Meeting the In-Laws

On the day of the family gathering, Julian woke early and put on a beige casual suit that beamed with youth and screamed carefree charm. He sat waiting in the living room while Valerie took a call in her office. Scrolling idly on his phone, he looked up the moment he heard the door click—and froze.

She wore a rich burgundy dress, her hair swept up in a hair clip to reveal the delicate cat earrings he had gifted her gleaming against her earlobes.

“Pack extra outfits,” she said softly. “We may spend the night there.”

Still bewildered by her beauty, he stepped closer and gently caressed the slender chains cascading from her studs, his flirtatious smile deepening when she didn't pull away. “Gorgeous as always,” he murmured, his gaze holding hers. “Shining so bright I might just get blinded.”

The family estate lay on the outskirts of the city. As they prepared to leave the office that evening, Lukas sent them off with a sinister grin, thinking of the mountain of evidence they had gathered to slap Valerie’s grandmother with and force her to stop defending the chairman.

During the drive, Valerie lay back in the rear seat with her eyes closed. Sensing their speed on the quiet road, her brows furrowed, and her knuckles turned white against the door handle. “We’re not in a hurry,” she instructed the driver. “They can wait.”

As the vehicle glided through the estate's massive iron gates, Valerie opened her eyes, checked her watch, and retrieved a thick folder from under her seat. Julian stepped out first and took in the view. Vibrant greenery framed a magnificent three-story main villa, while smaller architectural guest houses dotted the landscape in the distance. Nearby, crystal-clear water gurgled continuously inside grand marble birdbath fountains, reflecting the sheer, extravagant wealth of a centuries-old dynasty.

Julian offered his arm, and Valerie intertwined hers with his. As they stepped onto the driveway, two uniformed footmen immediately stepped forward alongside the driver to retrieve their luggage and bags from the trunk, efficiently whisking everything inside before the pair even reached the steps.

Standing near the main entrance, Mildred, the household manager, greeted them with a polite smile. Valerie whispered to Julian as they approached, “If anyone makes a backhanded comment, feel free to insult them right back. I don't usually bother, but I’m not going to ask you to swallow your pride.”

Julian shot her a questioning glance, ensuring his retaliation wouldn't cause problems for her.

She merely shrugged. “Go all out. I need some entertainment before we get down to business.”

“Welcome home, Miss Valerie,” Mildred said, offering only a subtle nod to Julian. Having served the family for decades, Mildred remembered him from his initial introduction to the head of the house, though she hadn't anticipated his relationship with Valerie advancing quickly enough for an invitation to a private family gathering.

Glancing past Mildred, Valerie caught sight of a waiting maid holding Julian's overnight bag alongside three elegantly wrapped, luxurious shopping bags clearly containing gifts. She blinked—when had he even managed to sneak all of that into the trunk? She let out a quiet sigh.

“Everyone is having tea in the back garden,” Mildred continued. “Would you and the gentleman like to join them, or would you prefer to rest first?”

Valerie paused. “Are Ian and Inas there too?”

“Yes, but they’re currently getting an earful from Madam. If you go now, her attention might shift to you.” Though loyal to Valerie’s grandmother, Yolaine Miller, Mildred harbored a soft spot for Valerie and loathed seeing the two at odds.

Julian tapped Valerie’s arm in a gentle rhythm matching the splash of the nearby fountains, patiently waiting for her decision while ignoring the veiled, curious glances of house staff passing by.

Valerie turned to him with a wry smile. “Well, since you like tea... let's go have some.”

The silence in the garden was intense after the bomb Valerie dropped: she got married?

The twins, who had been playing chess while being reprimanded by their grandmother for their grades, stared at the clasped hands of the couple in disbelief, the matching rings adding to the shockingly harmonious image.

Jane, Valerie’s aunt who had previously asked who the guest was, choked on her tea, quickly looking away from the blinding smile on the man’s face as Valerie referred to him as her husband. Brian scoffed, unsurprised—probably because he kept as close an eye on Valerie as she did on him—while his wife nudged their son, Neil, in the ribs and began whispering furiously.

Yolaine, who had been the one constantly pushing Valerie to get married, wore a frozen smile on her face. She recognized Julian, though she hadn't foreseen Valerie quickly settling down with him, let alone marrying him. She was the first to break the silence.

"Congratulations," Yolaine said stiffly, "but weren't you a bit hasty?"

Valerie calmly took the teacup handed to her by Julian and responded, "Not at all. I thought about your words deeply and became convinced, and my choice isn't at all disappointing. You liked him when you first met."

Julian set a wrapped gift bag down in front of Yolaine. "Good to see you again, Mrs. Miller. I brought you some amber incense—though I'm certain it pales in comparison to the amber fragrance you wore when we first met." (Although he usually referred to her as "Grandma" in private with Valerie, he wasn't foolish enough to use the title now.)

He then turned to the twins, Inas and Ian, and placed the other two bags before them. "Nice to finally see both of you. Just some limited-edition and imported snacks—hope you like them."

He didn't wait for a response or acknowledge the other family members, simply leaning back to sip his tea under a barrage of calculating gazes.

Jane narrowed her eyes. "I don’t recall any big families with the surname Gill. Did you pick him solely for his face? Be cautious, Valerie—you might end up funding his ‘entertainment’ with others." She glanced toward her sister-in-law with a sharp snicker.

Her sister-in-law scoffed. "What are you hinting at? Have you forgotten last week’s tabloids full of photos of your boy toy with that actress? Why don’t you—"

"Enough!" Yolaine loudly banged her teacup against the saucer. "Jane only meant to ask about the company shares Valerie holds. After all, it is a family business." She hadn't explicitly asked, but her underlying question was clear: How did Valerie protect the shares from Julian, the outsider, in the event of a divorce or death?

Julian clicked his tongue softly. "Although I am a simple graphic designer, I live fairly comfortably. I had no need to search for a wife to support me financially." He slid a glance toward Valerie, his gaze softening. "Though I certainly struck gold that a woman as warm, mesmerizingly beautiful, and successful as Val was interested in me, so I had to move fast." He brushed his shoulder against Valerie's as he praised her in front of the perplexed crowd.

Across the table, Inas stared from Julian to Valerie's face, then glanced at Ian, silently wondering whether Julian was blind for seeing warmth in that walking iceberg, or if she was the blind one for missing it. Ian nodded slowly as he surreptitiously seized his sister's knight on the chessboard.

Valerie lightly tapped the thick folder resting beside her teacup. "My shares weren't exactly handed to me on a gold platter like some of you, so it is my private business to do with them as I see fit." She looked up, her dark eyes locking onto her grandmother. "Grandmother, we have something to discuss. Let’s go to Grandpa’s study."

As she stood, thinking of the grave compromises she had made for the sake of the shares and her siblings, her eyes darkened. Overlooking her mother's death was the deepest wound in her heart—something she would never forgive herself for, nor ever expect her mother's forgiveness and understanding for her reasons.