Chapter 463 Emotional Obstruction, Hidden Inside Story
"Has Charlie lost his mind? What does Gordon's issue have to do with William? I'm gonna confront him!" Evelyn slammed the table in anger, but Joyce quickly grabbed her arm. "Don't, Evelyn! This has nothing to do with you. If you get involved, you'll just make Charlie even angrier."
"William's a really good friend of mine, and Jennifer's my little sister. How can I not get involved? I have to!" Evelyn had suffered enough from her family's opposition to her own love life and didn't want Jennifer to go through the same pain.
Evelyn was the most beloved daughter of the Taylor family, and even she had faced immense difficulties in love. William was just a secretary, and Jennifer was timid and indecisive. How could their love withstand the family's opposition?
"Evelyn, don't be so impulsive," Donna also tried to stop her. "Charlie is just starting to warm up to Edward. If you make him angry now, he might take it out on Edward."
"Exactly, and Jennifer is Joyce's daughter. It's not appropriate for you to step in," Susan added.
Evelyn sighed in frustration and sat back down.
Joyce went to see Jennifer, and Evelyn followed her.
In the living room, William and Jennifer sat close on the couch, shoulder to shoulder, gazing at each other with deep affection, their fingers tightly intertwined. Evelyn couldn't help but smile at the sight.
"William, Jennifer, it's been a while."
The two quickly stood up. Jennifer shyly lowered her head and asked in a sweet voice, "Evelyn, how are you? Are your injuries better?"
"I'm fine now. Seeing you two makes me very happy."
William nodded respectfully, always polite. Even though he was now dating Jennifer, he never forgot his place.
"William, how's your recovery?" Evelyn asked with concern.
"I'm fully healed, thank you for asking."
Though he was speaking to Evelyn, William's tender gaze never left Jennifer's face.
"Since you're here, let's..."
"Jennifer, go upstairs. I need to talk to William alone," Joyce interrupted Evelyn, speaking calmly.
Jennifer looked worriedly at William before turning to go upstairs.
As William's passionate gaze followed his beloved up the stairs, Joyce's tone turned colder. "William, I believe you know Mr. Taylor's stance on your relationship. He doesn't support it. So, I'm sorry, but I can't support it either."
Evelyn was stunned. She never expected the usually gentle Joyce to be so firm about her daughter's marriages.
"Joyce, I truly love Jennifer," William said, standing stiffly. "Please believe me. Give me a chance to prove my love for her."
Joyce frowned and shook her head. "William, you've been coming to Oasis Villa since you were a teenager. I've watched you grow up. I know your character well. I've never doubted your feelings for Jennifer. But love alone isn't enough. There are many practical considerations. You understand that."
Joyce said no more and turned to leave.
Evelyn quickly caught up to Joyce, grabbing her hand, eyes filled with urgency and confusion. "Joyce, why? You've praised William in front of me so many times. You've always liked him. Why the sudden change?"
"Liking William and deciding to marry Jennifer to him are two different things," Joyce said softly but firmly. "Charlie likes William, too, but only because he appreciates his character. The recent actions of the Flynn family have greatly displeased your father. Charlie isn't a snob, but he can't let Jennifer marry into a family with such poor values. I agree with him."
"Joyce, Gordon is Gordon. He doesn't represent the entire Flynn family!" Evelyn continued to defend William.
"Charlie and I have made up our minds. Jennifer is still young and hasn't graduated from college. It's too early to talk about marriage. We'll discuss it later."
Evelyn watched Joyce's retreating figure, her mind filled with doubts. It was strange, very strange. Charlie's stubbornness was one thing, but why had Joyce's attitude changed so drastically, as if they had reached some sort of agreement?
"Evelyn."
Evelyn turned to see William standing a few steps away, looking pale and speaking cautiously.
"William, you... heard everything?" Evelyn felt a pang of guilt.
"Evelyn, thank you for your concern about me and Jennifer," William forced a bitter smile. "We'll take it slow. I believe that as long as Jennifer and I love each other deeply and stay committed, one day..."
One day. How long would he make the girl he loved wait?
William's throat tightened, unable to continue.
Evelyn's heart ached. She walked over and patted his shoulder firmly. "William, your path with Jennifer will be very difficult. Jennifer is timid and indecisive, and Joyce has no say in the family. Gordon is at odds with Charlie, and it's understandable that Charlie is taking it out on your family."
"Gordon is no longer my family," William said through gritted teeth. "When he chose power and wealth over right and wrong, siding with Tiffany, he ceased to be my relative. I'll talk to my father. If he continues to let Gordon run wild, I'll officially sever ties with the Flynn family. I won't be a part of it anymore!"
Evelyn sighed, her expression serious. "Don't do that, William. Such extreme measures won't solve the real problem. Gordon's issues will be handled by Edward and me. He's your parents' eldest son, and they're already in poor health. If you give them such a blow, your family will truly fall apart."
"Evelyn..." William's inner turmoil was evident, his clear eyes brimming with tears.
"You, like me, value family deeply. I don't want you to be estranged from your loved ones. I'll do my best to help with Jennifer and Gordon's issues," Evelyn said with determination. "I'd rather be the bad guy than let you be."
Meanwhile, at the Flynn family home.
"Oh my God, Gordon! What happened to your nose?"
