Chapter 235 Ryan's Visit
Why did people have desires? Desires brought burdens, and burdens made life uncomfortable. Why did people always seek trouble for themselves?
Looking back, Lauren felt that her current struggles stemmed from her greed. If she hadn't wanted to marry Quentin back then, she wouldn't owe so many favors now.
As for Jessica, she had only saved Jessica's life by chance, but it brought endless disaster to Jessica. She truly was the Robinson Family's disaster.
At this moment, Ethan spoke up, "Lauren, you're oversimplifying things. This statement of severance has no legal effect, so it can't really restrain Quentin."
Lauren frowned. "I know that. My goal is to bind Quentin morally, not legally. Jessica wrote and signed this statement herself, adding her fingerprint. Quentin has always respected Jessica and rarely goes against her wishes. If he sees this statement in the future, he will definitely consider Jessica's feelings and won't let her lose dignity."
Ethan and Kimberly were overjoyed to hear this; they hadn't expected Lauren to be so meticulous.
"Lauren, you're right. As long as Mrs. Jessica Robinson is on our side, we don't have to worry about Quentin taking Matthew away," Kimberly said excitedly.
Lauren let out a long sigh before speaking, "Jessica's dignity is indeed important, but more important is the effect behind this statement. If Quentin goes against Jessica's wishes and gains a reputation for breaking promises, how much damage would that do to the Robinson Conglomerate? Quentin is cold and ruthless; he wouldn't give up the company he's spent half his life building just for Matthew. So this statement is very significant."
Ethan nodded repeatedly. He, indeed, could have been more meticulous than Lauren.
"Lauren, your analysis makes a lot of sense. It's great that you managed to persuade Jessica to help you. Quentin is her grandson, and doing this will surely infuriate him," Ethan said with a carefree smile.
Lauren couldn't help but frown again. She couldn't repay Jessica's kindness, but she also couldn't tolerate Ethan gloating over Jessica in front of her.
Lauren said, "For now, let's keep this statement confidential, especially from Quentin. Otherwise, if he finds a chance to steal it, we'll lose all our leverage." More importantly, she couldn't bear to trouble Jessica any further.
Ethan looked thoughtfully at Lauren but didn't say much. After all, Matthew was her and Quentin's child, and Ethan was becoming more and more important to him. His selfless love for Matthew was gradually fading.
Ethan and Kimberly naturally agreed wholeheartedly with Lauren's arrangement.
"Lauren, leave Matthew's schooling to me. If Quentin tries to sabotage it again, we won't show him any mercy," Ethan said.
Lauren nodded in agreement with mixed feelings. She thought Quentin wouldn't play such childish tricks again. Whether or not Quentin was truly cold-blooded, Matthew was his child, and he wouldn't go to extremes against him.
Lauren didn't know why she hadn't told Ethan and Kimberly about her past confrontation with Quentin. She wanted to keep it a secret, but after reconsidering, she felt it wasn't necessary. Despite her internal struggle, Lauren ultimately chose not to tell them.
"Thank you, Ethan. You help us a lot again," Lauren said, thanking him awkwardly.
Ethan laughed heartily and said, "We're family. There's no need to say thanks."
Lauren was about to retort but was interrupted by Kimberly, "Ethan's right."
Lauren couldn't help but glance at Kimberly. She knew what Kimberly was thinking, but with so much going on, she really didn't want any more problems.
In the following days, Ethan busied himself with Matthew's schooling while Lauren focused on her work. Life seemed to return to normal.
In the end, Ethan successfully helped Lauren resolve Matthew's schooling issues. Lauren was well aware of the effort he put in and was very grateful.
One day, Lauren got off work early and went to the supermarket to buy many ingredients, planning to cook a meal to thank Ethan.
Kimberly took Matthew to play soccer in the backyard, leaving Lauren alone in the house.
While Lauren was busy in the kitchen, the door to the house opened, and a man in a suit walked in.
Hearing the noise, Lauren didn't think much of it and didn't turn around, assuming it was Kimberly and Matthew returning.
"Mom, you're back so soon. I was just about to start cooking. You came back a bit early," Lauren said in a good mood, listening to music and preparing the food.
The man walked step by step to the kitchen door, surprised to see Lauren busy in the kitchen. He couldn't help but speak up.
The man asked, "Excuse me, are you Lauren?"
Lauren was startled by the sudden voice, and the plate in her hand slipped and shattered on the floor.
"I'm sorry. Did I scare you?" The man said politely, looking at Lauren with concern.
Lauren slowly recovered from the shock and looked seriously at the man in front of her. He seemed familiar yet unfamiliar, and she couldn't remember where she had seen him before.
Lauren was very surprised by the man's intrusion. She asked, "How do you know my name? Who are you?"
The man laughed heartily and said, "Lauren, have you forgotten me? We used to see each other often when we were kids. I'm Ryan White, Ethan's older brother by seven years."
Hearing Ryan's introduction, Lauren suddenly realized that the elegant man in front of her was indeed Ethan's brother. She remembered how she used to follow Ethan around, pestering Ryan to buy them food.
She couldn't believe so many years had passed, and she almost didn't recognize Ryan.
Lauren greeted, "Ryan, it's been a long time!"
Lauren felt a bit awkward, remembering that this was Ethan's villa. Being caught here by Ryan made it hard to explain.
Ryan continued to smile and shook his head, saying seriously, "Lauren, I'm not unfamiliar with you at all. Although we haven't seen each other all these years, Ethan has always kept me updated on your life, so I know quite a bit about it."
Talking about her life made Lauren even more embarrassed. Her life was a mess, and having Ryan bring it up so casually made her want to run away.
