Chapter Thirty-One


    The living room remained quiet for a couple of minutes. Then Rome looked at Edward and said, "Come


    with me."


    "Why? Whatever you have to say to me, you can say it before the entire family." Edward firmly said.


    Frowning, Rome narrowed his eyes and casually uttered, "Are you going to act so blind and only see


    what you want to see? If that''s the case, you are useless to me since your mind is one-sided."


    A look of shock crossed Edward''s face as he stared at Rome, realizing what those words meant.


    ''He has the position of one of the most powerful men in the country, and after I just used him, he still


    wants to help me. Maybe it''s time to stand by his side because with him, I have so many potentials to


    unlock.'' Edward thought, drawing a silent breath.


    Then he woke off the couch and walked toward Rome, and when Edward reached him, he looked at


    him and said, "Okay, let''s talk."


    Afterward, he walked past Rome, and as Rome was about to follow Edward, he caught Catherine


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    gazing at him. But he said nothing and walked out of the living room.


    When Rome met Edward outside, he looked him dead in the eyes for a couple of seconds, heavily


    sighed, and said, "How about you take Cyper Co. off my hand and run things there? You can start as


    the vice president there until you have proven yourself for a higher position."


    "What!?" Edward mumbled with a nk expression. "Why are you helping me?"


    "I have absolutely no interest in taking you under my wing. This is for Catherine." Rome coldly said in


    annoyance.


    Then he drew a deep breath and casually uttered, "Although you are terrible at being a good father to


    her, you are still her father. So I want to take you out of the toxicity in this mansion and see if you


    change."


    It grew silent as Rome studied Edward''s face, and then he said, "Working at Cyper Co. will put you in a


    position that will keep the other from looking down on you. But prove to still be a useless father


    afterward, and I will fire you and send you far away from my wife!"


    "You are being serious?!" Edward said, widening his eyes as excitement glowed in them. "But Cyper


    Co. is such a thrivingpany, and even DreamTeam is beneath it. Can I really handle being its vice


    president?"


    Turning away from Edward, Rome walked ahead as he said out loud, "That''s up to you to figure out. I


    have left my wife with those wolves for too long. I''m going back inside."


    ''It seems like I really misunderstood him this time. He truly cares about my daughter.'' Edward thought,


    feeling regretful of his previous action.


    When Rome entered the living room, his face hardened and his expression grew cold as he stared at


    everyone in the room.


    "These few months, I have been quite lenient with you all, and it has been because of my wife. But the


    time hase for you all to know your ce and where you stand!" Rome coldly uttered with


    dominance in his tone.


    No one spoke after he paused, ring at them, and then he continued, "If not for the fact that my wife


    has a heart for this family, I wouldn''t be this calm and epting of you all rubbish! To be honest, it is


    the hardest thing I have ever done."


    Frowning, Charles nced at Rome and thought, ''I hate this jerk to my bones!''


    "From today onward, there will be some rules and boundaries set! Rule number one, I want you all to


    keep to yourself and stay out of Catherine and I affairs!" Rome firmly said, fixing his cold gaze on Mr.


    Barlow.


    Even though he kept his silence, Mr. Barlow swayed his gaze to the floor and thought, ''I am years older


    than him, but why do I feel so little in his presence.''


    "Rule number two, my wife will not get judged, looked down upon, or humiliated by anyone of you!


    Also, she answers to absolutely no one in this household!" Rome said, swaying his icy gaze to Madam


    Rosey.


    With a look of nervousness in her eyes, she stared away from Rome as she thought, ''If you weren''t a


    Ford, do you think I would have even spoken on your behalf!''


    Pausing for a moment, Rome focused on Catherine''s eyes, wondering what she would think about the


    words he was about to say.


    Then he looked back at Mr. Barlow and boldly uttered, "If any of these rules get vited, Catherine and


    I will cut ties with this family. Then I will make sure that the Barlows would be nothing but a name lost in


    the wind!"


    A look of raw fear mixed with touch of shock clouded Mr. Barlow''s expression as he stared at the trace


    of seriousness in Rome''s eyes, knowing that he had to do something quick.


    Even though Catherine was just as shocked as her grandfather, she kept her silence.


    Finally getting over his emotion, Mr. Barlow nervouslyughed and said, "There''s no need to be this


    serious about something we said out of thoughtlessness."


    Ignoring Mr. Barlow''s words, Rome looked at Catherine and said, "Babe, let''s go. I have said what


    needs to be said."


    In desperation, Mr. Barlow looked at Madam Rosey. Then when she noticed her husband''s gaze and


    understood his stare, she softly cried, "Catherine, we know we have failed you in so many ways. But


    we are the only family you have known since you were a baby. Please beg your husband on our


    behalf."


    "Yes, Catherine. You are a part of this family, and we might not be perfect, but we are all still blood."


    William hastily said, knowing that their n A was about to get ruined.


    As Elijah and Anthony fixed their gaze on Catherine''s eyes, they both nodded slightly, and Anthony


    gently intoned, "Your uncle is right. You should listen to him.


    But Catherine shunned their remarks and pitifully stared at the tears in her grandmother''s eyes, feeling


    stuck in a feeling of dilemma. Then she gave her a brief smile before holding onto Rome''s hand and


    saying, "Let''s go."


    With a look of envy in her expression, Chloe watched with burning desire as her cousin calmly followed


    Rome with her fingers entangled with his.


    After Catherine and Rome walked out of the living room, Mr. Barlow stared at his wife and asked, "Do


    you think she will talk some sense into that boy?"


    "I hope so." Madam Barlow mumbled with a look of worry on her face.


    Not uttering a word, Richard suddenly stood to his feet, shoved his hands into his trouser pockets, and


    walked out of the living room with nothing but hate glowing in his eyes.


    Acting on her feeling of envy, Chloe hastily took out her phone from her purse and texted, "Why have


    you been ignoring my messages since the night of the party? Have you seen the news about Rome


    being at a strip club?"


    It took a couple of seconds, then a message arrived on her phone screen, "Because I set the tform


    for you, and you failed to get Rome''s attention. I don''t like wasting my time and money on useless


    people."


    Although it annoyed Chloe that someone called her "useless," she held back her anger and wrote, "I''m


    sorry for wasting such a good opportunity. But I''m begging for a second chance. If Rome could find


    interest in a stripper, then I can get him to fall for me."


    A few seconds went by, then a text disyed on the screen, "Rome is not interested in that stripper. He


    was there for another reason. But that''s none of your concern."


    Frowning, Chloe read the message for the second time and then thought in annoyance, ''So Catherine


    was telling the truth, and Rome isn''t cheating on her?''


    At that moment, her phone screen glowed bright, and she focused on the new message, "You will have


    your second chance, and when the timees, don''t mess it up!"


    "I won''t. Right now, I am willing to do anything to im the title of Mrs. Ford." Chloe wrote back.


    Three seconds passed, and then another text popped out, "Good. I hope you can keep that same


    energy when the timees. I have other ns, so for now, stand back and wait for my orders."


    "Other ns," Chloe mumbled beneath her breath. "What other ns?"


    Feeling frustrated within himself, Charles frowned as he woke from the couch and then silently walked


    out of the living room.


    When he reached the hallway, the vibration from his phone caused him to stop in his tracks and take it


    out of his pocket.


    His face hardened as he looked at the phone screen and read, "Charles Barlow, how would you like to


    be a part of DreamTeam once more?"


    Then he hesitated for a moment before texting back, "Who are you, and what sick joke is this?"