<h4>Chapter 399: Visiting His Family</h4>


    "Alright, Miss, please follow me," the servant said politely.


    E stood up calmly, assuming that whatever Lucas had prepared for her would be rted to her mother, Isabe.


    When they reached the study, the servant handed over a few items: an old bracelet and a thick stack of documents.


    E nced through them and quickly realized they detailed the transfer of ownership for several chain stores in Country W. Although the documents weren’t finalized yet, the intent was clear.


    Feeling exasperated, E muttered to herself. She had no need for such things.


    "That bracelet," Lucas said as he entered the study, his gaze softening as it fell on the item, "was sent to me by your mother. At the time, she was worried her family would give me a hard time and refuse to let me bring any gifts when I went to propose. So, she secretly mailed it to me."


    The bracelet was a relic from the 1970s, its carvings not particrly intricate but made of pure silver. It wasn’t the most valuable piece of jewelry, but it held deep sentimental value.


    E carefully picked it up and slipped it onto her wrist, her movements tender.


    "I n to transfer some of my stores and other properties to you..." Lucas began.


    "No need, thank you. I don’tck money," E interrupted, shaking her head. Her gaze lingered on his pleading eyes.


    For some reason, she held back from saying anything harsh. "Luke is your adopted son. Treat him as your own, and leave it at that. I don’t care about these things. I only want this bracelet, something of my mother’s."


    Her longshes lowered, shadowing her eyes. Lucas sighed deeply but didn’t insist further.


    "Very well, if that’s what you want," he said quietly.


    There was a faint sadness in Lucas’s gentle expression as he gazed at his daughter, who resembled Isabe so much. "Let’s head downstairs and watch some television. I’ll have Luke take you hometer tonight."


    E nodded without a word.


    As she stroked the bracelet on her wrist, a wave of nostalgia and longing washed over her.


    ...


    Tiffany’s ashes were to be returned to Country S for burial, but a memorial service was held for her by the film association in Country W.


    E and Eric attended the service together.


    Though E disliked, even loathed, Hannah, she had always admired Tiffany as a character.


    Despite the Miller family’s support, Hannah had worked hard to achieve the sess that came with being Tiffany.


    If Hannah had changed her ways earlier, E thought, she might have had one less enemy. Perhaps Hannah’s downfall wouldn’t have been so tragic.


    After the memorial, Eric received a call from his uncle, Curtis Miller, who informed him that his aunt and cousin hade to visit and invited Eric to bring E along for dinner.


    As they drove to the restaurant, Eric exined a bit about his aunt and cousin.


    His cousin, Anna Miller, was a graduate student, while his aunt was a housewife. Despite Curtis’s rtivelyfortable financial situation, his wife was notoriously frugal.


    Curtis,pletely under his wife’s thumb, had always struggled to stand up to her. When Eric hade to study in Country W, he rarely turned to his uncle for help to avoid causing trouble in their household.


    Even so, Curtis had secretly sent Eric small sums of money during his time at university. These funds, while modest, had asionally been lifesaving. But for the most part, Eric had supported himself through his own efforts.


    Eric exined that his rtionship with his uncle’s family had been distant for years. It wasn’t until after Eric graduated and became sessful that his aunt’s attitude toward him began to improve.


    "I’ve already prepared a gift for them, so don’t worry. I’m not the same struggling kid I was back then, and she knows it. You won’t need to deal with any hostility," Eric said with a reassuring smile, noticing E’s slight concern.


    E nodded. "Your uncle...he really wasn’t much of a guardian, was he? Things weren’t easy for you growing up, and he and your aunt didn’t even try to take you in..."


    "Being taken in isn’t always a blessing," Eric replied with a soft chuckle. "Living under someone else’s roof would’ve meant constant conflict, criticism, and her venting her frustrations on me daily. Do you think that kind of life would’ve been better than forging my own path?"


    E offered a wry smile. "I suppose I was being naive to think otherwise."


    E had always been the daughter of wealthy families in both her past and present lives, so she naturallycked the understanding of the struggles faced by ordinary people.


    For many women, having to take in someone else’s child—especially when finances were tight—could easily foster resentment and negative emotions. Living under someone else’s roof was never an ideal solution. True independence was the key to living freely and without constraints.


    ...


    By the time they arrived at Curtis’s home, his family was already seated and waiting in the dining room.


    As Eric opened the door, E’s gaze immediately fell on a middle-aged man with a straightforward and honest demeanor. His facial features bore a slight resemnce to Eric’s.


    The man was Curtis, clearly mild-mannered, while Eric’s aunt had a sharper, more critical look, her eyes glinting with a frosty edge.


    Their cousin, Anna, however, gave off the gentle and modest air of a girl-next-door.


    "Eric, you’re here! Come, sit down. Is this your girlfriend?" Curtis greeted warmly, standing up with a cheerful smile.


    "Uncle, Aunt, Anna—this is my wife, E," Eric introduced briefly.


    Anna smiled softly. "So you’re my sister-inw. Please, have a seat!"


    The family was polite to E and Eric, but their enthusiasm visibly increased after Eric handed over the gifts he’d brought. Anna and their aunt both beamed with delight.


    "Eric, you’ve really outdone yourself. Miss Davis is so beautiful and capable! I’m just green with envy," his aunt eximed, her grin broad.


    "Aunt, you’re too kind," E responded with a polite but distant smile.


    Curtis chuckled. "Alright, enough chit-chat. Eric doesn’t visit often. Let’s eat!"


    The table was set with simple homemade dishes. Since Eric’s aunt was a housewife, there were no hired servants, and all the food had been prepared by her own hands.


    Curtis, a small-time businessman in Country W, had seen his ventures decline over the years. Recently, Eric’s partnership with him had led to a noticeable improvement in his business’s earnings.


    Curtis’s affable personality made him deeply appreciative of Eric, but as a devoted husband, he rarely dared to go against his wife’s wishes. Now that Eric was a rising star and wealthy in his own right, his wife couldn’t have been more eager to please him.


    The meal progressed with lighthearted conversation. E observed that Anna, much like Curtis, was gentle and unpretentious.


    Despite Eric’s newfound sess, his aunt asionally let slip sharp remarks that cut a little too close to the bone.


    "Eric, you haven’t visited us in so long. Have you gotten so rich that you’ve forgotten about us?" his aunt teased with a smile, though her tone carried a faint edge.


    The remark irked E, though Eric remained unfazed, having long grown ustomed to suchments.


    "Aunt, you’re quite the joker. I was busy even when I didn’t have money, remember? Back then, I only managed a few visits a year. I’d say I’ming around much more frequently now," Eric replied smoothly.


    Anna quickly interjected, "Mom, stop talking so much and eat your meal. Cousin’s already doing so much for us!"


    Embarrassed, Eric’s auntughed awkwardly. E quietly ate another bite of her rice, but suddenly, her eyelids grew heavy.


    A wave of shock hit her as her body went numb. Before she could cry out, her vision blurred, and she slumped over the table, unconscious.