Chapter 886
Jackson's announcement hung in the air, creating a moment of stunned silence.
Lillian locked eyes with him from a short distance away, her heart pounding wildly as she heard him declare to the swarm of media reporters that he was pursuing her.
He hadn't given her a heads-up about going public with their relationship.
Caught off guard, her cheeks flushed a deep red.
"What a schemer! Does he think saying this in front of the media will pressure me?"
Oberon's irritated voice shattered the silence.
Oberon leaned forward slightly, shot a glance at the overly confident Jackson, then pulled back with a scowl.
"He's so sure he can win Lillian over? Announcing it to the world like this, isn't he worried about falling flat on his face?"
After venting his frustration, Oberon noticed the silence in the car and turned to look beside him.
Seeing Lillian still staring at Jackson, her cheeks tinged with red and looking somewhat lost, Oberon snorted and glared at the driver.
"What are you waiting for? Start the car! Do you want the reporters to mob us?"
"Yes, sir. Right away." The driver responded promptly and sped off.
Outside, the reporters, after a brief pause, erupted with even more fervor.
"Mr. Frane, are you suggesting that the Frane Group and the Kelly Group will be merging soon?"
"Mr. Frane, we've heard you were previously married. Do Mr. Kelly and Ms. Kelly mind?"
"Do you still have feelings for your ex-wife? Is it unfair to her that you're now publicly pursuing Ms. Kelly?"
"Are you and Ms. Kelly mutually in love? If you two get married, will the Frane Group merge with the Kelly Group?"
Lillian listened to the reporters' barrage of questions and slowly rolled up the car window.
She turned away from the rearview mirror and saw Oberon staring at her.
"Grandpa, you must be tired. It's too noisy outside. Why don't you rest for a bit?"
Lillian quickly flashed an innocent smile and reached out to massage Oberon's stiff shoulders.
Oberon couldn't help but soften at his granddaughter's smile.
He glared at Lillian, "Quit joking around. Grandpa doesn't approve!"
Lillian nodded quickly, "I know, I know. It's all small stuff. As long as Grandpa's happy and comfortable, I'm good with anything."
Oberon chuckled and patted her lightly.
"You're just trying to butter me up. Are you indirectly saying I'm too controlling and don't care about your happiness?"
Lillian immediately shook her head, "Grandpa, you're not getting it right. What I meant was, as long as you're happy, I'm happy!"
"Not being with him makes you happy, too? You won't complain or resent Grandpa?"
Oberon eyed her skeptically.
Lillian blinked, her eyes full of clear sincerity.
"Grandpa, what are you thinking! First of all, if you don't approve, it's because you don't trust him due to his past mistakes. That's you showing your love and concern for me. I totally get it and feel warm and happy. Secondly, in my eyes, there's no one more handsome and worthy of my love than you. If I had to choose, I'd definitely choose you!"
Even though Oberon knew Lillian was just trying to cheer him up, he couldn't help but smile.
Outside the Kelly Group's entrance, Jackson watched Lillian's car drive away, losing all interest in dealing with the media.
He glanced at the reporters bombarding him with questions and said, "No ex-wife, just Lillian. Only her."
Jackson's deep voice left the media puzzled. He turned to the reporter who asked about the Frane Group merging with the Kelly Group and clarified, "Even if one day the Frane Group and the Kelly Group merge, it would be me joining the Kelly family, not the other way around."
With that, he gave a slight nod and headed towards his car.
Harry, who had just arrived, brought bodyguards forward to clear a path, keeping the persistent reporters at bay.
As Jackson's car drove off, the reporters exchanged confused glances.
"What did Mr. Frane mean by 'no ex-wife, only Lillian'?"
"I have no idea."
"Do you?"
Jackson and Lillian had secretly married before, and Jackson was always very low-key, especially about his private life. Since being found by the Kelly family, Lillian had also kept a low profile, with no photos of her circulating online.
If Jackson hadn't shown up today and revealed that Lillian grew up with Lyra, no one would have known about the connection between the Kelly family and the Frane family, let alone Jackson's bombshell about pursuing Lillian.
Naturally, no one knew that Lillian was actually Jackson's ex-wife.
However, two reporters, who had more connections and insider information, quickly grasped the meaning behind Jackson's words. They kept this to themselves and hurried off with their teams.
In their cars, they couldn't wait to open their laptops and start writing news articles, racing to be the first to break the story.
Back at the Kelly family home, Oberon, still in good spirits, called Ambrose into the study to discuss some matters.
After giving Ambrose a few instructions, Ambrose tried to help him to rest.
Oberon waved his hand, "You've been working hard these days. I'm fine here. I'll look at a couple of documents and rest myself."
Ambrose nodded, about to leave, but then stopped and looked at Oberon.
"Grandpa, do you really not approve of Lillian and Jackson?"
Oberon had already noticed that since Ambrose returned from Miracalia, his attitude towards Lillian had changed, becoming much closer.
Oberon glared at him, "What? Do you think Grandpa is wrong? Interfering too much, being too old-fashioned?"
Ambrose raised his hands in a surrender gesture. "Come on, Grandpa, take care of your health. Don't get so worked up. I was just asking."
Oberon snorted, "What? Tell me, how did Jackson win you over?"
Ambrose used to dislike Jackson even more than he did. Didn't think his old eyes couldn't see that Ambrose's attitude towards Jackson had completely changed. Ambrose was almost become a little traitor.
Ambrose didn't rush to leave, sitting down at the desk with a smile. "He didn't win me over. It's just that he seems to have genuine feelings for Lillian, and my sister likes him too."
Oberon snorted with a laugh, "There are plenty of men who like Lillian, and many of them are better than that scoundrel from the Frane family. Why does it have to be him?"
