<h4>Chapter 197: Flights of Fancy</h4>


    "Old Mr. Carter, your family values are truly remarkable," Eric said with a sly smile. "Cheating on your wife, having your mistress and spouse pregnant at the same time—well, in other countries, that would be considered adultery, and you’d be facing legal consequences. Oh, I almost forgot, there’s now against adultery here, so your impable family values really do shine through, don’t they?"


    Eric’s mocking tone made E feel a wave of satisfaction. This guy’s sharp tongue was lethal, and he didn’t hold back!


    Sure enough, Sean’s face changed colors rapidly, from red to white, then from white to green.


    "Grandpa, don’t get upset. Mr. Nelson... was just joking with you!" Leah quickly tried to calm Sean, not wanting to offend Eric.


    "Miss Carter, please don’t misinterpret my words," Eric said, turning to Leah with a serious expression. "Where did I joke with Old Mr. Carter? I was beingpletely sincere. It’s just a shame that talking to someone with such low intelligence is emotionally draining! But never mind, let’s not dwell on it. We should head downstairs for dinner."


    Eric let out a coldugh, took E by the arm, and started leading her downstairs.


    At the doorway of the study, Old Mr. Martinez couldn’t help butugh heartily as he saw Old Mr. Carter being put in his ce. "Hahaha... You old fool, even you have days where youe out on the losing end. That Eric kid is bing more and more likable!"


    Sean was seething with anger as he stormed off, while Leah’s face also soured. When they reached the dining room and saw that it was already full, Leah’s mood darkened further.


    Seeing Eric again, her eyes lit up. "Mr. Martinez, I hope you don’t mind if we join you for dinner?"


    Richard shot her a cold nce, knowing that his grandfather didn’t actually like Sean but tolerated him out of respect for their long-standing rtionship.


    "Sorry, we didn’t prepare any extra ces for you today. Besides, this little Martinez household can’t possibly amodate such a distinguished guest as Old Mr. Carter," Richard replied, his words nearly causing Sean to faint from anger. However, as the elder, Sean restrained himself from losing his temper in front of the younger generation.


    With a cold huff, Sean signaled Leah to help him leave.


    Leah’s smile, as she left, looked more pained than anything else.


    Richard went upstairs to fetch Old Mr. Martinez, who was in great spirits. Despite his age, he was lively and engaged in conversation with the younger people, making the lunchtime atmosphere pleasant. Even though E had to deal with her biological grandfather, the encounter didn’t dampen her mood.


    With Eric carefully looking out for her, how could she not be happy?


    Meanwhile, as Leah helped Old Mr. Carter back into the car, her face was clouded with concern. She gently said, "Grandpa, why let that girl get under your skin? She really can’t stir up much trouble, but Eric... he’s the one to watch out for."


    Sean nodded in agreement. "You’re right, that brat only acts so brazenly because of that punk!"


    "Grandpa, leave these matters to us. You should just focus on enjoying your time with Grandma," Leah said with a soft smile.


    But Sean shook his head. "You... you may not be a match for that punk yet."


    Leah had been bested at every turn, and Eric clearly didn’t take her seriously. If they ever became true rivals, Leah wouldn’t stand a chance against him.


    Leah’s smile faltered slightly. "Grandpa, I’ll keep growing and improving. One day, I’ll be able to stand on equal footing with Eric! A talent like him, if we could bring him into Carter Group, would be a huge asset."


    Sean shook his head again. "His heart is with that brat. Bringing him into Carter Group would bring us more harm than good."


    Leah pondered for a moment, realizing Sean was right. If Eric’s heart was truly only for E, then it wouldn’t be wise to bring him into Carter Group.


    "Sweetheart, that boy has no taste. Don’t let him make you sad," Sean said, trying tofort his beloved granddaughter with a gentle smile.


    Leah was his cherished granddaughter from the woman he truly loved, whereas Ava had only been a wife for business purposes. Naturally, he had no emotional attachment to E.


    Leah felt a bit more bnced after that. No matter how capable E was, she couldn’t win over the people at Carter Group. Even her own grandfather had grown to despise herpletely!


    "Grandpa, I’m not sad at all. I’m going to work hard, and I’ll definitely be Mrs. Nelson!" Leah said, her face lighting up with a bright smile. Even though Eric disliked her now, that was only because he was currently fixated on E.


    Once he got tired of her, even if he didn’t love Leah, there would certainly be someone else in the picture.


    After all, what sessful man doesn’t have a few mistresses?


    Sean was equally confident in Leah, and the two of them left the Martinez house, chatting andughing, as if the earlier unpleasantness hadn’t left any mark on their spirits.


    After lunch, E and the group moved the party to a yacht, where they continued to celebrate with a lively party. The men yed a dice game where the loser had to kiss their date, leaving E with her face covered in kisses. Amid theughter and teasing, she and Amelia finally retreated to the deck.


    Standing on the deck, feeling the early summer breeze, E felt a wave of exhration.


    Although she knew that the people from Carter Group wouldn’t leave her alone, and there would likely be storms ahead, she wasn’t afraid!


    Thinking of Eric’s sweet kisses, her cheeks flushed with warmth.


    "I can see you and Eric are really close. Sigh, my guy is nothingpared to Eric," Amelia said gloomily.


    E looked at her, puzzled. "What’s wrong? I thought he treated you well?"


    "Ha! His temper is even worse than mine. We might seem fine now, but when it’s just the two of us, we’re constantly fighting! We bicker daily, and every few days, we have a big blowout—it’s practically routine!" Ameliained, feeling a mix of sweetness and sadness on her birthday.


    E suddenly didn’t know how tofort her.


    She and Eric were a perfect match; no matter what, he always protected her and treated her like a treasure.


    He had given her a world where she could freely express herself and be as wild as she wanted.


    At that moment, a female server approached them. "Would youdies like some juice?"


    E frowned. That voice... wasn’t it Rachel’s?


    This must be a joke, running into her here again.


    She turned around, and sure enough, there was Rachel, standing there with a tray of juice, her smile as sweet as ever. Seeing E and Amelia, her expression didn’t change at all.


    Amelia’s face instantly darkened. "Who let you on board?"


    After what happenedst time, Amelia had grown to utterly dislike Rachel. Even though she was Richard’s distant cousin, the girl was just too irritating!


    And Richard didn’t have any fondness for Rachel either, so he hadn’t invited her to Amelia’s birthday party.


    Rachel looked startled by Amelia’s reaction and bit her lip in frustration. "I... I’m just a server here. I heard my cousin was hiring, so I came!"