Chapter 121: Chapter 121: The Cheap Older Brother

After hanging up, Simon Lancaster pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. He had spent a lot of money on dates with Holly Rhodes recently, and his finances were stretched thin.

He hadn’t expected Silas Lancaster to stir up trouble right now; it was just making a bad situation worse.

Simon Lancaster checked his bank account balance. Gritting his teeth, he transferred 200,000 to Elaine Hughes.

Simon was worried that if he didn’t pay, Elaine would go after Sylvia Lancaster.

Simon cared deeply for Sylvia. He knew she didn’t have any money either, and he couldn’t bear to see his beloved sister put in a difficult position.

’I’ll pin this debt on Melody Summers! One day, I’ll make her pay me back tenfold!’

After transferring the money, Simon composed himself, left the terrace, and returned to the banquet hall, walking over to Holly Rhodes’s side.

Seeing Simon return, Holly Rhodes asked with a hint of displeasure, "Are you done with your call? What took so long? Is everything okay with your family?"

Simon put on a practiced smile, looked down at Holly, and said, "It’s nothing serious. My younger brother was just fooling around and fell, hurting his leg. He needs minor surgery."

Hearing this, Holly’s brow furrowed slightly. "Surgery? I hear operations are very expensive these days. They didn’t call to ask you for the surgery fees, did they? If they did, you’d better not agree. Let me tell you, the one thing I can’t stand is a man who’s a total pushover for his family!"

Simon felt a throbbing in his temples, but he suppressed his anger and replied in a gentle tone, "Don’t worry, Holly. I’ll definitely prioritize our future family and won’t spend money carelessly."

Simon smiled on the outside, but inwardly he was cursing Holly. ’Who the hell does she think she is, telling me what to do?’

Although Holly was a member of the Rhodes Family, her branch of the family was not highly regarded. She herself was average—her figure was plain, her looks couldn’t even be called pretty, and she had the temper of a spoiled princess.

Before the cataclysm, as the eldest son of the wealthy Lancaster Family, Simon would have never given her a second glance.

But now that the Lancaster Family was bankrupt and Rhodes was the new powerhouse, Simon had to curry favor with Holly if he wanted to secure his footing at Rhodes Enterprises and expand his network among its upper management.

Seeing Simon’s gentle smile and cautious demeanor, Holly pursed her lips. "That’s more like it. You know your family’s situation. When other women get married, the groom’s family is expected to contribute money and effort. I’m not expecting your family to do all that, but at the very least, don’t drag me down!"

Holly had been adamantly against this marriage. Everyone knew the Lancaster Family was in ruins. But she couldn’t defy her father, so she reluctantly agreed to meet Simon.

After meeting him, however, Holly found that Simon had deep-set features. He was young, handsome, tall, and more attractive than any of the men she had dated before.

Even though the Lancaster Family was bankrupt, Simon still carried the air of a nobleman, something the men she had previously dated couldn’t compare to.

Moreover, Simon had been groomed since childhood as the Lancaster Family heir. He was genuinely capable, unlike those useless second-generation rich kids.

Holly’s father held him in high regard, so Holly had grudgingly agreed to date him.

Holly led Simon through the banquet hall, introducing him to her relatives from the Rhodes Family.

Simon was currently vying for a project manager position, competing against two more experienced, senior employees. He had to do everything he could to expand his network within Rhodes and win the support of upper management.

Some people saw them and began whispering, "Isn’t that the eldest son of the Lancaster Family? How did he end up with Holly? I’m surprised he can put up with her temper."

Another person replied, "His family is bankrupt. He’s just a freeloader. Does he dare complain about his sugar mama’s temper? Speaking of which, it’s rare to see someone having New Year’s Eve dinner at the woman’s family home before they’re even married. Is he begging to marry into the family? Haha."

These harsh words reached Simon’s ears, stinging his pride. The veins on his hand bulged as he fought for control, nearly crushing the wine glass in his grip.

But he maintained a practiced smile, pretending he hadn’t heard a thing.

He had no other choice if he wanted to climb the ladder.

He had to land this project. Once he completed it and was promoted to supervisor, he could move into a three-bedroom apartment in the talent housing provided by Rhodes Enterprises. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Utilities in the talent housing were free, and there was a cafeteria for employees and their families. He could bring his whole family over, which would solve the Lancaster Family’s current predicament.

As Simon mentally calculated his path to promotion and a raise, he glanced at Holly beside him.