In Oberon's eyes, a man who cheated once could never be trusted again. There were plenty of good men out there; why went back to the same one?
Ambrose chuckled, "There are many who are better than Jackson and like Lillian. Can you give me an example?"
Oberon opened his mouth to name a few, but after thinking it over, he hesitated.
When Lillian returned to Seaspring Valley City, the Kelly family had hosted a banquet to formally introduce Lillian to the social circle. Lillian was beautiful, had a great temperament, and a good personality, naturally attracting many young and talented men.
He had thought they were all worth considering, but now, compared to Jackson...
Oberon was at a loss for words but stubbornly said, "Sure, those men might be a bit lacking in wealth, looks, or ability. But in terms of character, there are definitely better ones than Jackson. Marriage shouldn't be based solely on appearance; character matters too! Ophelia is a prime example."
As Oberon spoke, his expression darkened.
Ambrose's expression also turned serious. He knew Oberon was more worried about Lillian because of Kenneth.
Ambrose couldn't stand seeing Oberon so downcast and joked, "Grandpa, don't worry. I'm here. If it comes to it, I'll stay single my whole life, always ready to support Lillian. If she messes up, she can always come home."
Oberon laughed in exasperation and threw a pen at him, "It's all because you're not good enough! You're perfect in every way, yet you can't compare to her ex-husband?"
Ambrose shrugged helplessly, "Even if he has been divorced, he is still Lillian's ex-husband. Women are sentimental. What can I do? Lillian clearly takes after you in this regard. If anyone's to blame, it's you, not me."
Oberon glared at him but then laughed, "True, Lillian does take after me in that way."
Seeing Oberon so pleased, Ambrose smiled, "Exactly, deeply devoted and unregretful."
Oberon gave him a sidelong glance, "Are you teasing Grandpa now? When are you going to solve your own personal issues? When will you bring a granddaughter-in-law home for Grandpa and Grandma? By the way, Lillian mentioned you might have someone? If so, bring her home soon so Grandpa can meet her."
Ambrose's talk about staying single for Lillian was just nonsense to Oberon. Oberon truly saw Ambrose as his own grandson and would never let him do such a thing.
Ambrose didn't expect the conversation to turn into a lecture about his love life. He quickly stood up, "I'm not in a hurry. The group will be very busy in the coming days. I don't have time for romance. If there's nothing else, I'll get back to work."
He was already at the study door when he turned back, "Remember to take your blood pressure medication."
As Ambrose left the study, he ran into Lillian coming out of Flora's bedroom.
"Where's Grandpa?"
"Is Grandma asleep?"
They both asked in hushed voices at the same time.
After a moment of surprise, they both smiled.
"She's asleep, and very soundly."
Lillian smiled and opened the door a bit more, letting Ambrose see Flora sleeping peacefully on the bed before quietly closing the door.
"Grandpa's fine, in great spirits. He just gave me a good scolding."
Lillian looked surprised. "What did he scold you for?"
Ambrose sighed, "For not being charming enough, losing out to a divorced man."
Lillian was speechless. She knew exactly who Ambrose and Oberon were referring to. She felt a bit frustrated, "If I get married again, it would also be a second marriage."
Meaning she and Jackson were a perfect match, neither could look down on the other.
Ambrose looked at her, "Grandpa is just reluctant to let you go and cares too much about you. Actually, he's starting to soften."
If Oberon were truly indifferent, he wouldn't have allowed Jackson to appear in Seaspring Valley City this time. The Kelly family was the focus of the news, and Jackson's presence would inevitably be noticed. Their relationship would be exposed, and Oberon surely knew that. Allowing Jackson to appear at the Kelly Group meant Oberon was mentally prepared to accept him.
Lillian's eyes lit up, "Really? Grandpa isn't mad that I chose him again? Did he say anything to you?"
Ambrose smiled at her obvious relief, "Worried about him, are you? Afraid Grandpa will make things difficult for him? Relax, letting him chase you a bit more won't hurt. Grandpa is testing his sincerity. If he gets upset or impatient, then don't blame Grandpa for not agreeing. Taking away the Kelly family's treasure isn't that easy."
Lillian blushed slightly, "I know, I know. I'm not worried about him."
Ambrose had said more to prevent any rift between Lillian and Oberon over Jackson. Seeing Lillian's embarrassed expression, he changed the subject, "By the way, Grandpa just gave me a hard time about getting married."
He flicked her forehead lightly.
Lillian rubbed her head, puzzled. "Why did you tell Grandpa? I never told him about you living with Mr. Frane for several days."
Lillian's eyes widened. "When did I live with him for several days? That was in the hospital! He just stayed to keep me company!"
Ambrose smirked, and Lillian huffed, "Besides, I didn't mean to tell Grandpa. He asked if you had anyone, always worried about you not getting married. I couldn't just keep quiet and let him worry, could I?"
Ambrose laughed, "But I don't have anyone. You made up a story, and now Grandpa is pressuring me to bring a girlfriend home. What should I do? Rent one?"
Lillian squinted, "Liar, you do have someone. The day of my car accident, Jackson saw you having dinner alone with a very pretty woman. Just bring her home for Grandpa to see."
Ambrose sighed, "I'm not that close to her. I just owe her a favor, and she needed help with something."
Lillian's eyes sparkled, "A favor? Sounds like a romantic debt. You should repay it soon."
She wasn't just teasing; she had known Ambrose for a while. Ambrose seemed gentle and easygoing but was very careful about boundaries, especially with women. If he owed a woman, it wasn't simple. Besides, debts between men and women often led to feelings.
Ambrose wanted to explain, but seeing Lillian's mischievous eyes, he decided there was no point.
As they reached the ground floor, a sudden commotion erupted in the courtyard.
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