Who Cares About Him When I'm Married to the Richest Man?-Chapter 146: Brandon White’s Lethal Impact

"They... they gave these to me before and asked me to bring them to you." Zion Fitzwilliam avoided her eyes with some guilt, "Open it and see if you like it."

Elara first opened the large box and, upon seeing the contents, fell into thought.

"This is..."

"This is the Palm Princess from my mom," Zion coughed awkwardly, feeling that this gift wasn’t exactly presentable. However, before he returned, Lucy Taylor had repeatedly sternly instructed him to bring her sentiment, "This doll... no, this princess, is surrounded by 108 Flower Protectors who guard her for life, and she possesses unbreakable armor and an indestructible physique."

Zion’s toes scrunched in embarrassment, "My mom said, if you’re with this princess every day, you’ll become as strong as she is. She hopes you won’t get sick or injured anymore."

To be fair, the gift has a nice meaning if you ignore its overly romantic inspiration and exaggerated colors.

Elara was shocked for a moment before forcing out a sentence, "Thank Auntie for her thought..."

She felt she must be a country bumpkin not appreciating fine things, certainly not that the beautiful aunt had eccentric taste.

She obviously wouldn’t believe the rows of dazzling diamonds on the princess’s skirt were real, nor did she think the large emeralds on the princess’s head and dress were real emeralds.

If they were real, how much would they be worth? Who would be rich enough to embed such treasures on a doll?

Zion silently closed his mouth.

Even he was unwilling to admit that this absurd thing was bought by Lucy for 3.8 million, forcibly charging it to him.

This thing was an insult to his intelligence.

Elara then opened the small box and was immediately surprised, "Grandma Fitzwilliam sent me another Jade Bracelet?"

She looked at the entirely jade green and crystalline bracelet and didn’t even dare to pick it up, returning the box to Zion, "It’s too valuable, I can’t accept it."

"It’s fake," Zion used the old trick, "Didn’t Grandma say she likes to buy fake bracelets? It’s just a token, you can keep it."

Elara stared at the box, frowning for a long while, then asked in confusion, "Zion, do I look... like a fool?"

Zion paused, raising an eyebrow, "Of course not, you’re very wise, I’ve rarely met someone as wise as you."

Elara slightly twisted her lips, looking at him, "Then I think this bracelet is real."

Zion panicked inside, almost thinking she knew. When he first joined the company and signed his first controversial contract under the board’s pressure, he wasn’t this nervous.

He opened his mouth to explain but didn’t know where to start. The most crucial part was, if she found out everything about him was a lie from the start, what if she ignored him from now on?

Elara didn’t notice his unease, only thought she had guessed right, frowned, and forcibly stuffed the box into his hand, saying, "There’s a price tag and certificate inside, it’s written on the price tag, it cost 250,000. Such a valuable gift, Grandma Fitzwilliam must want to give it to her real granddaughter-in-law as a family heirloom. I absolutely can’t accept it, you should keep it."

Zion was stunned. Taking it and looking, he indeed found a price tag inside, showing the selling price was 250,000.

In the stunned silence, Elara had already withdrawn her hand.

Zion feared insisting on giving it to her would make her suspicious, so he accepted it first, apologizing, "I’m sorry, I didn’t know Grandma bought such an expensive thing. If you feel pressured, I’ll hold it for now."

Elara felt a pang in her heart, barely managing a smile, "Okay, you hold onto it first."

Such a jade bracelet was destined not to belong to her. It belonged to his future partner, perhaps Attorney White, or some other man, but certainly not her.

Zion couldn’t understand why the warm atmosphere moments ago suddenly chilled, Elara seemed very unhappy. He wanted to say something to cheer her up but was afraid of making it worse.

Never before had he felt so helpless.

Like an inexperienced youngster, knowing nothing except how to be good to her. But even being good to her couldn’t be straightforward, seeing her frown left him clueless.

Elara also realized her loss of composure and forced herself to perk up, changing the subject, "Did everything go well in the Netherlands this time?"

He initially planned for three days, but ended up staying six, encountering shootings and kidnappings. She wondered how things went.

If it wasn’t resolved, would he have to go to the Netherlands again?

Zion pondered for a moment before answering, "It’s okay, everything was within expectations."

