Chapter 4 I'll Respect You

• At the cafe, Elias wasted no time and asked Raven, "What are your expectations for married life?"
• Raven pondered for a moment and answered, "I'd like for us to maintain our separate lives even after we're married. Ideally, we'll respect each other's space and freedom, and we'll go Dutch for everything."
• Elias nodded slowly. "Respect for each other's space and freedom is exactly what I'd like for our marriage to entail, but I draw the line at going Dutch with you. As a man, it is my responsibility to provide for you after we marry."
• As he said this, he took out his wallet and pulled out a bank card, which he passed to Raven. "There is about three million in the account. You can buy whatever you want. I'll top up the balance every now and then. I may be an illegitimate son, but I can still provide you with a comfortable life."
• Raven shook her head, pushed his hand away, and outright refused his card. "No, thanks. I'd prefer we go Dutch. It will be easier on my conscience."
• He raised his brow. "Why should spending your lawfully married husband's money weigh on your conscience?"
• She chuckled and pointed out, "For starters, you and I aren't actually in love, so there's no point in shackling my soul to the norms of a conventional marriage."
• Elias frowned. So, spending my money is equivalent to 'shackling' her soul?
• Raven gave him the barest hint of a smile as she continued, "True freedom is the ability to spend one's own money however one likes. In addition to the money issue, I'd also like you to respect my boundaries in certain matters."
• "Such as?" He gave her a curious glance.
• She said without hesitation, "Such as intimacy."
• "But that's a part of married life," he argued, albeit without much emotion.
• She did not miss a beat. "I think going Dutch applies to intimate affairs as well. I just think it's better for us, and I hope you'll respect my decision."
• Elias held Raven's gaze long enough to make her blush, and she frowned as she geared herself to double down on her argument.
• When she thought he might disagree with her, he said solemnly, "I'll respect you."
• Raven shot him a grateful glance and nodded.
• Meanwhile, Lori was livid as she ushered Gideon into the study. She locked the door behind her and snapped furiously, "Can you believe her? We raised her, clothed her, fed her, and educated her throughout her entire life, and this is the gratitude we get?! The audacity—"
• Gideon interrupted her. "What happened? What did she say to you?"
• She gritted her teeth. "She demanded that we give her sixty million and a bungalow in Primrose Hill."
• He frowned and asked, "Why would she make such demands?"
• "Because she refuses to marry Elias otherwise!" Lori seethed.
• "Did you not try to talk some sense into her?" he pressed angrily.
• The divot between Lori's brows could be permanent at this point. She scoffed. "Do you think I haven't tried it? She sees us as complete idiots! She already knows Georgia is her biological mother and that we are just her uncle and aunt."
• A grim look passed over Gideon's face. "When did she find out?"
• Lori snorted and replied, "I suppose when she was in junior high."
• "Did you at least inform her that Lancaster Incorporated is having financial difficulties? We can't afford to give her sixty million right now!"
• "Of course I did!" She was exasperated. "You should have seen how cunning she was. She laid it out that we would have prepared over a hundred million in dowry if Iris were the one getting married. Look, Gideon, we can't keep dragging this out any longer. Just give her the money and the bungalow so she'll marry Elias, or we will never have peace of mind. She might screw up our chance of getting the megaproject!"
• "Sixty million is too much," Gideon complained.
• "She initially requested a hundred million."
• "I'll give her a call."
• Lori was incredulous. "What's the point? Do you realize how vicious and hateful she was to me?"
• "Vicious?"
• "There are only a few of us living here. I'm sure she's figured out by now how she was drugged that night."
• After hearing Lori's words, Gideon set his phone down and decided not to make the call. He considered his options for a moment, then sighed and resignedly said, "Fine, sixty million it is."
• It was hardly a glorious achievement to drug someone and force her into this entanglement. If Raven revealed this to the Mortimers, they might refuse to let her marry into their family.
• When Lori noticed that Gideon had agreed to the arrangement, she urged, "Well, hurry up and give her the money. I still have to persuade Iris to give up the bungalow."
• She stormed out of the study with an insidious gleam in her eyes. Just wait until we get our hands on the megaproject, Raven. I'll have you pay back what you took from us by a hundredfold!
• Lori found Iris in Aria's room and frogmarched Iris back into her own bedroom. Then, Lori closed the door behind her and told Iris about the bungalow. She explained how it would be given to Raven.
• Iris' eyes popped out of her head as she demanded sharply, "What? How dare that little tramp dig her claws into my dowry! No way am I allowing her to take my stuff. Not in a million years. You can't just give in to her outlandish demands, Mom. Who the hell does she think she is?"
• "Listen to me, Iris," Lori said patiently. "She won't marry Elias if we don't give her the bungalow, and she made it clear that this is non-negotiable. You know you're the one Elias wanted to marry. Why else would he have come here yesterday?"
• Iris was thunderous. "An illegitimate son is not worthy of marrying me. I can't believe Raven would swoop in like this to take what is rightfully mine. Mom, I'm putting my foot down on this. You can tell her to go to hell! She's already been ruined, so she doesn't have many options in the marriage market. Either way, I'm not going to give up the bungalow, and I certainly won't marry Elias. I am fully entitled to object to this arrangement."
• "Iris, you have to look at the big picture. When Raven marries him, the Mortimers will let us in on their megaproject collaboration. By then, we would be able to buy you several more bungalows in much nicer areas. So, calm down and give this some thought. Don't miss the forest for the trees," Lori cajoled.
• "But why should I have to put up with this? Who gives her the right to take my stuff? Aunt Georgia gave birth to her outside of wedlock. Still, our family raised her and provided her with a normal upbringing. It's not fair that she's going to take so much away from us. It's borderline criminal!" Iris' pitch climbed higher. "We should have left her for dead by kicking her out of the house when she was a child!"
• At that moment, Aria asked playfully from the doorway outside the room, "Oh, but if we had done that, who would have married Elias in your place now?"
• Iris opened the door and glared at her older sister.
• Aria brushed into the room elegantly in her white dress and said in amusement, "You're always so impulsive, Iris. If you had spoken any louder, our neighbors would have heard you."
• "It's not fair, Aria!" Iris whined, her fists clenched. "Raven wants my bungalow, the one at Primrose Hill!"
• "I think it's rather fair," Aria countered gently with a pleasant smile. "All you have to do is give her the bungalow, and she'll gladly marry Elias in your place, and our family will get our hands on the megaproject. We could get more than one measly bungalow by then. At any rate, she's getting the short end of the stick."
• Lori agreed wholeheartedly. "Aria's right. Now, be good and listen to us, Iris. We have your best interests at heart."
• "This is so wrong on so many levels. I don't know why you guys are letting her climb over our heads like this!" Iris snapped. Just thinking about Raven taking away her bungalow filled her with insurmountable rage.
• Aria laughed and remarked sensibly, "Trust me, the only person losing out here is Raven. She lost her virginity and is now forced to marry a man she hardly knows, but at the end of the day, we're the ones who will profit from the megaproject. We have the upper hand in the grand scheme of things."