Prosperous Marriage: Married to My Brother-in-law

"Glades." On his day off, Hansen Ruiz would call him Glades. At times like these, they were best friends, not a boss and his subordinate.

"Ruiz, give me five minutes to find Julia's whereabouts. Also, prepare the latest and most lightweight smartphone for me," Glades Horne's deep voice came through.

Hansen Ruiz blinked. What was going on? Early in the morning, Glades Horne had called him to locate Julia Bluen. Could it be that Julia had been kidnapped?

Good heavens, who was the kidnapper? I'd worship him as a master; his nerve is just too great, and his courage even more admirable! I'll award the kidnapper ten million to help him become rich on the path to the underworld, so he won't have to be a kidnapper in his next life.

"All right."

While Ruiz complained inwardly, he still answered as he always did.

"Message me in five minutes."

Glades Horne's deep voice continued.

"Okay."

After Ruiz said "okay" a second time, Glades hung up the phone.

Ruiz's expression turned serious. He swiftly made several calls and sat on the sofa, where more than a dozen mobile phones were laid out on the coffee table. He continued to make calls, and soon the array of phones began to ring one after another.

Answering two calls at once, it wasn't long before he learned Julia Bluen's whereabouts.

He used the same phone Glades Horne had just called him on to call Glades back. He informed Glades that his wife was at the Emperor Hotel having breakfast with his grandmother. After breakfast, the pair planned to head to a seniors' fellowship at the Activity Center in town.

Learning that his wife had been whisked away by his own grandmother, Glades recalled his grandmother once saying Julia was hers during the day and only his at night.

They had been married for over a month, and his grandmother hadn't tried to monopolize Julia's company. Besides, Julia had to work during the day, so he'd assumed his grandmother was just speaking offhandedly. Even if she did enjoy Julia's company, she wouldn't want to be a third wheel. Who knew she'd make a move today? And to do it while he was still in bed, whisking his wife away!

She moved quickly indeed. No wonder Julia didn't bring her phone; she must have just gotten up when Grandma arrived. Wait, how did Grandma get the keys? Could she have secretly made a copy of the keys to our house? Or did Julia leave her set of keys behind? No matter how Grandma got in, I need to find Julia first.

Glades Horne quickly drove away from home, heading straight for the Emperor Hotel without going back to the Horne residence and without bringing his Bodyguards along.

"RING RING RING..." His phone suddenly rang.

He slowed down and answered the call.

"Glades," Julia's crisp voice came through, instantly softening his heart. "Glades, I'm at the Emperor Hotel. Later, I'll be accompanying Grandma to a seniors' activity. I didn't bring my phone; it was all too rushed. Don't be mad, okay? Next time, I'll definitely sleep with my phone; it won't leave my side. It's your day off today, and I might not be able to hang out with you, so go do whatever you enjoy. See you tonight."

Do whatever I enjoy?

Glades Horne frowned, not liking how his wife dismissed him.

"I'm coming to you two, wait for me," Glades Horne said in a deep voice, his tone forceful to the extreme, giving Julia no chance to argue or refuse as she was about to hang up.

"Okay, I'll wait for you," Julia didn't mind his bossiness at all and was very happy to wait for him at the Emperor Hotel.

Just as Glades Horne ended his call with Julia, Hansen Ruiz called him again. He had prepared the latest, most lightweight smartphone for Glades and asked if he wanted it delivered immediately. Glades instructed him to have someone send it to the Emperor Hotel.

After Julia called Glades Horne, she sat back down to accompany the old lady.

「Across the street from the Emperor Hotel, a white van was parked with four men inside, staring at the Emperor Hotel.」

One of the men, who had a brutish, fleshy face, said, "The old lady who just went in seems to be from a wealthy family. Kidnapping her could certainly bring in a good ransom. We brothers have been starving lately."

"Anyone going into the Emperor Hotel isn't poor. We could get rich by kidnapping just about anyone," another man with a sharp chin and monkey-like cheeks chimed in.

The other three nodded in agreement.

The Emperor Hotel was the city's most upscale hotel. Dining there, even casually, could make an ordinary person's wallet ache. Therefore, anyone who frequented the Emperor Hotel was wealthy.

"When they come out, we'll follow them and find a chance to kidnap the old lady," the man with the fleshy face said.

The other three nodded again.

Then, the four men continued to fix their gaze intently on the Emperor Hotel.

However, it was unknown whether it would be the old lady's nightmare or the four men's.

「Elsewhere, another plot was being planned.」

Early in the morning, Orlando Evans barged into her uncle's house. She dragged Othiel Evans out of bed, insisting he dress neatly, saying she was taking him to have morning tea with Adele Horne. This was to officially give Othiel the opportunity to pursue Adele.

Orlando planned to fleece Adele for some money, considering it payment for the years she'd spent with her. She also wanted Adele to become her sister-in-law. This way, the Evans and Horne families would be united by marriage, and she could re-enter the Horne household as Othiel's sister. Ultimately, she still harbored feelings for Glades Horne. She resented Julia Bluen and was determined not to let Julia have an easy life.

Of course, she also planned to instruct Adele on how to torment Julia and sow discord. If Orlando herself couldn't have an easy life, she'd make damn sure Julia didn't either.

As for the leverage James Horne held over her, she would find a way to snatch it back.

On this seemingly ordinary and calm morning, many conspiracies were hidden, and many troubles were brewing. The undercurrents were like waves, arriving one after another, not all at once in a deluge.

「In Blue Sky Garden, at the Evans family's villa.」

Othiel Evans, still groggy with sleep, was being forced by Orlando to put on a neatly pressed suit jacket.