He then looked at Frank. "Dad, don''t forget to prepare Yvonne''s dowry. And if you''re not too busy, please handle it personally instead of letting an assistant do a sloppy job. As for the budget, let''s make it double what you gave Ynda. As the legitimate son, whose name is in the family records and on the birth certificate, I can''t be seen as less than that bastard Eden. We wouldn''t want people to talk.”


    The mention of the illegitimate son instantly soured Emma''s expression, which had just started to improve.


    She stood up and stormed out.


    “Emma! Emma!" Frank called after her desperately, but she walked away as if she hadn''t heard him.


    "You''ve ruined a perfectly good family dinner. Did youe back just to annoy me?" Frank snapped, ring at Bet.


    "How can the three of us be considered a family dinner? You should have invited Grandmother and Eden over. Better yet, fly Vanessa Monroe''s family back from overseas. The more the merrier, wouldn''t you say?"


    "Shut up! It''s like you want to give me a heart attack!" Frank snatched a wine ss from the table, raising it as if to throw it, but then, fearing he might actually hurt his son, he mmed it back down in frustration.


    Bet shrugged nonchntly, pulled a few tissues from the dispenser, and wiped his mouth before standing up.


    "Don''t forget about the dowry. Once it''s ready, please send it to the Jones family. Yvonne isn''t on good terms with her biological mother, but she''s very close with the Joneses. We can consider them her maternal family. We can all have a meal together then, a formal meeting of the inws."


    "Fine, I get it. I''ll have my assistant prepare the dowry you want, and I''ll personally review it to make sure your little sweetheart isn''t slighted," Frank said with a sigh of resignation.


    Bet nodded, seemingly satisfied with Frank''s response.


    Frank was still a director at thepany and had a busy schedule. It was unrealistic


    to expect him to shop for the dowry himself. The fact that he would personally oversee it was good enough.


    Bet said, "Alright, thank you for your trouble. If there''s nothing else, I''ll be heading back. I have things to attend to at the base tonight."


    "You just got here and you''re already leaving? You haven''t even finished your meal," Frank sighed.


    "Mom''s gone. How can I possibly eat?"


    Frank shot him a re. "And whose fault is that? You just had to bring up a sore subject. What good does it do you if your mother and I get a divorce?"


    "It doesn''t do me any harm, either."


    Frank clutched his chest, feeling a fresh wave of anger. This son was impossible.


    Leaning lightly against the edge of the table, Bet slowly lit a cigarette. "If you want to patch things up with Mom, you''ll have to deal with Grandmother and den First."


    "Your grandmother doesn''t have much time left. And Eden is married now; I won''t be involved with him anymore,” Frank said quickly.


    Bet let out a cold snort. "Do you


    actually believe that yourself? Don''t say I didn''t warn you. Eden is a


    ticking time bombyou


    better


    tres with him soon, before he drags the Thompson Group down with


    him."


    Frank red at him. "Was I born yesterday? I don''t need you to tell me how to do


    business. You should focus on managing your own affairs."


    Frank might have a soft spot for his


    family, b


    he wasn''t a fool. All of the


    Thompson family''s businesses werepletely separate from Eden''s ventures.  fo


    Frank had always said the Thompson family belonged to Bet, and he meant it. Any money he gave Eden was his own and had no connection to the Thompson Group.


    Having said his piece, Bet had nothing more to add. He stubbed out his cigarette in the crystal ashtray and prepared to leave.