Chapter 7 The Disposition Of The Riviere Family
- What was done was done. Nothing could change the fact that Lucien was now Seraphina's husband.
- However, freeloading was not in Lucien's nature. He felt uneasy about having the Salisbury family pay for the wedding. Hence, he quickly came to an agreement with Seraphina and left to deal with other matters.
- Before heading off, he had someone bring Seraphina to the Riviere residence.
- In reality, Lucien himself rarely stayed at the mansion. Instead, he spent most of his nights in a 200-square meter duplex apartment that was a stone's throw away from his workplace.
- Even so, at the end of the day, the apartment was just a resting place. Hence, after some contemplation, Lucien decided it would be more proper to bring his new wife to his family home.
- In the hotel parlor, Guillaume and Constance gawked at their son with confusion written plainly on their faces. Their eyes bore into him as they hoped fervently for an explanation that would ease their minds.
- The man in question loosened up his tie and tossed the couple an insouciant grin.
- “Congratulations, Mom and Dad. You have a new daughter-in-law!”
- Guillaume and Constance were appalled upon hearing his words.
- “Ridiculous! You're being ridiculous!” Guillaume yelled, pointing his finger at Lucien. In his opinion, the unexpected marriage was a shock and a disgrace to the family.
- At the same time, worry lined Constance's face. “Lucien, what is going on? Why are you involved in a marriage that was between the Salisburys and the Hoults?”
- “Did you know Ms. Hoult before this?” Guillaume interjected before Lucien could answer.
- Being older meant that Guillaume had many years of experience under his belt. Dabbling in the business world had sculpted him into an astute man, and his instincts told him that something was off about the current situation.
- Lucien was sitting on the couch with hands in his lap, fingers intertwined. He held his father's gaze and shook his head no.
- “So today is your first time meeting her?” Guillaume continued to probe his son.
- The reply was a curt nod from Lucien.
- “This is outrageous! Why would you dive headfirst into a marriage with someone you've just met? What about this—since the marriage is not in black and white, nothing is set in stone just yet. Go and tell the Salisburys and the Hoults that everything you did was so you could protect their reputation. You can't be known as the home-wrecker in this marriage. Let the two families deal with the mess themselves.”
- “Did you hear your father? I agree with him—escape all this drama while you still can. The media has already gotten hold of this information. Although I've sent some people to quell the rumors, it wouldn't be long before everything spirals out of hand. Lucien, we have never had any scandals attached to our name. Don't let others' problems be the cause of our downfall,” Constance implored Lucien to heed his father's advice.
- Lucien must set things straight, be it a public announcement through the media or an apology to the Salisburys and the Hoults. He must have agreed to be the stand-in groom in the heat of the moment to help them out of the predicament, but he's not in a relationship with Seraphina, so we can't approve of this absurd marriage.
- Lucien, however, had different thoughts.
- He patiently listened to his parents' pleas but was unmoved. “Mom, Dad, I'm going to marry her. Seraphina and I have talked it through, and we're going to register the marriage tomorrow morning.”
- The solemnness that seeped through his voice shook Guillaume and Constance to their core.
- So not only is he refusing to clarify the situation, but he's also going to register the marriage with Seraphina Hoult?
- Feeling anxious, Constance clutched Lucien's hand. “Lucien, you have to think this through. Think about who you are! How can you treat your marriage so carelessly? Did you know that Seraphina never got any education? Instead, she grew up with her grandmother on Mount Malachite, cut off from civilization. She has been ostracized by her own family and will never inherit the Hoult family business in the future. Don't you see that she's just a pawn for the Hoults to manipulate as they please? They're only marrying her off to gain a business alliance! If this isn't enough to convince you, just think about Denver Salisbury. An intelligent man like him would not get drugged up so easily. It's obvious that he had devised a plan to get out of the marriage. To put it simply, he thinks Seraphina is not good enough for him, so how can a woman who was scorned by the Salisburys be a good suit for my son?”
- Lucien was a man of high stature. In addition to his great influence, his identity as the Riviere family's sole heir made him all the more desirable.
- Why would one of the most eligible bachelors in the country go after a shunned woman?