Chapter 65 Speak of the Devil
At the grand Evans Family Estate, Yvonne and Tyler were leisurely enjoying their breakfast, savoring their morning coffee.These days, Liam had become entirely self-reliant, which allowed Tyler to entrust him with the helm of the Evans Group confidently, taking care of business decisions big and small. So, Tyler's life was relatively carefree and comfortable.As they were nearly finished with breakfast, the butler rushed in to announce Liam's return.Yvonne, surprised by the sudden news, immediately inquired, "Did Liam come back alone, or is Teresa with him?""The young Master is alone," the butler responded."Mum, Dad," the butler barely finished speaking when Liam entered the foyer and quickened his pace toward the dining room."Liam, what brings you home at this hour? Have you eaten breakfast yet?" Yvonne, ever the caring mother, as long as Teresa wasn't mentioned, immediately expressed her concern upon seeing Liam."Mom, Dad, I've come back to ask for your help," Liam stated, his gaze moving between Tyler and Yvonne. Then, he sat down opposite them."Liam, what is it?" Yvonne asked. "Dear. If there's an issue, just talk to us.""Liam, why are you so serious?" Tyler implored, sensing something was wrong. Liam had hardly shown such a straight face in their presence."Yes, Liam, we can discuss anything apart from marrying Teresa. We can talk it through," Yvonne added, letting out a sigh of helpless resignation akin to that of the world's most troubled mother. "Liam, we aren't letting you marry Teresa because we have your best interests at heart. After all, we can't hide the fact that she's carrying another man's child. If word gets out, where would that leave your reputation or the Evans family's dignity?"Following those words with another heavy sigh, she lamented, "Among all the eligible ladies from reputable families, there are so many more beautiful, intelligent, and sophisticated women than Teresa. What has made your vision so narrow that you only have eyes for her?"
"Mom, Dad, I have but one wish right now, and that's to make Teresa my wife. If I can have your support, I'll agree to anything you ask of me in the future." Sitting there, Liam's voice was filled with a steadfast resolve, as if the words that Yvonne had just uttered were nothing."Liam, you..." Yvonne was beside herself with frustration at her son's stubborn blindness. Words failed her in her fury.Tyler stared at Liam with furrowed brows and tightly pressed lips, remaining silent.No matter how much Teresa's disregard for the Evans family's reputation irked him, he didn't want to push Liam to a breaking point, considering his son's unwavering attachment to her."Mom, Teresa is a good girl. She's never betrayed me. The pregnancy was due to an assault — an accident. She's never done anything to wrong me," Liam explained, head still bowed."Assaulted? " Yvonne finally caught her breath only to respond with a scoff. "She gets assaulted and decides to keep the child? It sounds to me like Teresa isn't just loose; she's disturbed.""Mom, the child was only kept because of the pressure from you. Teresa made a hard decision to end the pregnancy, but your call threw all our plans into chaos," Liam retorted this time.If it hadn't been for Yvonne's call during his first trip to Jenna, Teresa would no longer carry the child, and they would long be together by now, free of burden."You..." Yvonne was livid, staring at Liam as if she was about to have a stroke. "Teresa didn't take care of that mistake herself, and now you're blaming me? I’m your mother. I've toiled for years raising you, and now you treat me like this for a woman? Do you have no conscience?""Mom." Again, Liam requested, his posture humble yet resolute. "Regardless, I am set on marrying Teresa. If you agree to our marriage, I will continue as a member of the Evans family, securing the future of the Evans Group. But if you oppose it, then I'm prepared to cut ties with the Evans family completely, resigning from all my positions at Evans Group.""Liam, are you out of your mind?" Yvonne pointed at Liam, her whole body shaking with rage. "Are you so bewitched by that wretched girl that you've lost your sanity?"
