CHAPTER 190: CHAPTER 190: FATHER AND SON SHOWDOWN

Leona Sheridan’s heart leapt suddenly, instinctively trying to cover it up.

"What are you talking about? I didn’t... I didn’t say anything bad, you misheard."

"No need to deny, ma’am," Isabelle Sinclair gently interrupted, a deeper smile on her face, "I heard it all. To be honest, I also dislike Juliana. She’s always finding ways to get close to my brother-in-law, it’s really annoying."

"What?" Leona Sheridan immediately dropped her pretense, angrily saying, "So she agreed to be my son’s fiancée under the guise of repaying a favor just to cozy up to our second son, so our second son can give her advantages? I knew this woman was not simple!"

Isabelle glanced at her, secretly disdainful of her stupidity.

The relationship between Juliana and Elias Langley, she didn’t dare to openly talk about.

Firstly, because she feared Elias Langley, and secondly, because saying it wouldn’t benefit her either, so she might as well cover it up for a while in case it came in handy one day.

But she had already hinted to Mrs. Langley like this, yet Mrs. Langley’s IQ...

She looked at Leona Sheridan, her tone carrying a hint of superior teaching.

"To deal with this kind of person, the best way is to keep her where you can see her, keep her in a... place where she thinks she can succeed but actually can’t escape. By then, whether to squash or flatten her, won’t it all be up to you? Taking it slow makes it more interesting, don’t you think?"

Hearing this, Leona Sheridan’s eyes brightened, and a look of sudden understanding with a hint of vicious excitement appeared on her face, as if she could already see Juliana being at her mercy in the future.

...

In the evening, Juliana returned to her apartment and took a shower.

Thinking about the unpleasantness with Elias Langley during the day, she felt they should calmly talk it out.

So, she went next door.

There was no answer after ringing the doorbell several times.

Maybe he hadn’t come back yet.

Remembering the morning he had given her the password, Juliana hesitated for a moment, then decided to input the password and pushed the door open.

The furnishings inside were the same as when she left in the morning, only the used pots and pans in the kitchen had been cleaned and put away neatly.

Juliana could imagine him disposing of the unfinished breakfast after she left, cleaning up the dishes with a sense of loss.

She regretted not calmly asking him for confirmation in the morning.

Juliana sat on the sofa, waiting for him to return.

However, she ended up falling asleep, and it was morning when she woke.

She woke up on the sofa with a slight headache.

Probably caught a cold from not having a blanket last night.

But what surprised her was that Elias Langley hadn’t come back all night.

So she had moved here just to show him?

Juliana suppressed the bitterness in her heart and returned to her own apartment.

That’s when she received a call from the company, a colleague working overtime in the laboratory had made a small mistake and needed her to come quickly.

So she left without drinking the cold medicine she had just made.

But just under ten minutes after she left, Elias Langley returned from outside, stood in front of her door for a moment, finally gave up knocking, and went back to his place.

...

Juliana was busy until the afternoon.

Her head was slightly aching; she was planning to buy some medicine.

An unfamiliar call came in.

After hesitating for a moment, she answered the call.

"Hello, is this Miss Jacobs? I’m the assistant to Chairman Langley. The chairman would like to invite you for a cup of tea; is that convenient for you now?"

What could Victor Langley want with her?

Juliana paused, holding the phone...

When she arrived at the Japanese tea house, the assistant who had called was waiting for her at the door.

Soon, she was led into a private room.

Victor Langley was seated cross-legged on the tatami, preparing the tea.

Despite being in his fifties, he maintained his physique very well, his tailored shirt outlining firm muscular lines. His gaze was calm and authoritative, his demeanor composed and unhurried, his whole person exuding a mature aura honed by time.

"Hello, Chairman Langley."

Juliana cautiously sat opposite him.

"Since you’re now my son’s ’fiancée’, there’s no need to be so polite. You can call me Uncle Langley, and I’ll call you Juliana."

Victor Langley’s tone was gentle, yet it still carried the undeniable authority typical of someone in his position.

Juliana nodded, "Jared did me a favor, I just hope..."

The chairman gestured to indicate she needn’t continue.

"I understand all that. Nowadays, there aren’t many like you who repay kindness."

"One just strives for a clear conscience," Juliana said softly.

Victor Langley pushed a cup of tea towards her, his eyes full of undisguised appreciation.

"My wife is impulsive by nature, and has been spoiled by me over the years. I apologize on her behalf for that night when you were frightened."

Juliana was quite surprised.

So he had specifically come to apologize for Leona Sheridan?

Juliana held the teacup but did not drink from it.

She thought for a moment, lowering her eyes, saying, "Actually, I should apologize to Mrs. Langley as well. But that night, when she locked me in the private room alone with Mr. Tate, I had no choice but to find a way to extricate myself. I really didn’t expect Mr. Tate to be so bold as to directly lay hands on Mrs. Langley."

Victor Langley curled his lips into a knowing smile at her words.

"When in difficult situations, it’s instinctive to choose the path most beneficial to oneself; there’s no blame in that. I’ve already warned her afterwards. You knowing how to protect yourself is a good thing. But the Langley Family ultimately owes you respect, and I want to personally make amends."

"I haven’t lost anything, you really don’t need to..."

Juliana attempted to refuse, but Victor Langley calmly took out two exquisite tickets, placing them on the table.

"It’s not about money or material things, you don’t need to feel any pressure. Just two tickets to a ballet performance, ’Dream of the Red Chamber’ on Thursday night, which I thought might suit your taste."

Juliana looked at the tickets, her heart slightly trembling, but maintaining a calm demeanor: "Uncle Langley, this..."

Victor Langley’s gaze deeply fixed on her face.

"Jared has been spoiled by us, and not to mention that he’s sick now, ordinarily he’s just a big child who doesn’t know how to take care of others, let alone be considerate. So, if you ever have any difficulties or just want someone to talk to, you can come to me directly."

His hints couldn’t have been more explicit, and Juliana’s heart was instantly thrown into turmoil.

Victor Langley watched as she said nothing, pushed the tickets forward, his gaze intense, voice even lower, "So Thursday night, are you free?"

At that moment, the door to the tearoom opened.

Jared Langley walked in.

Seeing his father and Juliana, his face lit up with pure delight.

"Dad, Juliana, what are you talking about?"

Victor Langley’s actions stiffened for an almost imperceptible moment, but Juliana touched her hair behind her ear, calmly replying, "Uncle Langley was worried I might have opinions about you because of what Mrs. Langley did. He even... specifically bought us theater tickets, suggesting we go together to unwind."

With this response, Victor Langley’s awkwardness disappeared.

Jared looked at his father with gratitude, "Thanks, Dad, with you speaking up, Juliana will surely forgive me. Juliana..."

He took Juliana’s hand.

"You see, my dad is so supportive of us living together, why not move back to the Langley Residence? That way, I can see you every day."

Victor Langley’s eyes paused on Juliana’s seemingly composed yet masked face, a deeper intrigment flickering in their depths.

He leisurely finished his slightly cooled tea, speaking in a decisive tone: "Jared’s right, no need to wait any longer, you should move ’back’ today."