Chapter 435 Go Live Your Lives
Noah's eyes flickered with curiosity. He had no clue who Xavier might be talking about.
"We can discuss this later," Xavier said, patting his arm. "Your mother's waiting. Best not keep her hanging."
"Right."
Noah nodded and guided Lisa to the elevator, heading for the top floor of the guesthouse. Outside a particular door, he paused to take a deep breath. Over a decade without seeing his mother—the emotions hit him like a wave.
Beside him, Lisa fidgeted nervously. Last time, Jade had tracked her down. Now, Noah was bringing her along. It felt exactly like meeting her future mother-in-law.
"Come in," a soft voice called from inside.
Though the tone seemed casual, Noah caught the barely contained excitement underneath.
He pushed open the door to find a woman seated on the sofa. Short hair, delicate features—still beautiful, though fine lines had begun to appear around her eyes.
Jade.
Looking at the face that was both familiar and strange, Noah's throat tightened before he finally managed:
"Mom."
That single word made Jade's entire body tremble. Despite being a woman who'd weathered countless storms and mastered the poker face, she couldn't stop tears from flooding her eyes.
"Noah," she whispered, stepping forward to wrap him in a tight embrace. "You've grown up."
"I have," Noah whispered back, holding her close.
A full minute passed before Jade collected herself enough to pull away. "Sit down, sweetheart."
Noah took Lisa's hand and led her to the sofa. Jade's eyes darted to their joined hands, but she kept her thoughts to herself.
"Mom, I think you know why we're here," Noah said, getting straight to the point.
Lisa sat beside him, knees pressed together, silent as a statue.
"I do." Jade glanced at Lisa, her expression unreadable. "You're here to tell me you won't divorce her."
Just like that, the emotional mother vanished, replaced by the powerful executive. Authority radiated from her, making the air feel heavy.
"Noah, I've said this before—people form attachments. You've been with Lisa for a while, so naturally you've developed feelings. I get that. But your future wife would be ten—hell, a hundred times better than this girl. Family background, education—she'd blow Lisa out of the water. She's literally perfect. I promise you'll fall for her."
She turned to Lisa. "And you? After the divorce, I'll make sure you never worry about money again. You'll live better than most people dream of."
"Not happening," Noah said flatly. "Mom, let me ask you something. If some perfect guy came along—someone ten times better than Dad—would you dump him and marry this new guy?"
Jade blinked. "Noah, a man better than your father doesn't exist."
"But what if he did?" Noah pressed.
"Even if he did, I'd never leave your father. We've been through everything together. I love him." Her voice softened with those last three words.
"Exactly my point," Noah said. "You love Dad the way I love Lisa. Even if someone 'better' came along, I wouldn't care. My heart belongs to Lisa. Period. I could never love another woman, let alone divorce the one I have."
Lisa trembled slightly at his words, tears of joy welling in her eyes.
"Noah, everything I do is for you! For our family! Why are you being so damn stubborn?" Jade's frustration bubbled over.
"For me? You keep saying that, but have you actually considered what I want?" Noah remained calm. "You want me to divorce Lisa for the family business, right? Let's be real here."
"Yes, divorcing Lisa to marry a royal princess would benefit the family and you! It's win-win!" Jade's voice rose. "And this isn't just my call—it's your father's, the entire family's decision."
"Mom, I don't want to fight about this." Noah took a deep breath. "If you want a royal princess in the family so badly, find someone else to marry her. It won't be me. I'm only ever going to be with Lisa."
He met his mother's gaze directly. "I'm an adult now. I'm not going to threaten suicide or anything dramatic. I'll just say this once: I will not divorce Lisa. The family can take everything I own if they want. I don't care."
His eyes never wavered.
Jade stayed silent for a full minute before letting out a long sigh. "You're so much like your father sometimes. I had no idea you felt this strongly." She shook her head. "Fine. We can forget about the divorce."
"Seriously?" Noah's eyes lit up.
Lisa's face brightened with shock and joy.
"Would I lie about this?" Jade said. "You're my son. I want you to be happy. If Lisa is what makes you happy... then I support you."
"Thank you, Mom!" Noah said with genuine relief. He hadn't expected her to cave so easily. Before coming, he'd been ready to give up everything and run away with Lisa if necessary.
"Thank you... Mom," Lisa added softly, her cheeks flushing pink.
"Don't thank me yet," Jade warned. "Whether your marriage survives is another question. Some family members are dead set against you marrying someone without connections. That Marigoldian princess was their pick for you."
"These people you're talking about..." Noah's expression darkened.
"We won't go there now," Jade cut him off. "With your current abilities, you're not even close to ready for that fight. It's too soon." She sighed. "The bigger our family gets, the nastier the power struggles become. Your father may be the head of the family on paper, but behind the scenes? Even he's often stuck between a rock and a hard place."
Noah nodded, letting it drop.
"Enough of this heavy talk."
Jade stood up. "Since you're staying married, go live your lives. I'll run interference with the family for a while, but Noah? You need to step up. This world runs on power. Without it, you're just shouting into the wind."
"I understand," Noah replied.
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