Chapter 5 Draco Palace

• At the very least, Charles treated Whitney with respect, allowing her to avoid the annoyance of dealing with the insufferable men who came with family obligations. When tensions began to rise and the situation threatened to spiral out of control, she quickly intervened to help restore some peace.
• Samantha cast a scornful glance at Whitney. The girl had a pleasing appearance, and her physique certainly suggested she could bear sons. Yet, Samantha viewed her as headstrong and obstinate. Despite being told repeatedly that if she divorced and married Vincent Gardner, she would be welcomed back into the Chadwick estate, Whitney refused to budge. What is so special about that worthless Charles?
• "Hmph, there's no need for that. You can keep your money and enjoy your life with this loser!"
• With a disdainful scoff, Samantha turned to leave. Melissa, eager to support her grandmother, stepped forward and shot a triumphant look back at Charles.
• "Old Mrs. Chadwick, what about that stone ... " one of the servants, clutching the stone Charles had gifted, hesitantly inquired.
• "Get rid of it! Throw it as far as you can!"
• Samantha snapped, shoving the stone aside.
• However, the servant lost his grip, and the stone clattered to the ground, cracking loudly as it shattered into fragments.
• "It's green! It's green!"
• "What? Is there really turquoise in that black stone?"
• "The quality of this turquoise looks impressive; what a waste!"
• Guests began murmuring among themselves, pointing at the broken stone, some knowledgeable individuals recognizing its potential value.
• Samantha, hearing the commotion, turned around and was startled by the bright green glimmer emerging from the debris. The shattered turquoise sparkled more brilliantly than the emeralds inlaid in her ornate dragon cane.
• Melissa, standing beside her, looked utterly shocked, her mouth agape in disbelief.
• "Old Mrs. Chadwick ... should we ... still throw it away?" the servant asked nervously, bowing low.
• "Just throw it out. It broke too easily; someone must have tampered with it before," Samantha insisted, brushing off the stone as she returned to her seat at the main table.
• With no desire to admire the birthday gifts any longer, she tapped her cane impatiently and announced, "The banquet begins!"
• At her command, everyone quickly found their seats.
• The banquet seating was divided into two sections: the main table for the Chadwicks and a secondary table for the guests.
• Whitney's family had long been sidelined by the Chadwicks due to Henry's lackluster achievements and the fact that he had lost a wife. Now, with the added burden of a live-in son-in-law who was even more of a disappointment, Samantha had placed them directly at the secondary table.
• Although Whitney was aware of their diminished status, she didn't voice her complaints. Instead, she felt a pang of jealousy as she observed the lively conversations at the main table while they sat among guests, enduring numerous condescending glances.
• "Honey ... what's wrong?"
• Noticing the slight redness in Whitney's eyes, Charles sensed her unease.
• "I'm fine!"
• Whitney forced a smile, eager to change the subject.
• "Charles? Was there really imperial turquoise in that stone?"
• "Yes, but it's a shame it's broken now; it's worthless," Charles replied with a hint of regret.
• "How did you know that black stone contained turquoise?" Whitney asked, curiosity piqued. She realized that Charles seemed different from the man she thought she knew; aside from his culinary skills, she had never seen him as particularly remarkable. When had he developed such expertise about turquoise?
• "Probably just a lucky guess; gambling on stones is like gambling with money. I see you're always a mess," Henry scoffed from the side.
• Charles smiled but chose not to elaborate. He had encountered treasures far more exquisite than the dishes everyone around him was consuming.
• Charles was the founder of the world's most enigmatic organization, Draco Palace, known as King Draco himself. Under his command were the ten Dragon Generals and the four Dragon Deities, all of whom held prominent positions on lists of assassins, wealth, and power, controlling nearly half of the world's influence and riches.
• In summary, with a single word from Charles, not only the Chadwicks but even the most powerful families in Lyndale would bow before him.
• For three years, he had lived as a live-in son-in-law to the Chadwicks, fearing that revealing his true identity would bring unnecessary trouble to Whitney.
• In truth, Charles and Whitney had known each other since childhood. When Charles was nearly starving after being cast out by his family, Whitney had asked Alfred for a few coins and bought him some food to help him survive.
• Later, after his father succumbed to illness and passed away in their makeshift shelter, he urged Charles to repay the girl who had provided food, saying, "If it weren't for her, you would have been dead long ago."
• Thus, while Charles thrived abroad, he secretly sought information about Whitney. Upon learning about her, he made the resolute decision to return to Winsrum and marry into the Chadwicks as a live-in son-in-law.
• Alfred, aware of Charles's true identity, had hoped to pair him with Whitney, believing Charles could care for her and elevate the Chadwicks' status. Little did he anticipate the outcome would be so unsatisfactory.