Prosperous Marriage: Married to My Brother-in-law-Chapter 689: Tense Moments, the Father and Son Finally Meet (1)_1

Gio Coleman knew that Julia Bluen was sizing him up, and he let her do so generously, without trying to present any false image, just being his natural self.

Sister-in-law...

That was why Adele Horne was now dining early with Gio Coleman in the Emperor Hotel.

In the quiet and elegant room, cooled by the steady flow of the air conditioner, not a hint of the heat wave outside could be felt.

The luxurious furnishings indicated that anyone dining here was a person of considerable means.

The table was laden with signature dishes from the Emperor Hotel.

Adele Horne was a regular here. She could name all the tastiest dishes without even needing to glance at the menu.

"Gio, do you have a girlfriend yet?" Adele Horne asked, her question a common one.

Weren't these the typical questions old classmates asked when they reunited?

Gio Coleman poured himself a glass of wine and then one for Adele Horne. He was about to take a sip when he heard her question. He chuckled, "What, are you planning to introduce a girlfriend to me?" As he spoke, his gaze fixed intently on Adele. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"With your qualities, would you even need my help to find someone? Besides, don't you know me by now? I don't even have one close female friend, so how could I possibly introduce a girlfriend to you?" Adele Horne helped herself to some food, leaving her wine untouched.

She had to drive home later, so she didn't dare to drink.

Most importantly, she didn't want Jimmy to see her drinking.

Gio took a sip of wine but didn't take another, perhaps recalling he also had to drive later.

Hearing Adele's self-deprecating words, Gio's eyes deepened, and a pang of heartache flickered in them once more.

He had, of course, heard about Orlando Evans.

Truth be told, as far back as high school, he'd seen that Orlando Evans's kindness towards her wasn't genuine; his only intention was to ingratiate himself with the Horne family. But back then, he and Adele were such bitter rivals, like fire and water, that he hadn't bothered to warn her. He never expected that, after all these years, Adele would actually fall prey to Orlando Evans's schemes.

"Heh, I guess I'll have to stay single a while longer then."

Adele stopped eating and looked at Gio curiously, sizing him up from head to toe before teasing, "What's this, Mr. Class President? Can't find anyone even with your impressive credentials? We actually have quite a few young women working at our company. If you're not too picky, I could introduce one or two to you."

Gio chuckled, picked up a morsel of food with his chopsticks, and playfully popped it into Adele's mouth. "I wouldn't disdain anyone," he replied. "In that case, I'll have to start sucking up to you, my dear matchmaker. Hey, girl, for old times' sake, you have to be a good matchmaker, okay? The happiness of the rest of my life is in your hands now!"

"Such flattery!" Adele couldn't help giggling.

People really do change as they grow up.

The two of them, once constantly at odds, were now chatting as comfortably as old friends.

Gio merely smiled at her, a deep yearning buried in his eyes that Adele Horne completely failed to notice. Adele Horne had never been in love. She once harbored romantic dreams, but after losing her virginity and then giving birth out of wedlock, she no longer indulged in such fantasies, viewing relationships with stark realism. Furthermore, lacking any romantic experience and now being a mother, she had no idea that the primary reason Gio had returned to the country this time was for her.

A man doesn't treat a woman well for no reason, nor does he care for one without cause.

「A gray sedan sped through the streets, heading towards an apartment complex.」

In the back seat, two children lay drugged and unconscious, utterly motionless.

Both children were still in their Talents School nursery uniforms, their backpacks still on.

One was Ivan Horne, the beloved son of Glades Horne and Julia Bluen.

The other was Jimmy Horne, rumored to be the illegitimate grandson of the Horne Family and the apple of Adele Horne's eye.

Hansen Ruiz had called Julia, instructing her to notify the teacher to arrange for the two young masters to take the school bus home, to prevent Noah Reyes from finding Jimmy first. But no one could have imagined that while they were all on guard against Noah Reyes, Silvia Baxter was already watching the two young masters.

Normally, either Julia, Adele, other members of the Horne Family, or their bodyguards would pick up the children, making it very difficult for kidnappers to target the two young masters. Today, however, had provided Silvia Baxter with an unexpected opportunity.

Intercepting the school bus and kidnapping the two young masters was all too easy for the ruthless Silvia Baxter.

After the school bus was intercepted, its tires were punctured. The school bus driver and the other children on board were all knocked unconscious and tied up by Silvia Baxter's people. Ivan Horne and Jimmy Horne were intelligent, but no matter how clever, they were still only four-year-old children and no match for several grown men. Ivan had just managed to call Glades Horne's phone when, before he could utter a word, he too was drugged into unconsciousness.

The men carried the two young masters into the gray sedan. One was instructed to drive them immediately to the temporarily rented apartment Silvia Baxter had specified, while the others stayed behind to deal with the aftermath.

The apartment complex Silvia Baxter had specified was near the Suburb. It was somewhat remote and very quiet. Most of the residents were working-class people, as the rent there was relatively cheap.

At that moment, Silvia Baxter was sitting in the apartment's living room, fiddling with her phone. Its screen displayed photos of Julia—images she had, of course, only managed to acquire and secretly save thanks to the media.

She was beginning to realize that she might have genuinely developed feelings for Julia.

No matter how her father warned her, she couldn't give up on those feelings.

"Julia, our first meeting... was that the beginning of this ill-fated bond between us? I want to control it, I want to sever it, but I can't. What am I supposed to do?" Silvia Baxter murmured, staring at Julia's photo. Dressed in a man's suit, with short, masculine hair and a tie, she looked every bit a man from head to toe.

In one of the rooms, Sister Li's daughter was still tied to a large bed. Her clothes were relatively undisturbed, as Silvia Baxter hadn't actually allowed anyone to violate the terrified girl. She was merely using the situation to frighten Sister Li and force her into submission.

Two men sat in the room guarding Sister Li's daughter, regularly feeding her some food and water.

RING RING RING... Silvia Baxter's phone began to ring.

Silvia Baxter hurriedly answered. She had instructed her secretly hired operatives to keep an eye on the two young scions of the Horne family, planning to kidnap them as well. This would throw Glades Horne and his wife, and indeed the entire Horne family, into chaos, which would better serve the Sect Leader's plan. After all, members of the Sect were hardly saints; they had committed every kind of deed imaginable, both good and bad.

Four years ago, she had attempted to kidnap Julia, to hide her away and have her way with her, but she had failed.

This time, she hoped for news of success. Manpower was crucial right now, and she didn't want to resort to killing anyone to ensure their silence.

"Hello," Silvia Baxter answered calmly.

"Miss, I'm on my way back and will be there shortly," a deep, somewhat anxious voice reported from the other end. The man driving the car, having kidnapped the two young scions of the Horne family, was clearly very nervous and frightened.