"Mom, you've got two choices. Either you don't accept Teresa and lose me as your son, or you accept her, and everyone's happy. Teresa and I will make sure to let you be proud of us," Liam said, his gaze fixed firmly on the ground as he spoke with a resolute sternness.Tyler finally spoke up. " Yvonne, just let him do what he wants. It's just a woman, not worth the fuss."Yvonne glared at Tyler, her eyes seething with rage, then turned to look at her son, Liam, sitting humbly before her. It was the first time in so many years that Liam had ever held this attitude to her.All right then!Teresa must be quite something, having Liam even willing to give up his parents, his family heritage, and a fortune worth millions. Now, for her, Liam was even prepared to beg them like this.If she didn't agree to this marriage, Teresa was going to tear the Evans family apart.Fine. She'd let Liam marry Teresa, and then she'd deal with the girl herself."Liam, you're my son. How could I ever harm you? We only want what's best for you," Yvonne said, taking a deep breath and softening her expression. "But if you're this determined to marry Teresa, to the point of leaving the Evans family for her, then I support your decision. But you must also promise me that once you're married, you must move back in. No more living outside and only coming home every few months."How could she handle Teresa if Liam took her to live outside?"Mom, are you really agreeing to let me marry Teresa?" Liam asked, his voice filled with surprise and delight."Yes," Yvonne nodded. "You can rest assured now.""Mom!" Liam stood and embraced Yvonne tightly, overcome with emotion. "Mom, you're the best. Teresa and I will never let you and Dad down.""That's enough now," Yvonne said, holding him back and patting his back affectionately. "Since you're so fond of her, go ahead and marry her. Just make sure you don't regret it."Her voice was gentle, her touch tender, but a rare flicker of malice crossed her eyes."Thanks, Mom. I won't regret it. Teresa really is a great girl," Liam said, releasing Yvonne and taking her hand to plead once more, "Mom, do you have time this afternoon to meet Teresa alone? Tell her yourself that you agree to our marriage. I believe it would mean the world to her."He received a knowing laugh in response...
Scoffing inwardly, Yvonne masked her face with perfect calm, "Sure, you plan it. I've been meaning to have a good chat with Teresa anyway. After all, she's about to become a member of the Evans family, and we haven't really gotten to know each other yet!""Great, I'll take care of it," Liam said, thrilled. "Thanks, Mom.""My boy, as long as you're truly happy, that's all that matters to me."...After breakfast, Teresa and William took Croissant to the hospital.Patrick was recovering well, but his movements were still restrained, and he spent most of his time in his hospital bed.The sight of the Croissant and the sweet sound of their grandson continuously calling out "Grandpa" and "Grandma" filled Patrick and Sophia with joy, their faces beaming."By the way, Teresa, how was your visit with Liam to the Evans' place yesterday? What was Mr. and Mrs. Evans’ attitude toward you?" asked Patrick, playing with the little one while stealing glances at Teresa.Teresa was peeling fruit when she stiffened at his question, causing the sharp paring knife to slice her finger."Ouch!""Girl, you need to be more careful," Sophia said, promptly taking the knife and fruit away from her and then holding Teresa's hand to help stop the bleeding."Is Yvonne's attitude still the same as before?" Patrick guessed from Teresa's reaction.Teresa let Sophia tend to her wound and looked up to nod at Patrick. "But Liam said if Yvonne can't accept me, he's willing to cut ties with the Evans family so that neither I nor our little one suffers.""Alas, cutting ties..." Hearing this, Sophia couldn't help but sigh, "Blood is thicker than water. Family is paramount. It shouldn't be cast aside so easily.""Indeed, such a decision is irrational!" Patrick agreed with a nod.Sitting quietly on the side, William held their grandchild, saying nothing about the matter with Gabriel and Teresa.Teresa, acknowledging her parents' views, nodded, "Dad, Mom, I understand. That's why I'm going to talk with Yvonne myself.""And what if Yvonne refuses to accept your marriage with Liam?" William finally spoke up.Teresa looked at him silently.
