Chapter 198: The Young Masters of the Norman Family

Mr. Robertson sighed softly. If Stefan's family hadn’t faced such a dramatic upheaval during his childhood, he might have had a very happy and fulfilling upbringing. Stefan's parents were famously in love in the capital. Their story was somewhat cliché—an arranged marriage between two powerful families. Stefan's mother married up, while his father had someone else he loved but was forced into the marriage by family pressure. Stefan’s father was unhappy with the arrangement and rebelled by leaving the family to live on his own. He even defied the dark legacy of his family. Soon after, the woman Stefan’s father loved married someone else, which left him heartbroken. In his sorrow, he met Stefan’s mother while drunk. They later discovered that they were actually each other’s betrothed, which surprised them both, as the descriptions of each other from their families were quite different from reality. Their shared rebellious streak brought them closer, and they quickly married. Their relationship remained strong ever since. Mr. Robertson reflected on this with a sense of melancholy. It was fortunate that, despite the tragic events that occurred later, Stefan retained a deep desire for a loving marriage, even though he lost his confidence in relationships after what happened to his family. Mr. Robertson asked, "What about your family?" Stefan understood what Mr. Robertson was asking. Despite the tragic fate of his parents, there were still loyal guardians, known as "Gatekeepers," who protected the family. These weren’t just ordinary servants or subordinates; they were like family to Stefan. If Stefan intended to marry Irene, he would need to introduce her to them and discuss the matter with his biological sister. Stefan replied, "I’ve already spoken to them about it. They all like Irene very much. In fact, my sister has been urging me, saying that I don't know how to smile and that I won't win my future sister-in-law's favor if I don't act quickly." Stefan couldn’t help but smile at the thought. Mr. Robertson burst into laughter, "Hahaha! Good, good! When I return to the capital, I’ll be sure to have a drink with your family!" Stefan smiled and nodded. Some of the Gatekeepers, who occasionally interacted with the outside world, had met Mr. Robertson before. But the Norman family wasn’t aware of this. Only Mr. Robertson’s father knew, and he had since passed away. This was something that happened in Mr. Robertson's youth. Stefan, typically sharp and calculating, was so focused on winning over his future father-in-law that he didn’t notice Irene narrowing her eyes slightly when he mentioned his sister. Meanwhile, in a private hospital room, the third young master, Itha, took a deep breath, looking somewhat frustrated. Assistant Barton, peeling an apple, advised, "Young master, take deep breaths. Holding your breath like that isn’t good for your health." Itha pursed his lips, "Not good for my health? Then let me see my sister!" These past few days, he had only heard from the secretary about Irene cooking meals for Mr. Robertson or from Assistant Barton about how she and Mr. Robertson spent time reading and playing chess together. It felt like it had been ages since he’d seen Irene himself. This made Itha feel incredibly exasperated. "The secretary said Irene noticed some issues with Mr. Robertson’s security detail and is working on optimizing it." Itha, still bandaged, brightened up at this. "I can help with that! I’m in the military; I know how to organize shifts." But Assistant Barton quickly shattered his hopes, "Young master, the doctor said you need more rest." Itha felt his frustration rise again. "I bet Father told the doctor to say that. He’s probably forgotten all about me!" Assistant Barton chuckled, "The boss has been eagerly awaiting the return of the young lady for so many years. Naturally, he’s a bit excited. Just be patient; your health really isn’t in the best shape right now." Itha, who had been in the military for years, had never heard anyone say that his health wasn’t good enough. He angrily grabbed the peeled apple from Assistant Barton and took a huge bite, "I knew it!" Ever since they were kids, it was their father who played with them like toys. In Itha's memory, Mr. Robertson used to treat them like playthings, even taking their toys sometimes. He never imagined that all these years later, he’d still have to compete with his father for his sister’s attention! Assistant Barton then mentioned another matter, "This morning, Young Master Gray called the boss, saying that Madam wants to adopt Alice, and he agrees. This made the boss quite angry." Itha frowned, his brows furrowing so tightly that they could crush a fly. "Even now, they’re thinking about adoption? What a sentimental fool! My sister-in-law is really something!" Itha sneered coldly, "Does he not know that our sister has already been found?" "What a fool!" Assistant Barton remained silent as Itha vented. He agreed with the sentiments but couldn’t express them due to his position. After Itha finished, Assistant Barton continued, "The boss doesn’t plan to make Irene’s return public." The Norman family had been wealthy for so long that there wasn’t a single fool among them. Itha immediately understood what Barton meant, "You’re saying someone might try to harm Irene?" Assistant Barton nodded, "Yes, the boss believes that while the search for Irene seemed smooth, there were too many traps along the correct path." "It’s as if someone knew our actions and preemptively obstructed us." "This town is dangerous, no doubt, but it shouldn’t be to the point where we can’t find any clues!" "The boss and we believe that someone didn’t want Irene to return home." Itha's honey-brown eyes darkened with a fierce intensity. "Can we find out who it is?" Assistant Barton shook his head, "The other side covered their tracks well; we found no traces. But there’s no way all of this is just a coincidence." Assistant Barton added, "The capital hasn’t been safe lately. We were wondering if you could return home for a while." Itha nodded, "Of course! Who dares to threaten Father? The Norman family isn’t weak!" Itha's expression grew even more menacing, his presence akin to a tiger lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce.