"Today, I have something to announce."
In the opulent dining room of Morton Manor, Jeffrey, seated at the head of the table, looked at everyone and spoke with a somewhat grave expression.
Miji, who had just secretly picked up the fork, quietly put it back, sat up straight again, and looked at Jeffrey with some awe.
Cyril seemed absent-minded, staring at the plate in front of him with his eyes lowered, as if awaiting judgment.
The noblewoman sitting next to him was also slightly pale, her gaze sweeping over Gloria with a hint of malice. Her hands, hanging at her sides, were clenched into fists, the veins of which were clearly visible.
Hetty and Henny had smiles on their faces. Usually, when their grandfather spoke like this, it meant that their eldest uncle's family was about to be lectured. This had been the case for years and had become an interesting activity before meals. They just didn't know whether it would be their eldest uncle or Gloria who would be lectured this time, since she had contradicted their grandfather to his face last time and even left the dining room halfway through.
"Master…" Madam Denise • Marquez, sitting beside Jeffrey, began to speak, her eyes filled with worry.
"Shut up." Jeffrey said, glancing at her, his voice carrying an undeniable force.
Denise stopped abruptly, lowered her head, and dared not utter another word.
Lance sat upright, though he didn't understand what Jeffrey was going to say, but whatever he said wouldn't change his mind or decision, even if he was kicked out of Morton Manor.
Debra lowered her eyes, looking in Gloria's direction with some worry. Although Gloria's collision with Jeffrey last time was not punished afterward, but was she going to be punished now?
"Did Grandfather agree to my request?" Gloria, sitting at the very end, stared at Jeffrey, her pale purple eyes behind her black veil filled with anticipation. Her hands were clenched together under the table, as if awaiting final judgment.
"Tsk tsk, what's going on today? Is the weather about to change?" A hint of amusement appeared on Aurora's pale, bloodless face as she glanced at the nervous Cyril, her expression becoming even more interested.
Jeffrey's gaze finally settled on Gloria, and he said in a deep voice, "I hereby declare that, from today onwards, Gloria is a candidate for the succession of the Morton family, and like Cyril, she has the right to inherit the Morton family."
The dining room fell into a deathly silence. It was so quiet they could hear a pin drop.
The Cyril couple turned deathly pale instantly, exchanged a glance, and their lips trembled.
"This...how is this possible!" Hetty and Henny opened their mouths wide at the same time, their faces full of disbelief as they looked at Gloria, who was wearing a veil over her head. This girl, who dared not show her face, had actually become a candidate for the Morton family's successor, just like their father.
In other words, Cyril's status as the sole heir is no longer valid from this day forward, and the Morton family may one day be led by Gloria.
"That's great!" Gloria clenched her fist tightly, almost jumping up with excitement.
Miji and Debra stared at Gloria in disbelief.
"Father, I object to this!" Just then, Lance suddenly stood up, looked at Jeffrey with a solemn expression and said, "Father, no matter how much dissatisfaction you have with me, the things and decisions made back then were all my doing, and had nothing to do with Gloria. I hope you will not impose your anger towards me on Gloria, she is still just a child."
"I also object, Father. You said back then that I was a woman and not qualified to inherit the Morton family, but why was Gloria chosen as the heiress? I am your daughter! What do I lack compared to her, a little girl? Why can she become the heiress of the Morton family?" Aurora also stood up, looking at Jeffrey with some agitation. A trace of color returned to her pale face, and her hands, which were so thin that only bones remained, were clenched into fists, like an angry lioness.
"Why aren't you qualified? Don't you have any idea in your heart?" Jeffrey glanced at Aurora, making no attempt to hide his disgust.
"I…" Aurora met Jeffrey's gaze and felt like a maggot suddenly exposed to the sun. She lowered her head in fear, all the courage that had just surged up from somewhere was suddenly drained away, and she slumped back down, giving Gloria a resentful look.
"Do you think I'm the kind of person who would vent my anger on the younger generation? Have I ever done that in the past twenty years?" Jeffrey's gaze shifted to Lance, his eyes also carrying a hint of sternness and interrogation.
"No." Lance was silent for a moment, then shook his head. His father was such a proud man. Even after his father revoked his inheritance rights more than 20 years ago, he never treated him badly, let alone the younger generation.
"But Gloria is still a child. How can she shoulder such a responsibility? How could she possibly want to do something like this? Girls should have things they want to do and are better suited to do, not bear such a heavy burden." Lance shook his head, puzzled as to why Jeffrey would make such a decision.
"Sister?" Miji looked at Gloria with some concern.
"Father, this is my own choice." Just then, Gloria stood up, looked at Lance who had turned around with a surprised expression, and said earnestly, "Father said that everyone has the right to choose freely, including women. I want to become an excellent businesswoman and the heiress of the Morton family. This is my choice."
Cyril looked up at Gloria, his eyes filled with surprise and anger. He had initially thought that Jeffrey had only pushed Gloria out of anger to make him feel nervous, but now it seemed that things were not so simple and that Gloria had planned this all along.
"Gloria, you need to understand that becoming a candidate for the heiress of a large family means you will lose a lot of freedom, and often you won't be able to decide what you should do. This is too unfair and too restrictive for you." Lance looked at Gloria, feeling both gratified and somewhat worried.
"Father, making this choice itself is a form of freedom, isn't it?" Gloria looked at Lance and smiled.
Lance paused for a moment, then a relieved smile spread across his face. He nodded and said, "Yes, since it's your choice, I should respect it, not make you accommodate my expectations."
"Thank you, Father." Gloria said with a smile.
"I apologize, Father, and thank you for respecting Gloria's choice." Lance said, bowing deeply to Jeffrey with gratitude.
"From today onwards, the Landai Fabric Shop in Aden Square will be under Gloria's management. Madner will explain the specifics to you. There is a mountain between a candidate and a successor. If you cannot cross this mountain, you will be eliminated." Jeffrey ignored Lance and looked at Gloria as he spoke. After speaking, he picked up the knife and fork on the table and began to cut his steak.