At the restaurant, a middle-aged woman in a delicate cheongsam smiled spuriously, "Given your complicated family background, we wouldn't have accepted you, but my son likes you."

The speaker was Gianna Thomas, Esteban Rollins's mother and Chloe Hurley's future mother-in-law.

Chloe turned to Esteban who seemingly had told his mother everything.

After detecting Chloe's diffidence, Gianna lowered her head, sipped her tea, and raised her chin, "Though not famous in Haverhill City, our family is a scholarly one. We can't let others laugh at us for having such in-laws, nor..."

Unable to bear it, Chloe straightened up and interrupted her, "Gianna, cut to the chase."

Gianna frowned, put down the teacup, and grumbled in shock, "See? As I said, people from families like yours are not properly brought up. How could you interrupt a senior? Didn't your mother teach you manners?"

Chloe furrowed her brows and opened her mouth.

Before she could retort, her boyfriend grabbed her hand and winked at her against speaking anything.

Gianna held her head high, "If you want to marry into our family, you should turn over your salary, take over the chores, and cut all ties with your mother and brother! I know this is a bit harsh, but you're from a terrible family. I can't let you drag my son down!"

Chloe heard the woman out and gritted her teeth.

This was more like slavery than marriage!

This woman insulted her as well as her loved ones. The man next to her, however, showed no intention of speaking up, and her heart sank.

"Is this also what you mean?" Chloe asked, gazing at her boyfriend.

Esteban nodded with a smile, "Gianna is thinking for our good!"

Her heart gave a physical lurch. A pang of disappointment and dismay went through her. In an instant, Esteban's image collapsed in her mind.

Chloe abruptly stood up and stared at the graceful senior, "Gianna, I want to ask you a question."

"Go ahead." Gianna nodded her head.

"Was Esteban born in a rock?" Chloe asked with coldness in her eyes.

"What... do you mean?" Gianna was baffled.

"Is ditching your loved ones a principle that your scholarly family upholds? If so, not only Esteban but you all were born in rocks!" Chloe sneered.

Gianna trembled with rage, "As I said, we can't accept a girl from that kind of family! They're rude, barbaric, and uncultured wretches!"

"Gianna, I'm afraid you're the uncultured one. If people from scholarly families are like this, I'm not impressed at all!" Chloe simmered with rage. No one was allowed to insult her mother.

The mocked woman turned to her son and blubbered, "She hasn't been married into our family and dares to challenge me like this. How am I supposed to live my remaining years?"

Esteban's anger was ignited instantly. He stood up, smacked his hand down on the table, and questioned his girlfriend, "Chloe, mind your speech!"

Chloe had lost her faith in this man, "I'm speaking human language. No wonder you can't understand!"

"Don't go too far!" The furious man raised his hand.

Chloe looked at his palm and curled her mouth. Her smile was cold and ironic. Was this man her so-called marriage partner?

Then she picked up a glass from the table, raised her chin, and stared at Esteban coldly, "If you dare lay a finger on me, 911 will take us away. Tomorrow, I'll be on the news and you'll meet your Maker!"

Esteban was daunted by the coldness in her eyes, and his hand hung in mid-air.

Gianna hurriedly held onto her son's arm and shouted, "Esteban, don't go down to the level of a mad woman!"

Esteban took a step back with visible panic on his face, "Chloe, think twice!"

The corner of her mouth curved up disdainfully. She abruptly twirled her wrist, pouring the juice all over the man!

"Be a man!" Chloe thudded the glass on the table and turned away.

"She's crazy!" Gianna stomped her feet angrily.

"Mr. McNeil." A young man in a suit politely handed a pack of tissue to another statuesque man in a black trench coat.

Instead of taking it, the latter waved his hand. His finger flicked some juice dregs off his coat, his eyes were fixed on the entrance, and his mind was filled with the lachrymal mole on the cheek of a girl he had just seen.