Female Novel
Chapter 1180
The car pulled up to Greenfield Gardens, but Ian didn't get out. Instead, he waited for Steve to continue
speaking.
Steve let out a small sigh.
"Eric has had a hard time these past years. He told me he wouldn’t take the Raymond Corporation
away from you. He only wants Maja."
A shadow crossed Ian's eyes, quickly followed by a smirk. He casually held a cigarette between his
fingers, looking at the man he'd always called 'dad'.
The role of 'dad' in his family hadn't been significant, as the man was rarely home.
So, in Ian's limited memory, there were few exchanges between them.
He thought his father was impartial, but it seemed he, like his mother and grandmother, favored Eric.
Who in the Raymond family didn’t like Eric? He was gentle and always smiling, unlike Ian’s volatile
temper.
"So, what are you suggesting, dad?"
Steve thought he'd have to say a lot more to bring up this topic, but Ian cut him short, leaving him
feeling awkward.
After a minute of silence, he let out another sigh.
"Let Maja spend a month with Eric. If she falls back in love with him, she can marry him. If not, you two
can continue as you were."
Halfway through his sentence, Ian felt like laughing.
He looked up at the dazzling Greenfield Gardens, the best location, the best house. He was the
wealthiest man in the whole of Greenfield, but at that moment, he felt an unprecedented emptiness
inside.
He gave a cold smile. "So, dad, you're suggesting Eric gets first dibs on Maja as if she were a
commodity. If he's not interested, I get to keep her and we warm each other’s loneliness. Is that it?"
Steve felt uncomfortable. His younger son always had a sharp tongue.
When Holden was alive, he favored Ian's character, but Steve didn’t.
After a whole-day conversation with his elder son, he found their exchanges more comfortable than his
interactions with Ian, which were always confrontational.
So, favoring his elder son was justified.
Ian wasn't particularly likable, no matter how strong his business acumen was. If Eric were in his
position, he would have done better.
"Ian, I don't want you to twist my words."
"Enough."
Ian threw his cigarette into the nearby trash can.
"Dad, I've said before. If he wants the Raymond Corporation, I'll give it to him. But Maja? No way. The
higher-ups know me, so they sent you here as a mediator. But I won't give up Maja, especially since
she loves me."
"And what if she loves Eric? You know nothing about their pact. Maja got into Solstice College because
of Eric! Without him, she wouldn't have come to Greenfield for university. She spent her senior year in
Crystalbrook Valley. She had a misunderstanding with her father and wouldn't have willingly come tonovelbin
Greenfield. It was Eric who found her, healed her, and because of their pact, she came back to
Greenfield. Otherwise, you wouldn't have met her."
Ian's grip on his cigarette tightened, breaking it in half.
Steve took a deep breath, his face growing solemn.
"Ian, there are some things I don't want to put it in an ugly way, but don't you think you and Eric are
similar? Maja’s marrying you back then is for the future of the Pennyfeather family. She got involved
with you because of your looks, because of the appearance you have, not because you're Ian."
Seeing Ian's silence, Steve felt a pang of discomfort, even some resentment towards Maja.
One woman had unsettled both his sons!
There was a flash of anger in his eyes, but he kept his composure.
"Tomorrow, I'll talk to Maja and ask for her opinion. Remember, a woman never forgets her first love,
and you were just a substitution. She kept that ring for so many years. Do you really think she's over
Eric?"
After the car left, Ian stood there, feeling a chill run down his spine.