Chapter 3668

Elora said, “I’ll prepare a meal for you during the New Year, and you can go to the hotel to meet your family. I’ll cover all the expenses for them in Annenburg. How does that sound?”

Tatum replied, “Thank you for thinking about me, Miss. My grandma is over 80 but still strong enough to fly. However, my family is large, and it would be difficult for everyone to travel together.

It’s alright—I’ll tell them I won’t be home this year, and the elders will understand.”

He had already thought this through before arriving. His family had expected him to miss the New Year this time. Next year, he planned to bring Elora home to finalize their marriage. His grandmother had given them a year to grow closer, and he was confident that time would be enough.

“As for the New Year’s salary,” Tatum continued, “pay me whatever you think is fair. I’m your chef, responsible for your meals. It’s normal for people in this line of work to work through the holidays.”

Elora responded, “I’ll pay you five times the normal salary since you’re giving up your vacation. Give me your home address so I can send New Year gifts to your family.”

“Thank you, Miss, but that’s not necessary,” Tatum replied, though he still wrote down an address on a piece of paper and handed it to her. “My home is far from the city center, and it’s not easy to receive deliveries there. You can send it to my company, and my secretary will forward it to my family.”

Although he couldn’t bring his fiancée home this year, he could at least s from Elora to his family, giving them a glimpse of their future daughter-in-law’s kindness. Elora took the note with Tatum’s company address and recognized it from her earlier investigation. She was reassured that Tatum was being truthful.

When the rest of the family heard Tatum wasn’t going home for New Year, they all breathed a sigh of relief, knowing they wouldn’t have to travel to Wiltspoon for the holiday.

In Jensburg, preparations were underway at the Farrell family mansion for the big dinner that evening. Many relatives were helping out, eager to stay for the event. They noticed that the matriarch, Farrell, had invited only the most capable family members, leaving out those who, while older, weren’t as skilled. Some saw this as favoritism toward the family head.

Audrey, the eldest daughter of the previous matriarch, was also expected at the dinner. Though many hadn’t met her, they had heard stories of her successes in Wiltspoon and were eager to see her in person. Those who had met her praised her as being as capable as her mother, perhaps even more so than the current matriarch, Kathryn. There was speculation about whether Kathryn could hold onto her role if Audrey returned to the family.

By 4 p.m., the mansion’s doors were open, ready to welcome Audrey and her entourage. However, the first to arrive were reporters from the local media.

Clarissa, who had been in the mansion all day, was visibly annoyed when she heard the news. Her expression was so cold it seemed she could kill a mosquito with a glance. She asked the butler sharply, “Who invited the media here?”