"Marriage is a big deal, and it's always best when the parents and elders are on board," Sophia said as she finished bandaging Teresa's wound and securing the Band-Aid. "And, Teresa, there's no need to rush things with Liam. Take it slow. I assume Yvonne wouldn’t risk losing her son to refuse to accept you."Knock, knock.The conversation was cut short as taps on the door were heard. The group in the room turned toward the source of the sound.Speak of the devil, and he shall appear — but it wasn't just Liam. It was the whole Evans clan making their entrance." Patrick, Sophia," Liam said, leading the way with a friendly smile."Liam, Tyler, Yvonne," Sophia responded, surprised but quickly getting to her feet to greet them. "What brings you out here? Please, come in and have a seat!""Mrs. Bennett, thank you. We're about to be family, and hearing of Mr. Bennett's hospitalization is naturally a cause for concern," Yvonne replied with warmth and polite decorum as the Evans family stepped inside.Family.The puzzled glances from the Bennett family landed on Yvonne. Before they could digest the term, Tyler had already walked up to the hospital bed, genuine concern in his voice, "We only heard about CEO Bennett's illness from Liam last night, so we came first thing to check. How are you feeling, Patrick?""Much better, thank you for asking, Tyler, Yvonne," Patrick managed to say, returning a warm smile, and then, with a curious tilt of his head, he asked, "Did I just hear you say 'family'? Could it be that...""Yes," Yvonne nodded cheerfully. "We were in the dark about Liam's feelings for a bit, but now that Liam has made his intentions clear and the two lovebirds have set their hearts on marrying. As parents, it's our joy to bless their union.""Teresa, my parents have given us their blessing for our marriage. We can go register our marriage," Liam beamed as he walked over to Teresa and took her hand, eyes shining with excitement.Teresa's gaze shifted from Yvonne's face to Liam's in silent contemplation, with her brow furrowing slightly.The sudden shift in Yvonne's attitude seemed too abrupt, too peculiar to her.Sophia glanced between Yvonne and Tyler, then over at Liam and Teresa, before her eyes finally settled on the little boy peacefully playing with a Rubik's Cube in William's lap. Croissant was seemingly oblivious to the world around him. She smiled at Yvonne and asked, "Yvonne, Teresa's already a mother. Do you think you're ready to welcome Michael into your life?""Michael!" Yvonne chuckled as she peered at the boy in William's lap. "This must be Michael, right? What a handsome little fella! How does he manage the Rubik's Cube so well at such a young age? He must be so smart!""Tyler, Yvonne, meet Michael." William stood up with the boy still in his embrace and gave Yvonne and Tyler a warm smile. Then, looking down at the child, he said, "Come on, Michael, say hi to Tyler and Yvonne.""Hello, I'm Michael." The boy looked up at Tyler and Yvonne and, after his brief introduction, returned his attention to the cube."Michael, you can call them Grandpa and Grandma," Sophia instructed, watching the boy."You're Grandma, and he's Grandpa," the boy pointed at Patrick, and then, pointing to Tyler and Sophia, he added, "They're not Grandma and Grandpa.""They weren't before, but they are now. Isn't it nice to have two grandpas and two grandmas?" Sophia cooed, trying to console the child."Come to Grandma." Yvonne reached out her arms, full of affection toward the boy."No!" But the child was not being cooperative, swiftly burying himself into William's chest, gripping his neck tightly, a clear sign of his reluctance."Ha... kids are shy at this age, and he's just come back from abroad," Patrick quickly laughed off the awkwardness."No worries. It's normal for little ones to be wary of new faces, especially on our first meeting. We'll get used to each other with time," Tyler said with an understanding nod."Teresa, didn't you want to have a private chat with Mom? I've been wanting to talk to you too," Liam said, holding Teresa's hand."Yes, Teresa, I admit I've been overly critical of you, but now that you and Liam are getting married, let's have a heart-to-heart and clear up any misunderstandings," Yvonne said, her gaze filled with newfound tenderness and warmth as she looked at Teresa.