Gordon had been knocked to the ground by Edward's powerful punch, and the hospital confirmed that his nasal bone was fractured. He might even have issues with his sense of smell in the future.
He would need a piece of his rib to reconstruct his nose and undergo plastic surgery!
Brian and Isla were shocked and furious to see their son beaten so badly. Isla nearly had a heart attack. "Gordon! Who did this to you? You're a well-known lawyer; how could anyone dare to lay a hand on you?"
"Mom, don't ask. It's someone we can't afford to provoke," Gordon said, growing more resentful and embarrassed.
"A few days ago, you said you took on Tiffany's drug case and have been busy with the Wellington family," Brian pondered, his expression darkening. "Tiffany and Evelyn have a terrible relationship. Taking on the Wellington family's case means you've offended Evelyn. Did Evelyn have you beaten?"
Gordon felt humiliated, his teeth clenched in anger. "It was Edward who hit me, but it was Evelyn who ordered it! They're working together now, so it doesn't matter who threw the punch!"
"Evelyn from the Taylor family... this is outrageous!" Isla clutched her chest, trembling with anger. "Our Flynn family has done so much for the Taylor family. Your father was the head of the legal department at KnightSpear Group before he retired, and William has been their secretary, always at their beck and call. And just because of one case, because of a personal grudge, she teamed up with Mr. Wellington to make things difficult for you and had you beaten like this? Do they think they can bully us now that your father is retired and our family is of no use to them?"
"Mom, please calm down. Your heart isn't well," Gordon tried to comfort Isla.
"The Taylor family... they're too much! Especially Evelyn, she's so arrogant and self-centered!" Brian was also furious. "I raised William with great care, and the Taylor family treats my son like a servant. Now they've even resorted to violence. It's unacceptable!"
"And now William is telling me he wants to marry Jennifer from the Taylor family! He insists on marrying her!"
Gordon's ears perked up. "William... wants to marry that illegitimate daughter from the Taylor family?"
"William is out of his mind, bewitched by Jennifer. He even came home a few days ago and caused a scene."
The term "illegitimate daughter" struck a nerve with Isla, who was a traditional woman. She increasingly felt that William shouldn't be interested in Jennifer. "Our Flynn family isn't the Taylor family's dumping ground. We've cleaned up their messes for half a lifetime, and now they want us to marry their least desirable daughter. It's outrageous!"
"Exactly. William is a talented and handsome young man. He could find any girl he wanted. How could he choose someone so unworthy?"
Gordon, holding his nose, sneered coldly. "That Joyce, she's only respected because Mr. Taylor wants her. If Mr. Taylor ever tires of her and kicks her and her daughter out, what will William do then? Will he have to support them? Our Flynn family would become a laughingstock!"
Brian and Isla felt a chill run down their spines, filled with fear.
Gordon outwardly expressed concern but inwardly smiled darkly. He knew the truth was far from what he said. If William truly married Jennifer, he would successfully join a prestigious family, and the entire Flynn family would likely rely on him for support.
That couldn't happen. Gordon was the eldest son, the pride of the family. He couldn't allow the William he always looked down on to surpass him. He had to stop them at all costs.
Moreover, both Jennifer and William were very important to Evelyn. If this couple faced difficulties, Evelyn would undoubtedly be distressed.
As long as she was suffering, he would feel satisfied.
That evening, Elbert privately invited Charlie to his exclusive club for dinner.
"Hubert, inform Joyce and Jennifer that I'll be taking them to the dinner tonight," Charlie said, standing in front of a full-length mirror as his personal tailor took measurements. His expression was dark, clearly troubled. "And don't alert Evelyn or anyone else."
Hubert seemed to understand something and responded quietly, "Yes, Mr. Taylor."
In the luxurious private room of the club.
Elbert didn't come alone this time. He brought Gilbert and Randy, who had recently recovered from severe injuries and hadn't been seen in a while.
Gilbert remained calm throughout, but Randy glared at him with bloodshot eyes, gripping his glass so tightly it was about to shatter.
"Randy, why are you looking at me like that? Do you want to have a drink with me?" Gilbert said slowly, picking up his wine glass and pretending to remember something. "Oh, right. I forgot. Your leg just started to heal, and the doctor advised you not to drink. My bad, Randy."
Randy's face twisted with rage, wanting nothing more than to strangle Gilbert.
With Evelyn's help, Randy had barely managed to save his left leg, but every time the weather turned cold or rainy, his bones ached unbearably. His right pant leg was empty, replaced by a cold, artificial limb.
All of this was Gilbert's doing!
"Gilbert, enough," Elbert warned, though his tone was noticeably less icy than before.
"Dad, I'm genuinely concerned about Randy, but it seems he's misunderstood my intentions," Gilbert said, spreading his hands in mock innocence. "But I understand, Randy. If I were in his shoes, I'd probably be even more unstable and might never stand up again. Randy's attitude is already better than most."
"Gilbert!" Randy couldn't take it anymore and slammed the table.
At that moment, the door to the private room opened.
Elbert's secretary led Charlie inside, and Elbert immediately stood up, followed by Gilbert and Randy.
Randy moved slowly with his cane, looking far less confident and much more desolate than before.
Gilbert stared expectantly at the door, waiting for the person he longed to see.
But in the next moment, his hopeful gaze dimmed.
Following Charlie into the room were Joyce and Jennifer, not Evelyn.
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