Prosperous Marriage: Married to My Brother-in-law

Everyone had assumed that either Hansen Ruiz would be forced out by Glades Horne, or Glades would find himself with no option but to oust Hansen directly. However, to everyone's astonishment, the two strong-willed men became best friends. Soon after, Hansen Ruiz dug in his heels at Valence Group, becoming an executive assistant. Despite being no less capable than Glades Horne, he was willing to be his deputy, devoting himself wholeheartedly to Glades and making waves in T City with his influence.

Since Hansen Ruiz refused to return, Matthew Ruiz could only let his two younger sons join the company to see who was more capable of taking over.

In the Ruiz family's grand mansion, quiet and luxurious, the splendor of a wealthy household was evident everywhere.

At this moment, Mrs. Ruiz sat in the lavish living room, holding a dozen photographs and studying them. Her well-maintained face always held a faint, gentle smile, but her eyes were sharp, keen, and discerning. Without meeting her gaze, one might think she was approachable, for her speech was also gentle and polite. Hansen's duplicity was likely inherited from her.

The dozen photographs all showed Hansen Ruiz with a woman Mrs. Ruiz had personally seen before—Rachel Bailey.

The man who had once driven Mrs. Ruiz to T City to see Rachel Bailey was standing beside her now. He was Mrs. Ruiz's bodyguard, always following closely to ensure her safety.

"Has that boy's judgment been clouded?" Mrs. Ruiz said indifferently, clearly disliking the ordinary Rachel Bailey in the photos. In her opinion, Rachel was completely unsuitable for her elder son.

"Madam, of all the women around the Eldest Young Master, only she receives special treatment. It seems he has taken a fancy to her, although she doesn't reciprocate his feelings," the young man explained.

Gazing at the photo of her eldest son, Mrs. Ruiz sighed. "That much is obvious. There's a subtle affection in his eyes for this little woman, yet she's trying to distance herself from him. It might seem like an amusing dalliance, but the doors of the Ruiz family are not open to such a lowly woman. Floyd, let's make another trip to T City. Arrange a meeting with her; I want to talk to her face to face."

Floyd Thomas hesitated, gently advising, "Madam, if the Eldest Young Master finds out, he might cause a scene. He doesn't rely on any family benefits now, so you have nothing to control him with."

If Hansen Ruiz had taken over the family business, the elders could have used it as leverage to prevent him from being with Rachel Bailey. But now that he had no ties to the family business, how could they suppress him? Attack everything he had in T City? Wouldn't that be tantamount to opposing Valence Group?

"Let him cause a scene if he likes. I will never agree to that kind of woman entering the Ruiz family," Mrs. Ruiz declared resolutely, clearly not taking Rachel Bailey seriously at all. "She's just a country girl; how could she possibly cross the threshold of the Ruiz family?" Her tone was filled with disdain.

Rachel Bailey came from a rural background; her parents were farmers. Although they made a decent living, in Mrs. Ruiz's eyes, Hansen Ruiz was an emperor and Rachel Bailey a mere commoner. The chasm between royalty and commoners was one that could never be bridged.

No matter how special Rachel Bailey was to Hansen Ruiz, as long as Mrs. Ruiz was alive, she would never allow them to be together.

Floyd Thomas dared not say anything more.

"If I toss five million her way, I don't believe she won't take it and run far away," Mrs. Ruiz said, her face still holding a faint smile, but the scorn in her words had deepened.

Floyd Thomas pursed his lips and said nothing more.

Silence returned to the living room.

「T City.」

「Golden Phoenix Inn.」

In a stylish room on the third floor overlooking the street, Nicholas Coldwell sat dressed in a sleek black suit, his white shirt set off by a solid blue tie. His face was stern, his expression somewhat aloof.

He was sitting at a large round table in the room, his right hand resting on the table, fingers tapping lightly.

Every few minutes, he would glance at the luxury watch on his wrist.

Each time he looked at his watch, it reaffirmed his new reality. He truly had climbed the social ladder, becoming a part of upper-class society. He wore designer clothes, a tie worth tens of thousands, shoes costing over ten thousand; even his watch was a luxury brand. He could drive his own car and no longer had to squeeze onto buses as he had in the past.

Even if he had traded his love for this status, he felt regret alongside a measure of satisfaction.

At the Windsor family's wine party, Glades Horne and Julia Bluen had dealt him another heavy blow, making him feel like a dog in their presence, toyed with at their whim. Glades's air of superiority had stung him, prompting a silent vow to one day defeat Glades Horne. Once he became the emperor of the business world, Julia Bluen... he would make her his mistress, an outlet for his desires!

KNOCK, KNOCK.

A hotel waiter then opened the door, ushering in several men, all clad in business suits.

Upon seeing the men, Nicholas Coldwell quickly stood up, his face instantly wreathed in an eager-to-please smile, the earlier aloof demeanor vanishing as if it had never been.

"President Lu, President Wang, President Lei, President Zhang, welcome! Please, come in, have a seat," Nicholas Coldwell greeted, ushering the men to the table.

The men took their seats without ceremony, each choosing a spot they liked.

"Manager Coldwell, has Vice President Powell not come?" the man surnamed Lu asked with a smile, though his eyes held a trace of disdain as he looked at Nicholas Coldwell.

As he sat down, Nicholas Coldwell replied with a smile, "My wife wasn't feeling well, so I suggested she rest."

During their last checkup, they had thought Diana Powell might be pregnant. However, it turned out she merely had some gynecological inflammation that had delayed her period; it wasn't pregnancy at all.

"Manager Coldwell is such a considerate husband. No wonder Vice President Powell is so devoted to you," another, President Lei, remarked with a laugh.

A waiter served the food and wine Nicholas Coldwell had ordered in advance.

"Come, let's eat and talk," Nicholas Coldwell said, inviting everyone to begin.