Tanya laughed. “Then the children cry and kick up a fuss, of course! As they say, the squeaky wheel gets
the grease, so those who complain the loudest get the most attention. This is very simple logic. It’s
normal for you to think like this. Even if you were Dad’s real son, you would still be jealous, much less
when you aren’t!”
Joel: “…”
He denied it. “I’m not jealous.”
“Yes, yes, you’re right, you’re not jealous at all.” Tanya laughed. She raised her head to look at him and
then said solemnly, “You don’t need to feel embarrassed about it, any normal person would feel the same
way. You will slowly adapt and get used to it. Usually, in families with more than one child, the eldest will
eventually also grow to love their siblings. You will find that you’ve just gained one more family member
who loves you, that’s all.”
Joel: “….”
Why did Tanya sound as though she was coaxing a child?
Joel lowered his head and started to eat.
Tanya looked at him. “Hey, did I manage to comfort you or not?”
“Yes, you did.” Joel offered her a piece of fried chicken, upon which Tanya immediately pursed her lips
and said, “I’m a dancer, you know. Am I supposed to eat such greasy food? Why are you so careless…”
Despite saying that, she secretly picked up a French fry.
Joel: “…”
Why didn’t he see her being so self-disciplined when she was sneaking the fried chicken into her
mouth?!
The smile at the corners of his lips deepened. He said, “I will talk it out with Nora later at night. As for
Dad, I was too narrow-minded. I understand his actions and I also understand that to him, Nora is
ultimately still different.”
How could one’s feelings for their biological and adopted children possibly be the same?
Tanya, however, said, “It’s also different between children they raised and children they didn’t! Didn’t you
see that news some time ago? The child’s biological parents found and approached him after he grew
up, but the child was only close to their adoptive parents. You were raised by Dad, and Dad has a very
good relationship with you! Considering Nora’s personality—besides, she doesn’t know how to wheedle
for attention eitherDad will definitely find her too aloof!”
Joel: “…”
Tanya smiled after she spoke. “Therefore, to Dad, there’s no difference between you and Nora. The two
of you are the same to him!”
Everything she said beforehand was for the sole purpose of saying this last sentence. Joel suddenly
became enlightened. “Yeah.”
After the two ate and Tanya was about to go home, Joel suddenly stood up. “I’ll go home with you!”
Tanya was surprised. “What’s wrong?”
Joel smiled and replied, “My subordinate did something bad to Nora. As her elder brother, surely I have
to apologize to her in person, right? Why don’t I cook for you guys today?”
Tanya laughed. “Okay! Then make me some beef steak! You know how I like it done the best! Eating
beef at night helps lose weight!”
Joel: “…”
The two went downstairs together and got ready to go home.
After they left, Mindy appeared at the door. When she overheard Joel saying “My subordinate did
something bad to Nora. As her elder brother, surely I have to apologize to her in person, right?”, she
clenched her fists.
She lowered her head, aware that what she did had displeased Joel.
Moreover, it had even nearly destroyed their familial harmony.
Then, she thought of how she had only been able to go to school because of Ian sponsoring her studies.
It was just that the old man had never taken the credit for himself.
Mindy took a deep breath. She knew that she had really made a mistake this time!
However, she wasn’t going to apologize for it anymore-because Mr. Smith had already shouldered the
blame for her. The only thing she could do now was never to take the liberty to act without permission
again, and also never to make trouble for Ms. Smith again!
Joel returned home.
Even Ian, who was basking in the sun in the living room and staring out the window along the way, was a
little surprised to see him. “Why are you back so early?”
Joel smiled and replied, “Isn’t Nora coming for dinner? I’ll cook.”
Ian was dumbfounded. “What are you cooking for? It’s not like we don’t have a chef. Come over and sit
with me for a while instead.”
Joel sat next to Ian.
Ian, who was warm and comfortable from the sun, slowly said, “Joel, I want to thank you.”
Joel was taken aback. “Dad, what’s the matter?”
Ian said, “Do you remember the day when your dad… I mean, my brother hit you, and you ran over and
put your arms around my
leg?”
Joel nodded.
Ian smiled and said, “That day, I actually didn’t want to live anymore.”
Joel’s expression suddenly became serious.
Ian continued to speak. “But the look in your eyes was simply too pure and innocent. Because you
looked at me like that and treated me as your last hope to cling to, I had suddenly found a reason to live.”
His words astounded Joel.
Since he was a child, what his uncle had said to him the most was that he must excel and take over the
Smith Corporation. And once he inherited the company, Ian would give up on living.
For Joel, that was the most psychologically tormenting period of his life.
He’d thought that his uncle had nothing to live for anymore because the Smith Corporation, the company
that his uncle cared about the most, had found a successor.
But as it turned out!
He was the one whom his uncle had cared about?
While he was thinking about it, Ian said, “Later, I handed over the Smith Corporation to you. Seeing how
you’d grown up and your ability to stand on your own, I felt that there was no reason for me to live
anymore.”
“Dad!”
Joel’s eyes suddenly reddened.
Ian said, “Then, Nora came back. It was only when she told me that there are a lot of people after her life
and she may not have much longer to live anymore, that I finally found another reason to live. Even then,
I still didn’t know how to treat her well. I’d never taught her, never watched her grow up. I didn’t know
what she liked or disliked, either…”
Joel thought of how Ian had accompanied him as he did his homework in the past. When he couldn’t
complete his tasks, Ian would reprimand the tutor for giving him too much homework.
When he was playing, although Ian didn’t play with him, he always sat nearby. Sometimes, he did work in
the study instead, but when Joel occasionally glanced over, he would see Ian standing in front of the
window looking at him.
In the past, he’d felt that his uncle was too cold and aloof and only cared about his work. But in this
instant, it was as though he was suddenly looking at those memories from a different perspective,
allowing Joel to see what was truly on the other side.
He held Ian’s hand.
Ian said, “Joel, I’ll ask you one last time, have you given careful thought to that account? You are a
sensitive and introverted child who’d always rather make himself suffer just to make me happy. I want to
hear the truth from you now!”
Joel gave a wry smile.
He understood now, Ian hadn’t given Nora the account. He might have just told her the information from
the group instead. He was clearly among the people whom Ian cared about.
Joel’s expression became resolute. “I’m sorry, Dad, I misunderstood you. Let’s give that account to Nora!
I’m saying this with full sincerity. Neither you nor I was with Nora when she was growing up. This is the
only thing we can give to her now. With this, hopefully, she will have an easier journey in the future.”
Ian frowned. “Are you sure? If you give it to her, the Smith Corporation may never reach the height you
aspire to bring it to.”
Ian understood Joel.
He was an ambitious and capable man. Under his leadership, the Smith Corporation had prospered day
by day and become even more brilliant than when it was still in the hands of Ian.
Joel wanted even greater glory and wanted to create his own business empire, so he had been working
hard all these years.
He would only succeed with the help of the account.
Joel smiled. This time, his smile was happy and reassured, and also liberated and determined. “Yes, I’m
very sure.”
He knew exactly what he had given up.
As soon as he said that though, Nora walked into the living room and asked hesitantly, “What are you so
sure about?”
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