Chapter 71 White Lotus

No one responded to Clara Bennett. Even though the three brothers were still alive, their spirits had fallen into a temporary numb state, as if they hadn’t recovered from the shock moments ago. Seeing this, Clara Bennett quietly left the study, gently closing the door behind her. She tried her best to minimize the noise of her movements, afraid of disturbing the atmosphere inside the room. Standing at the door, Clara felt a little sad herself. Having been reborn, she had hoped to cherish this familial bond more and strive to be a sweetheart to her brothers, rather than adding extra worries for them. Yet the reality was so cruel, completely beyond her expectations. But now that things have reached this point, they couldn’t really let William just leave, could they? If they let him go now, how would future discussions about the marriage proceed? Since she impulsively agreed to marry him, she must fulfill her promise, which is the basic principle. The reason she chose to take all the responsibility herself was, on the one hand, to fulfill her promise at the time. On the other hand, it was to give William a way out. After all, if her brothers were convinced that he had done something excessive to her, they would definitely hold a grudge against him. But if it was initiated by the female side, at least outsiders would have no reason to criticize. Clara Bennett turned around and slowly walked downstairs. At the dining table downstairs, William Foster sat quietly with a bowl of untouched porridge in front of him. Clara Bennett walked up and asked, "Why aren’t you having breakfast?" William Foster turned his head to look at her and softly said, "Worried about you, can’t eat." Clara was slightly taken aback, then smiled and replied, "What is there to worry about? My third brother is my own brother; he won’t eat me." William Foster reached out his hand, his actions appearing hesitant. Clara instinctively extended her hand, allowing his fingers to touch hers. William gently held her hand, slowly pulling her in front of him, lifting his head to speak softly, "Don’t quarrel with your brothers because of me. It’s okay, if they don’t agree today, I’ll come again tomorrow." These words sent a jolt through Clara’s heart as she looked down carefully at him and asked, "What if they still don’t agree tomorrow?" William’s face showed a gentle smile, answering softly, "Then I’ll come the day after tomorrow." A complex emotion suddenly surged in Clara’s heart, causing her to grip William’s hand more tightly and whisper, "You’re too impulsive. Who told you to come today? Didn’t I say I’d discuss the marriage with you?" There was a hint of apology in William’s eyes as he sincerely said, "Sorry, I just wanted to give you a surprise. Other people have the man come to propose, and I wanted to give you the same treatment so you wouldn’t lose face. Was I wrong? Darling, are you angry?" Clara took a deep breath, finding herself unable to get angry at all. Who could be angry with someone who spoke so gently? Her palm suddenly felt a tickling sensation, and she couldn’t help but reach out, gently pinching William’s bangs, speaking softly, "I’m not angry, it’s just that you came without knowing the situation and got scolded by my brothers for no reason. Why bother? I was going to discuss it with you first before telling them." William leaned slightly forward, letting his cheek gently rest against Clara’s soft and warm abdomen, whispering, "Sorry, it was really my carelessness and oversight. My previous actions might have brought you a lot of unnecessary trouble and distress." Gazing at the familiar face before her, Clara’s gentle eyes lingered on William’s hair, as black as ink. At this moment, an inexplicable emotion surged in her heart, prompting her to reach out and gently stroke his head. "Don’t worry about it too much, really, it doesn’t matter. I believe that as long as you show your true self, my family will accept you, especially my brothers." As she finished speaking, her tone became more resolute, "As long as I’m by your side to protect you, there’s nothing to fear or worry about." William really had the whole act of being a ’white lotus’ and ’green tea’ down pat. Just last night, he was unhappy and even a little angry because he found out Clara hadn’t revealed their real relationship to her family. But come the next morning, he deliberately put on a show, bringing grand gifts to her house to ’force a proposal.’ Now? He instantly switched modes to a seemingly weak and helpless young man in need of his lover’s protection. Seeing all these changes, who wouldn’t marvel: This guy is practically a master of manipulating people’s emotions! But how many people actually have the courage to do what he did? Arthur Davis and Zam silently thought to themselves: Anyway, we definitely wouldn’t dare to do such a thing. It’s worth noting that having the head of the prestigious Foster family be touched on the head by someone else without permission has dire consequences; it could lead to severe punishment. But when this action happened under Clara’s hand, everything was completely different. Not only did it not provoke any form of displeasure or anger, but it even brought William an unprecedented feeling of comfort. The small, warm hand applied just the right amount of pressure to his skin, making him feel very relaxed, to the point where he almost wished for more opportunities for caresses. If the outside world knew that the usually mighty and arrogant Mr. William Foster revealed a pet-like desire for attention and comfort privately, the entire eighteen branches of the family would find it unbelievable. Fortunately, this little incident wasn’t discovered by others, otherwise who knows what kind of sensation it would cause. After stroking for a while, Clara seemed to suddenly realize something. Maybe recalling the notion often discussed that touching a man’s head is not something to be done casually, she suddenly felt her previous behavior seemed overly intimate, so she quickly withdrew her hand, moved back a step, and a slight blush appeared on her face. "Ahem, well... I think it’s about time for them to have a private talk with you, isn’t it? When you meet them later, no matter what they say, please make sure to maintain a calm demeanor, try not to show too much surprise or attempt to argue, okay?" William frowned slightly, asking, "Hmm? What do you mean? What on earth did you guys talk about? I don’t understand at all." Clara, feeling too embarrassed to repeat those disgraceful words, clumsily evaded, "Actually, there’s nothing much, just that as long as you’re determined to marry me, they mostly won’t object." Her tone sounded very reluctant, clearly showing she didn’t want to bring up the previous topic again.