He swore to himself that the moment he got back on his feet, he would kick Holly to the curb. In his eyes, Holly wasn’t worthy of being compared to even a single strand of Sylvia’s hair.

The gossip, however, didn’t seem to affect Holly’s mood. The Rhodes Family was large, and where there were many people, there was bound to be gossip. She had gotten used to it over the years.

She had no intention of defending Simon. In her view, he was relying on her anyway, so what if people said a few things?

She helped herself to some fruit from a platter and started eating. Ordinary people had long forgotten the taste of fruit, but this was the Rhodes Family, who controlled indoor agriculture. Fruit was the one thing they didn’t lack.

Suddenly, Holly noticed Sophie Thorne standing alone on the second-floor terrace. Her eyes lit up, and she said to Simon, "That’s my cousin Ronan Rhodes’s fiancée, the granddaughter-in-law Mr. Rhodes himself approved of. Quick, while no one’s around her, let’s go up and say hello!"

At this, Simon’s spirits lifted, and he nodded eagerly.

The current head of the Rhodes Family, Mr. Rhodes, had only two sons. The eldest, Roman Rhodes, was still unmarried, while the second son, Holden Rhodes, had only one child, Ronan Rhodes.

Roman Rhodes worked for the public security bureau, kept a low profile, and wasn’t very involved in Rhodes Enterprises. Holden Rhodes, on the other hand, had a mild temperament and average abilities, so Ronan Rhodes was now responsible for much of the business at Rhodes.

As Ronan Rhodes’s fiancée, Sophie Thorne was a person many members of the Rhodes Family were eager to curry favor with.

Sophie Thorne was leaning against the railing of the second-floor terrace, bored and messaging Melody Summers.

Sophie’s father had recently taken four or five of his young mistresses on a trip abroad in his private jet. Seeing that Sophie was home alone and fearing she’d be lonely, Ronan had pestered her until she finally agreed to come home with him for the New Year.

Downstairs, Sophie had been surrounded by a crowd of Rhodes Family members trying to make conversation. She had to maintain a fixed smile and respond to each of them, and her face was starting to feel stiff. She had finally managed to find an excuse to escape to the second floor for a breath of fresh air.

Sophie was starting to regret agreeing to come with Ronan to the Rhodes Family home. She hated these kinds of gatherings, finding them suffocating.

Watching a video Melody had sent in their chat, she felt a pang of envy for the relaxed and cheerful New Year’s atmosphere at Melody’s house.

Just then, Holly dragged Simon over.

A huge smile plastered on her face, Holly said to Sophie, "You must be Sophie. I’m Ronan’s cousin, Holly Rhodes."

Sophie could only force a smile and nod a greeting at Holly.

Holly then pulled Simon forward to introduce him. "Oh, right, let me introduce you. This is my boyfriend, Simon Lancaster."

Simon quickly stepped forward and greeted Sophie. "Miss Thorne, it’s a pleasure. I’ve heard so much about you; I never expected to have the honor of meeting you here. Happy New Year."

Sophie froze, the smile slowly vanishing from her face.

But the smile on Holly’s face only grew more eager. She continued, "Simon just recently joined Rhodes, and he’s done an excellent job on the few projects he’s handled! Sophie, there’s a project Rhodes is working on with the Yulan district, and they’re selecting a project manager. Simon is in the running. Why don’t you mention it to Ronan? After all, Simon is practically family. He’s a known quantity, and he definitely won’t disappoint you!"

At her words, Sophie lowered her gaze and let out a soft, humorless laugh. She replied coolly, "I’m sorry, but I don’t get involved in Ronan’s business at the company. It’s useless to tell me these things."

Neither Holly nor Simon seemed embarrassed by her response. They persistently tried to draw Sophie into conversation about other things.

Sophie gave perfunctory answers while pulling out her phone and pretending to read a message.

She discreetly aimed her phone at Simon’s face, snapped a picture, and sent it to Melody Summers. "Melody, guess who I just saw. Take a look at this photo. Isn’t this that good-for-nothing brother of yours from the Lancaster Family? He’s with Ronan’s cousin now."

Melody Summers was making dumplings with her whole family. Her grandmother’s hands were nimble; she could fold a dumpling into the shape of a plum blossom and even pinch two wrappers together to create a beautiful, double-layered dumpling.

The others were all clumsily trying to learn from her, producing all sorts of oddly shaped dumplings. The living room was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

Melody wiped the flour from her hands and opened the message from Sophie. The first thing that caught her eye was Simon Lancaster’s face.