Her mood became even more downcast.

Dressed in a pure wedding gown, marrying the man she loved most, was the ultimate dream of every woman. Yet for her, this dream had been shattered by reality all too soon.

"If you're feeling bored, you can go out for a walk. Just remember to take the bodyguards with you; I won't feel at ease otherwise. As for Adele's situation, don't worry too much about it. She made her own decision, and she'll come to terms with the path she chose," Glades Horne said, embracing her from behind.

Julia turned around. "Glades, Mom is a lady of high society. She has lived in a wealthy mansion for decades, and the people she knows are all rich ladies with more money than they know what to do with. Women, when they have money, always like to dress up. I think Mom has a real knack for beauty, and she still looks so young, not old at all. Why don't we let Mom run a beauty salon? The business surely wouldn't do badly."

As a good wife, a good daughter-in-law, and a good sister-in-law, she paid attention to so many things. The gloom of her sister-in-law, the heartache her mother-in-law had harbored for so many years, and the dreary days that were hard to get through—she saw all of these things and kept them in her heart. That persistent ex-mistress, Pheobe Rogers, had been showing up at the house again recently. Every time she came, although her mother-in-law tried her best to maintain normalcy, the two rivals always engaged in verbal sparring. But Julia nonetheless noticed the pain and tiredness in her mother-in-law's eyes. Mila Anderson did want to let go, but Pheobe Rogers was not sincere, deliberately trying to provoke her. Especially since Pheobe Rogers knew that Gian Horne hadn't looked her way a month ago because his finances had been frozen by Glades Horne, she had become greedy and more unsatisfied than before. Recently, she had been persuading Gian Horne to change the agreement she had initially signed with Mila Anderson, demanding that some of the Horne Family's assets be managed by James Horne, not just by Glades Horne. The allowance Gian Horne provided her every month started to seem too little, and she demanded it be doubled, making Gian Horne feel that she had changed. Moreover, she nagged the old lady every day about James Horne's marital prospects, claiming that the Horne Family didn't care about her son, treated him as insignificant, and never helped arrange James's marriage. The old lady was so exasperated by her nagging that she wanted to seal Pheobe's mouth with tape. Now, whenever Pheobe Rogers appeared, the old lady would hurriedly have Aunt Mei help her back to her room, not wanting to see Pheobe. After all, the old lady had never liked Pheobe Rogers. James Horne knew his mother had been making daily visits, demanding this and that. He was angry, feeling that his mother's actions would infuriate his beloved elder brother. One evening, he went to the Coastal District and sternly rejected his mother's attempts to secure the family fortune on his behalf. He said that even if the Horne Family fortune were divided and given to him, he wouldn't want it because it belonged to his brother. Pheobe Rogers was so enraged by his protectiveness towards Glades Horne that she almost vomited blood. Thus, she started making even more of a fuss in front of Gian Horne and intensified her war with Mila Anderson. Julia knew Glades Horne wasn't without his ways of getting revenge on Pheobe Rogers; it was just that his vengeance was subtle and slow, making it hard to detect his deep hatred for Pheobe. And because of this, Pheobe Rogers could act so fearlessly.

"If Mom is interested, I'll support her," Glades Horne said in a deep voice, a cold light flashing in the depths of his eyes.

His dark revenge needed to go even further. He would leave Pheobe Rogers with nothing, making her lose Gian's affection, the mother-son bond with James, and her comfortable life. Where she came from, that's where she would be sent back. But now, the most important thing was to first divert his mother's attention and affection. Only when his mother's feelings for his father faded could he truly cut through the chaos with a swift stroke.

"Right now, I think what Mom wants most is to hold her grandchild," Glades Horne said, his hand once again resting on Julia's abdomen.

"It'll still be seven months before the baby is born."

Glades Horne fell silent.

After a moment, he said softly, "Julia, find some time to talk to Mom and see what she thinks." Perhaps giving his mother a more fulfilling life was the most beneficial way to shift her feelings away from his father. Even regarding his own father, Glades Horne felt in his heart that his father was not a good man. If he were, he wouldn't have gotten entangled with another woman after marrying and having children, nor fathered an illegitimate child. Even if his parents' marriage was a business alliance without love as its foundation, it wasn't completely devoid of sentiment. He believed a responsible man shouldn't cheat after marriage, let alone father an illegitimate child. Now, holding all the cards of the Horne Family, he could make his father penniless at any moment.

"Mm-hmm."

Julia agreed softly.

The conversation between them paused for a moment.

"Glades."

"Mm-hmm."

"James... let's not hurt him too much."

There was a brief silence before Glades Horne responded, "I won't hurt him too deeply. I'll have his mother take action to drive a wedge between them."

"You've been working on it all along."

"The big explosion hasn't happened yet."

"He's actually quite pitiful."

"Julia, I think your husband is even more pitiable right now."

"How are you pitiable? You have power, wealth, status, talent, and looks—you have it all. If you're pitiable, then everyone in the world is pitiable."