Chapter 894
At noon, Mason and his newlywed wife arrived to exchange holiday greetings with Rachel.
Rachel was still bitterly harboring a grudge because Mason hadn’t chosen the sensible accountant girl she had handpicked for him. She hadn’t even attended their wedding. As far as she was concerned, she wouldn’t be relying on them in her old age anyway.
Since Rachel had refused to go, she had forbidden Mira from attending as well. Mira had secretly planned to sneak out to the ceremony anyway, but she had been tied up trading stocks in the Javenaire Federation at the time.
In the end, she had simply instructed her assistant to send a hundred-thousand- dollar wedding gift on her behalf.
Mason arrived laden with expensive gifts. The moment he walked through the door, he shed his coat, scrubbed his hands, and headed straight for the kitchen to start cooking.
His new bride’s name was Daisy Cross. Rachel pointedly ignored her, so Mira had no choice but to step up and play the gracious host.
“Have a seat, Daisy. Have some fruit p>
“Thank you, Board Chair p>
Even though Mira addressed her by her first name, Daisy was far too intimidated to speak to her casually.
“We don’t use corporate titles in this house. Just call me Mira p>
Daisy only managed a nervous, tight-lipped smile. There was no way she had the courage to address the billionaire directly by her first name.
Mira had made the offer; how Daisy chose to address her moving forward was entirely up to her.
During lunch, Mira and Grandma Eleanor went out of their way to keep the atmosphere light and pleasant, purely for Rachel’s sake.
When Owen finally ambled downstairs to eat, Jordan immediately leveled a fierce glare at him. Mira quickly intervened, “Let him eat so he can get back to helping me with work p>
Jordan shifted his sharp gaze to Owen. “Eat fast. The second you’re done, get back to it p>
“Yes, Master Ellis p>
Jordan scoffed. “Don’t call me that. I disown you p>
Since Mason and Daisy were present as guests, Jordan mercifully refrained from giving Owen any more grief during the meal.
Owen, knowing exactly when to retreat, finished his plate efficiently and headed straight back upstairs.
Only then did Grandma Eleanor gently pat Jordan’s arm. “Go easy on him. It’s the holidays. As long as the boy knows he was wrong, that’s what matters p>
“Hmph. That brat needs a harsh lesson in respect. But I’ll let him finish Mira’s work first p>
Mira nodded solemnly. “Don’t worry, Master Ellis. I’ve buried him in assignments. If he doesn’t finish, he doesn’t sleep. That’ll teach him to disrespect my mentor p>
Jordan shot her an approving thumbs-up. “That’s my girl. Well done p>
With that settled, he cast one final, satisfied look toward the staircase.
Mason and his wife lingered politely for a short while after lunch before making their excuses to leave.
Mira walked them to the elevator. “Don’t take Rachel’s attitude to heart. She’s just stubborn. Give her time, and she’ll come around p>
Mason offered a weary, affectionate smile. “I know my own mother. I’m not going to hold it against her. She can do as she pleases p>
Daisy nodded eagerly in agreement. “We completely understand. We won’t take it personally p>
“I’m glad to hear that p>
When Mira returned to the apartment, she gently confronted Rachel. “What’s done
is done. You need to accept it, or you’re just going to build a wall between you and your son p>
Grandma Eleanor nodded in
agreement. “It’s true. Mason might
not say anything, but his wife will definitely notice the slight. Marriage is all about timing and fate. You
can’t fight destiny
Eleanor had spent her entire life fighting for dignity, yet the marriages of her own
three children had been nothing short of catastrophic.
“I know the logic,” Rachel muttered
stubbornly, “but I just can’t get past
it in my heart
better if we just
live our separate lives and limit
contact. Looking at that woman just irritates me p>
Mira and Grandma Eleanor exchanged a helpless glance. They would just have to
let Rachel process it on her own time. Some things couldn’t be forced.
Despite her warm and accommodating demeanor in Mira’s home, Rachel actually had an incredibly dominant and uncompromising personality.
For the next few days, Mira prioritized her downtime, enjoying the rare peace with Grandma Eleanor, Jordan, and Owen.
Aside from their grueling two-hour morning workouts, they spent their days eating together, lounging in the sunroom, and talking.
In the afternoons, Mira carved out time to dive into her pharmacology texts and university coursework.
She had to aggressively stay ahead
of her studies whenever she had a free moment, knowing full well that
some inevitable crisis would
eventually demand her attention and eventually derail her schedule.
Whenever she hit the books, Owen was right there beside her, quietly handling
corporate affairs or reading along, occasionally offering sharp insights to guide her studies.