role. Any woman would be honored to stand at the highest peak in the family.

"However." Zoren suddenly broke his silence, pausing to gauge the reactions from his previous remarks. "If my wife wants to come and bond with my family, she’s always free to do so. I simply don’t require her for one reason... I’m still alive. The chairwoman is still alive."

"I find it repulsive that everyone is already eyeing my wife. Although I don’t want to lace this with negative reasons, it’s still insulting to me," Zoren said coldly and honestly. "Did I perhaps do something terrible that might’ve changed your perception of me and how I run the company?"

His brows rose as his eyes scanned the faces around him. However, none of them spoke, aside from clearing their throats and avoiding his gaze for various reasons.

Dean smiled and nodded at Zoren. "Of course not, Uncle. Since the start of your tenure, you’ve executed everything perfectly. Whether or not you have a wife right now, as long as you’re in great shape, there’s nothing wrong with it."

"Please," he continued in the same tone. "Everyone only has the family and the company’s best interests in mind. Don’t be upset."