As the morning light gently illuminated the room, the crystal chandelier in the Su family's conference hall cast a cold glow, reflecting the confusion and unease on everyone's faces. The core members of the Su family had gathered early, whispering among themselves and discussing in hushed tones.
"The old lady suddenly calls a family meeting early in the morning. What's going on? Is something big happening?" one of the younger members of the Su family frowned, full of concern.
"What could it be? I checked this morning, and everything is running normally," another voice replied. "Tch, in my opinion, it's still about Ethan Su."
"Hasn't this been settled already? What's there to discuss? The background check on Bella Yang is done, and she doesn't come from a big family. How can we offend the Jiang family for him?" An elder-like figure spoke with displeasure. "If you ask me, the old lady has made a mistake this time!"
"Yeah, Ethan is so outstanding, how could he just marry anyone? If Bella Yang enters the family, we won't gain a single benefit." The others nodded in agreement, and the conference hall became noisy.
Ethan Su sat alone in the corner, like a forgotten shadow in the world. He quietly listened to the discussion, feeling a deep sense of grievance. In the Su family, where interests were paramount, he seemed like a mere commodity to be traded, with no one caring about his feelings or thoughts.
Ethan Su had already learned the content of today's meeting the night before. His grandmother had personally come to find him, saying many ambiguous things, like for the family's sake, he shouldn't act impulsively. Ethan Su understood that the implication was the engagement couldn't be changed. As he thought about it, Ethan Su felt a deep sense of despair. Just two days ago, the family meeting had concluded to cancel the engagement, so why the sudden change of heart? Although his grandmother had not explained the reason, the unquestionable tone made Ethan Su realize that Bella Yang entering the family was probably a done deal.
"Sigh…" Ethan Su couldn't help but sigh deeply, recalling the ridiculous appearance of Bella Yang that night, feeling disgust rise in his chest. To spend his life with someone like that, he would rather die.
Half an hour later, the noise in the conference hall suddenly stopped. With the support of the head of the family, Nathan Su, the old lady slowly walked in. The old lady's face looked weary, but her eyes sparkled with an inexplicable excitement, which felt strange.
Upon entering the conference hall, the old lady spoke immediately: "The reason I called everyone here so urgently is to announce an important decision. Yunian, you explain."
Nathan Su's expression was serious, and he got straight to the point. "The engagement between Ethan Su and Bella Yang will proceed as planned. Bella Yang will officially marry into the Su family next week."
As soon as he spoke, the room fell into complete silence, and then erupted like an exploded kettle. A young and impetuous member slammed the table and stood up: "No! I strongly oppose it! We're offending the Jiang family! What about our timber business? This is foolish!"
"I oppose it too! It's fine to follow the old master's will, but we can't put the whole family at risk! This cannot happen! If we really go through with this, how can the Su family ever stand in Tianhai again?" People voiced their objections one after another, their emotions running high.
Previously, the Su family had held several family meetings to discuss Bella Yang's situation. After intense debate, it seemed that Bella Yang was almost out of the picture. Now, the family head suddenly changed his mind, leaving everyone bewildered.
Nathan Su calmly looked at the agitated crowd, his expression steady. This was all within his expectations. Before today, he had also firmly opposed Bella Yang marrying into the family. However, in the early hours of the morning, when the old lady placed a stack of letters in front of him, his thoughts instantly changed.
They were handwritten letters from the heads of more than ten families in the Xia country. Though the wording varied, the message was shockingly consistent: if the Su family broke off the engagement between Bella Yang and Ethan Su, they would immediately cease all cooperation with the Su family.
After reading the letters, Nathan Su's mind was buzzing, and he felt utterly dumbfounded. He never expected Bella Yang to have such a powerful background! These families were all closely linked to the Su family's business, and three of them were as powerful as the Jiang family in Tianhai. What kind of terrifying background did she have to make these families willing to take a loss just to support her?
A cold sweat broke out on Nathan Su's back. Thankfully, the news about canceling the engagement hadn't been made public yet. Otherwise, the Su family would probably collapse in an instant. These families had specifically requested that this matter be kept strictly confidential, with only him and the old lady knowing, including Ethan Su.
With no other choice, Nathan Su could only bite the bullet and try to convince the family members. He and the old lady had discussed all night and finally came up with a plan.
Nathan Su raised his hand, signaling for silence. "Everyone, let me say this again. I didn't call everyone here to discuss, but to inform you! I have already made this decision official, and there is no need to waste any more energy opposing it!"
Nathan Su's abrupt decision thoroughly enraged the crowd. Several older elders directly pointed at him and scolded, "As the family head, how can you act so autocratically? You must give us a reasonable explanation today!"
Nathan Su calmly responded, "If any of you are dissatisfied with my leadership, feel free to follow the proper procedures and vote to remove me as the family head. We can start the process right now."
Upon hearing this, the room immediately fell silent. Nathan Su controlled most of the Su family's business, and if he suddenly stepped down as the head of the family, the Su family would be in chaos for at least a few months. With the business in jeopardy, everyone's income would naturally be affected. In the face of real-world interests, no one was willing to give up money for the sake of pride.
Just as everyone was angry but too scared to speak, Nathan Su's wife, the old lady, stepped forward at the right moment to smooth things over. "Everyone, don't be too hasty. Bella Yang is a good child, both in character and ability. Let's give her some time to prove herself. She'll live in the side house for now, and the engagement will remain, but the wedding will be delayed for a few years. This way, we won't completely offend the Jiang family, and we won't go against the old master's wishes. It's a win-win."
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]