Nora wasn't listening to what he was babbling on and on about at all. However, when she heard what he said at the end, she looked up in surprise. "What?"

Anthony, who looked a little bashful, said, "While I can forgive you, your reputation is already a mess. If I marry you, it'll embarrass the Grays. But I can buy you a mansion elsewhere and take care of you for the rest of your life."

Nora found him hilarious. Her voice dispassionate, she said sarcastically, "You want me to be your mistress? I'm afraid you can't afford it."

Anthony hurriedly said, "I'm rich! I can give you $15,000 as living expenses every month. You can buy whatever you want with it."

$15,000 wasn't even enough for her to buy Cherry's clothes.

Nora found him annoying and went around him from the left as she said, "I'm not interested in being someone's mistress."

Anthony also stopped her from the left. "You want to marry me? That's not impossible, either!"

He gritted his teeth and went on. "Grandpa keeps forcing me to take you as my wife anyway. Besides, you only have a daughter, so we can just give her some money and marry her off somewhere in the future. As long as she's obedient and refrains from fighting or arguing with her younger siblings in the future, the Grays can take her in, even if we're reluctant."

He felt that his conditions were lenient enough. Any woman would probably be grateful to him, right?

Unexpectedly, a look of displeasure appeared in Nora's eyes and a chilly aura formed all around her. "I will not let my daughter suffer any injustice."

Anthony frowned and said, "Don't push your luck, Nora! You can't possibly want us to let your daughter take our last name and enjoy the same treatment as our children? That's impossible!"

At this moment, a sharp voice suddenly reached them. "Nora! You're trying to seduce Anthony again!"

Together with the voice, Angela also rushed over. Her arms flailed in the air as she rushed toward Nora. "I'm going to kill you!"

Anthony stopped her and shouted angrily, "What are you doing?!"

In the private room, Henry, Wendy, and Anthony's father heard the commotion and came out. Upon seeing the three of them, Henry yelled, "Nora, are you bullying your sister again? Apologize to her!"

Wendy also spoke up. "Nora, your sister and Anthony are discussing their engagement today. I know you're unhappy about it, but that doesn't mean you can come over and make trouble... You were the one that did something wrong to the Grays by getting pregnant before your marriage and damaging both families' reputation!"

Anthony stepped forward. "Uncle Henry, Aunt Wendy. Nora isn't to be blamed for that. The two of us are truly in love with each other. I'm willing to accept her."

Angela's eyes widened. Hurt and sad, she took a step back.

Henry was shocked. "Anthony, my daughter has been stubborn and contrary since she was a child. Don't be fooled by her! She got herself pregnant before marriage. It'll sully your name if you marry her!"

Wendy also nodded and said, "Besides, her maternal grandparents' family is also very poor. They live in the mountains and even begged us for money today. These relatives are trouble!"

After speaking, when she saw how Anthony was still looking at Nora like a young man in love, Wendy turned to Anthony's father and said, "Mr. Gray, you have to think carefully about this! We don't want the Grays to be implicated."

Anthony's father's gaze fell on Nora when he heard what she said.

She was leaning against the wall, her posture lazy and sloppy. Her cat-like eyes were slightly downcast, and she seemed to have a half-amused smile on her lips. She looked as if she was being entertained by what was going on. That sense of detachment was as if the dispute here had nothing to do with her.

Anthony's father was someone who had been immersed in the world of commerce for many years. His deep and unfathomable eyes darkened and he suddenly said, "Marriage is a lifelong commitment. Let's have the children make their own decisions instead. Miss Smith, do you really want to be Anthony's wife?"

His words caused everyone to shift their gazes to Nora.

Tsk, they were finally willing to listen to her.

Nora lifted her head, raised her eyebrows, and her lips curled up in a smile. She replied, "No, I don't."

"..."

Everyone was dumbfounded.

Anthony was the first to react. Furious, he demanded, "What do you mean by that, Nora?"

Nora straightened her back and said clearly, "It means I'm not interested in you."

Anthony looked at her incredulously as if he still didn't understand what she was saying.

Angela, however, shouted, "What makes you think you can be disinterested in Anthony, Nora? You make it sound like he's beneath you. Not only do you come with baggage, but your daughter is even a little bastard. Is a woman like you even worthy of being picky?!"

Anthony finally came back to his senses. In his anger, his choice of words was also very malicious. He said, "Nora, who are you interested in, if not me? The entire California knows that you got yourself pregnant before marriage. Apart from me, who else would marry a wanton woman like you whose reputation is in shambles?!"

Wendy sighed and said, "How can you say that, Nora? You shouldn't reach for something beyond your grasp. Do you really think you can do the same thing as your mom? It was sheer dumb luck that someone like her, who came from the mountains, could marry your father. Even if you're a little prettier than most, anyone with a decent family background will never take you as their wife."

Wendy then changed the subject again and asked, "By the way, are you here for dinner with your aunt? Where is she? Your uncle needs money for his hospitalization fees, right? Are you short of money?"

Sure enough, Anthony's father frowned when he heard her.

At this moment, a gentle voice reached them: "Who says we don't have enough money for medical expenses?"

The few of them looked into the distance and saw the approaching Melissa. The smile on her face didn't reach her eyes. She said, "Mr. Smith, Mrs. Smith. You don't have to worry about the hospitalization fees. Also, you don't need to bother yourselves with matters regarding Nora's marriage in the future, either. The Andersons will take care of it!"

Shocked, Anthony's father asked, "The Andersons? Which Andersons?"

Melissa's lips curled up into a smile. Her voice was gentle, but what she said ringed like a thunderclap: "The Andersons from New York."

Anthony's father's eyes widened immediately!

Even Henry and Wendy were so astounded that they couldn't say anything!

The Andersons from New York... Were they really the ones they were thinking of?

While they were hesitating, Melissa looked at Anthony again. After looking him up and down, she shook his head and said, "Let's go back to the private room, Nora. Don't keep your blind date waiting. "

She deliberately emphasized the words "blind date".

Nora knew that her aunt was trying to back her up, so she went along with her wishes and nodded. "Okay."

The two finally turned around, only to immediately see Justin standing behind them. His deep-set eyes were raised and even the mole at the corner of his eye seemed to be smiling. With an emphasis on each syllable, he repeated, "Blind date?"

—

While the few of them were arguing, Cherry dragged Pete with her and sneaked into the stairwell.

She took off the scarf to reveal her delicate and adorable face, panting heavily as she said, "That was so suffocating! It's a good thing that we weren't found out, Pete!"

Then, she saw her brother pause and slowly lift his head.

Cherry turned around and also slowly lifted her head. At once, she saw Chester standing there in disbelief with his eyes wide.