Before his grandfather disappeared, he had indeed shown up in the Netherlands. Surveillance footage showed that about three and a half years ago, his Alzheimer’s was under control, and he seemed clear-minded in the footage. However, at that time, grandpa was supposed to be recuperating in America; how did he quietly end up in the Netherlands?

No one in the family knew, not even the nurse in America. She only said grandpa wanted to take a walk and told her not to mention it to anyone.

In the Netherlands, grandpa mostly wandered alone, but he did meet someone at a restaurant, yet that person was sitting in a blind spot. No one knew who they were.

Grandpa didn’t know anyone in the Netherlands, and from the surveillance footage, he didn’t seem to make any friends. The meeting with that person happened only once.

Who that individual was remained the last mystery.

After that, grandpa returned home, disappearing in Northgarde until his sudden passing.

So, his trip to the Netherlands found nothing but raised more questions.

Elara, hearing his answer, couldn’t resist her eager curiosity, asking, "Will you go to the Netherlands again after this?"

Zion paused, looking down at her, his dark eyes seeming to want to read something hidden on her face.

"No more going. Do you... not want me to leave?"

Elara’s heart raced, her cheeks and ears burning hot, nervously denying, "Of course not. I’m just... curious about how things are between you and Attorney White now."

Hearing her outright denial, Zion felt a hint of disappointment. But hearing her following question, he asked in surprise, "Attorney White? Brandon White?"

Didn’t he perform a whole breakup act with Brandon White in front of her last time? Why bring up Brandon White again?

Elara dared not look up at him, fearing her face would betray her, replied nonchalantly, "Yes, didn’t you go to the Netherlands this time to see Attorney White?"

Zion was momentarily speechless.

He hadn’t given her the specifics of his trip to the Netherlands, so she thought he went to pursue... him?

Seeing her downcast, he suddenly had an epiphany, feeling a bit hopeful, "You don’t like me being with Attorney White?"

Elara missed the heat in his eyes, hearing him ask that, afraid he’d misunderstand, hurried to deny, "Of course not, it’s just... just feel he hurt you so deeply before, yet you’re still good to him. I’m worried you’ll end up like me."

Zion’s full-hearted anticipation emptied, his excitement and tension calming down.

Right, she was just worried from a friend’s perspective that he was too sentimental.

Zion Fitzwilliam took a deep breath, suppressing the disappointment in his heart, and forced himself to appear casual as he said, "Don’t worry, I won’t."

At the same time, he made up his mind once again that before things progressed with her, Brandon White must not appear in front of her again.

This lie had given Brandon’s presence too much destructive power.

But in Elara Hale’s ears, his words turned into a tacit admission: he indeed went to the Netherlands for Brandon White.

She was overwhelmed with frustration and didn’t want to continue this topic.

Coincidentally, it was nearly time for Joanne Carter to leave school, so she said to Zion Fitzwilliam, "You should go pick Joanne up first."

After the incident where Joanne was taken by Haylie Sommers last time, she had gotten used to picking Joanne up in advance, just like how Esther Carter used to stand guard at the school gate half an hour early.

Zion also had some matters to arrange, so he nodded in response, "Alright, then you take a rest for now. What would you like for dinner? I’ll bring it back."

Elara had no appetite, and just the thought that he could never like her made her uncontrollably sad.

She smiled nonchalantly, "Just get whatever you see fit, I’m okay with anything."

"Alright."

As Zion Fitzwilliam left the hospital room, closing the door behind him, Elara raised her uninjured arm and rubbed her face. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

What to do? She seemed less and less able to control herself.

Initially, she regarded him being with others as an outsider. Even after she realized she liked him, she could still control her emotions well.

She thought that as long as she hid it well, being his formal marriage partner for life wouldn’t matter, since she didn’t like anyone else anyway.

But recently, it seemed like she’d been asking for more, his gentleness and his protection made her increasingly greedy...

She was worried that if it continued like this, everything would spiral out of control. Perhaps in the end, they wouldn’t even remain friends.

What should she do? Get a divorce and cut all ties? But she was reluctant to... Moreover, no matter what she chose, it would ultimately lead to mutual estrangement.

For the first time in her life, she hated her indecisiveness.