Teresa looked toward Yvonne and nodded politely, "Sure, Yvonne, let's take a stroll in the garden downstairs.""Remember, Teresa, Yvonne is your elder, soon to be your mother-in-law. She's just like your parents. You should always be polite, understand?" Patrick cautioned her before they left."Oh, don't you worry about it, Patrick," Yvonne said, reaching out to hold Teresa's hand with a smile. She patted the back of Teresa's hand warmly, "Come on, Teresa, let's go."Teresa glanced at Yvonne, suddenly feeling a chill of panic in her heart, but she remained silent, simply nodding and heading out with Yvonne."Liam, stay here and keep Mr. and Mrs. Bennett company," Yvonne said as Liam started to follow them out, assuring him with a laugh, "Don't worry, I won't hurt Teresa."Liam paused, nodded, and then turned to Teresa, "No matter what, Teresa, I'm going to marry you.""Kids these days are so direct," Yvonne teased as she led Teresa out toward the elevator, Liam watching them go from the doorway of the room.Yvonne had been all smiles and laughter, keeping a firm grip on Teresa the whole way, but as soon as the elevator doors closed, she let go of Teresa with a sneer, her smile vanishing to reveal undisguised disgust.Teresa's heart sank as she realized that Yvonne's being nice was just an act in front of everyone. Her dislike for Teresa was only growing stronger."Yvonne..." Teresa started."Shut up!" Yvonne snapped even before Teresa could finish, her voice filled with loathing. "Don't speak unless I allow it."Teresa couldn't help but scoff internally.She’d known all too well about Yvonne's entrenched disdain for her. It was foolish to think it could change so quickly.Prudently choosing silence, Teresa followed Yvonne off the elevator and to a secluded bench underneath a tree in the garden, where Yvonne sat down, crossed her legs, and gave Teresa a sideways glance with a mocking sneer, "You really have some nerve, Teresa, to have Liam under your thumb completely. Regardless, he seems determined to marry a low-life like you."
"Yvonne cut the crap about calling people low-life," Teresa said, standing her ground with unshakeable confidence as she faced down Yvonne. " I do like your son, but that doesn't give you the right to disrespect me.""Oh, sharp-tongued, I see — that must be what Liam finds so charming about you," Yvonne sneered with a chilling laugh. "Liam might be spellbound and dance to your tune, but you can’t fool me! You have no idea how many women like you I've dealt with long before you were even born."Teresa simply looked at her and smiled faintly, choosing not to respond."Teresa, I know exactly why you're clinging so desperately to my Liam — I get it," Yvonne went on. "After all, for a woman like you who's had her share of fun with men, even had a bastard child, who else but my innocent son would bother giving you a second glance?"Yvonne thought Teresa had been subdued and began to casually smooth out her dress before lifting her gaze and squinting her eyes in utter disdain at Teresa. "I bet none of the other wealthy bachelors would even consider being with someone they’d find as dirty as you.""First off, Yvonne," Teresa retorted, her smile unwavering and demeanor graceful, "Michael may have been unexpected, but he's no bastard. He's got a mother, an uncle, grandparents, and yes, a father. Secondly, the Bennett family does legitimate business, just like the Evans family.
If our money stinks, then I'm afraid the Evans' wealth isn't much cleaner. And thirdly, I don't know nor care whether other wealthy bachelors are interested in me or not. Aside from Liam, no other man has caught my eye. I’ve been committed to Liam from the start, and you ought to stop twisting my intentions and slandering me when you clearly don't know my feelings."Yvonne watched Teresa, not visibly upset by her comeback, as she finished fussing over her dress and casually admired her freshly manicured nails. "What a fiery spirit," she remarked dryly. "It's no wonder Liam would turn his back on his parents and the Evans family just to be with you!"With that, Yvonne looked at Teresa again, her gaze filled with increased scorn, and her lips twisted into a sly, self-satisfied smile.
"Teresa, don't worry. For my son's sake, I agreed to your marriage. But Liam has also promised me that after you two are wed, you can only live within the walls of the Evans estate."Teresa looked at her, a chill running down her spine as she immediately figured out the woman's intentions.Sure enough, Yvonne continued with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, chilling in their intent. "Teresa, while the doors of the Evans family may be open to you, being our daughter-in-law is no easy task. When the time comes, I'll make sure you leave of your own accord.""Mom!"At that moment, as Yvonne's voice hung in the air, Liam emerged from behind a large tree…
