Chapter 1436 Rich in Money, Poor in Love
This was a warning to Selena not to confront Nolan and Tatum unless absolutely necessary.
Selena nodded, her sharp eyes noticing that the butler remained standing at the doorway, which was still wide open.
Was Richard being monitored by the butler?
Richard rubbed his forehead, seemingly aware of her concern.
"It's not as frightening as you imagine. Though I haven't spent much time with my grandparents, they haven't made things difficult for me. How should I put it? They're deeply religious—that's why they left the Smith Villa years ago for that island."
As Richard walked to the door, he added one final piece of advice. "If there's a middle ground, it's better to avoid direct confrontation."
Selena nodded, though she feared no such compromise existed.
Richard then made his way to Nolan and Tatum's study.
Inside, Nolan sat writing on paper while Tatum stood nearby, occasionally glancing around as if wanting to say something, but ultimately just sighing.
When Nolan finished writing, he spoke, "Are you worried about Jason?"
Jason had been their most promising heir, now with hair turned white overnight. Even the hardest heart couldn't remain unmoved.
"If not him, who else would I worry about? Jason was always my greatest pride."
Nolan set down his pen and contemplated for a few seconds.
"The young man is called Raymond, correct? His credentials are impressive, but he's currently wanted by Stellaria. Until that warrant is resolved, he remains a fugitive. Not only that, you know he..."
They both fell silent. Tatum began stroking her crucifix, murmuring prayers under her breath.
A knock sounded at the study door. After receiving permission, Richard entered.
"Grandfather, Grandmother."
Nolan didn't even look up, and Tatum continued reciting scripture. The study smelled of ink.
"Selena and Raymond truly love each other. Couldn't you reconsider your stance on them?"
Tatum's hand paused, her tone dignified. "Neither your grandfather nor I have ever intended to make things difficult for anyone in the Smith family. But once someone becomes the head of the family, they must follow the rules. Without rules, there is chaos. Years ago, the church priest warned that if Jason stayed with Octavia, it would bring him disaster. Sometimes one must trust in fate. Your grandfather and I have never been wrong in our judgment all these years."
It seemed Nolan and Tatum had known all along that it was Octavia who had married into the Smith family, but by then they had already distanced themselves from family affairs and hadn't made a public issue of it.
But with such significant events unfolding, Nolan and Tatum had no choice but to reconsider the matter.
Richard lowered his gaze, wanting to argue but feeling powerless.
He finally said, "Could you at least investigate who switched Selena all those years ago?"
Nolan and Tatum were already well-informed about everything that had recently transpired in the Smith family.
Tatum sighed softly, rubbing her forehead. "Events from twenty-some years ago are difficult to clarify. Perhaps it was all fate."
With that single dismissal of "it was fate," she disregarded all the injustice Selena had suffered over the years.
Richard suddenly found himself at a loss for words, confronted by their rigid belief in destiny.
He quietly withdrew. Standing outside the study, he could still hear voices from the great hall—everyone discussing Selena, with some even suggesting another DNA test.
But since Nolan and Tatum had acknowledged Selena's identity, the others, however reluctant, wouldn't dare challenge it openly.
Richard's gaze locked onto Otto.
Otto looked up with a venomous glare, their eyes meeting.
The tension was palpable. Otto gave a cold smirk before being the first to leave.
The others continued their discussions, but the subject had shifted from Selena to Otto.
Otto's behavior had been too aggressive.
"His intentions are transparent—he wants to seize the Smith family shares."
"Understandable. He has no son. I heard he keeps over a dozen mistresses, yet not one has gotten pregnant."
"And his only daughter is a fool. No wonder he's so angry."
Other Smith family members all had sons, while Otto had only produced a daughter—one who spent money recklessly, often throwing away millions of dollars on various men. She was widely considered useless.
For the Smith family, however, a few million dollars was trivial, so no one made much of it beyond occasionally mocking Otto.
In his youth, Otto had openly indulged in affairs, even in front of his wife. She had given him only a daughter, and none of his mistresses had even conceived. Later, he discovered he was infertile, making his daughter his only child.
Still, he persisted, keeping seven or eight women in his household, humiliating not only his daughter but stripping his wife of her dignity.
He never tried to hide this behavior, nor did he show affection to his wife, who had aged and lost her beauty in his eyes.
As for his so-called daughter, he merely provided money without any emotional connection—financial support without parental love.
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