Meanwhile, as soon as Zion Fitzwilliam stepped out of the hospital room, he received a call from Grandma Fitzwilliam.

Grandma Fitzwilliam spoke enthusiastically, "Zion, did Elara see the gift I sent her? Does she like it?"

Zion paused for a moment, then replied calmly, "She politely refused it."

Grandma Fitzwilliam exclaimed in disbelief, "How could that be? I even adjusted the price specifically to prevent any overthinking, why didn’t she accept it? Didn’t she like it?"

"Your special price adjustment turned a twenty-five million item into two hundred fifty thousand? Do you think to her there’s a difference between twenty-five million and two hundred fifty thousand? Both are beyond her means," Zion said, his expression somewhat indescribable.

"Is two hundred fifty thousand a lot?" Grandma Fitzwilliam asked seriously, puzzled, "It’s merely the cost of a custom-made cheongsam, it shouldn’t raise any suspicion, should it?"

Zion tugged at the corners of his mouth, his voice carrying a hint of a sigh.

"To fit into her lifestyle, I’ve even bought a car worth just over a hundred thousand, and the house, though situated in the city, is only seventy square meters. Grandma, if you’re trying to pretend to be ordinary, could you make it more convincing? What kind of ordinary person spends two hundred fifty thousand on a bracelet?"

Grandma Fitzwilliam asked bewilderedly, "Then how much should I spend?"

"Two hundred fifty," Zion replied expressionlessly, "or two thousand five, but never more than three thousand."

Grandma Fitzwilliam retorted discontentedly, "Such a small amount, just enough to send a pauper away? My family’s Elara..."

"Is my family’s," Zion interrupted, stressing, "She’s just an ordinary person earning over ten thousand a month. Giving her too much would scare her."

After a pause, he added, "Even if you insist on giving something, you can alter the price tag, or just save it until she truly returns to the Fitzwilliam Family before giving her everything at once."

Grandma Fitzwilliam was dismayed, "But the big room I’ve prepared for her at home is almost full, when will you finally bring her home?"

Zion Fitzwilliam, "...I don’t know."

"Useless!" Grandma Fitzwilliam angrily hung up the phone.

Across the ocean in the Netherlands, Lucy Taylor watched as her mother-in-law ended the call. She eagerly approached, asking, "Mom, what did Zion say? Does Elara prefer your gift or mine?"

"She rejected mine for being too expensive," Grandma Fitzwilliam snapped.

Lucy was instantly pleased, "I told you, you couldn’t give something so pricey; twenty million would frighten her. See, my choice was so much better! A few million for her to play with relaxes things considerably."

Grandma Fitzwilliam gave her a withering look, "Isn’t it possible she didn’t even recognize it as the limited edition by that luxury brand’s chief designer? Maybe she thought it was something from a market stall?"

Based on Zion’s price range for gifts, it was quite likely.

Lucy widened her eyes, "No way! Such a big logo!"

"You think Elara is like you, obsessed with money? She might not even know which brands are considered luxury," Grandma Fitzwilliam said, calmly sipping her tea.

Although Elara didn’t accept Grandma Fitzwilliam’s bracelet, she also treated Lucy’s gift as a worthless toy. All considered, neither of them had succeeded.

Grandma Fitzwilliam felt quite satisfied.

Lucy furrowed her brow, puzzled as to how Elara could fail to notice such substantial emeralds and the one hundred and eight large diamonds.

Indeed, Elara hadn’t noticed.

When Zion Fitzwilliam returned with Joanne Carter, Elara was contemplating the shiny princess encircled by one hundred and eight flower protectors, pondering whether to make some little clothes for it out of old garments.

On closer inspection, this little princess was quite cute, and she had little resistance to cute things.

Joanne said hello and obediently went to do her homework.

Zion placed the food beside her, about to serve her a meal when his phone rang. He glanced at it and said to Elara, "I’ll just take this call."

Elara nodded, "Go ahead, do what you need to."

Zion turned and exited the hospital room, closing the door, before answering the call, speaking gravely, "Do we have any leads?"

On the other end, his new assistant sounded solemn, "President Fitzwilliam, we’ve found the hospital under your name, the one Miss Hale is currently staying in."