Mr. CEO's Substitute Bride

Joseph Lancaster jogged into the kitchen, and before long, he came out with a cup of tea, walked up to his second aunt Eva Hayes, and bent down with a grin.

"Second Aunt, here, have some tea. Just now, your nephew didn’t realize it was my sister-in-law who was supposed to serve you. I’m young and naive, please don’t mind me."

"Hmph!" Eva Hayes let out another cold snort and turned her face away.

Joseph Lancaster wasn’t offended, still grinning as he offered her the tea cup, "Second Aunt, give me some face, take a sip, it’s just a gesture."

"Big Brother! Aren’t you going to do something about this kid causing trouble?" Atlas Lancaster could no longer hold it in, slamming the armrest of the armchair in anger, glaring at Bodhi Lancaster across the old patriarch.

Anyone with keen eyes could see the old patriarch’s indulgence.

This was what infuriated Atlas Lancaster the most; he didn’t dare criticize his own father, so he could only vent his frustration at his big brother.

With the old patriarch backing him, Bodhi Lancaster wasn’t as concerned, resting his hands on his knees with a helpless sigh.

"Second Brother, Daxton is right. Just now, Joseph recklessly drank the tea that Violet meant for the sister-in-law, so now let’s have him accompany her with a cup."

Atlas Lancaster...

Almost coughed up a mouthful of old blood.

Eva Hayes was full of displeasure but didn’t dare speak, simply refusing to drink the tea Joseph Lancaster brought to her lips, while Joseph was persistent, positioning the tea cup wherever she turned her face.

The three brothers, Daemon Lancaster included, were also indignant, but with the patriarch present, it wasn’t appropriate to criticize.

"Dad! Look at them! What on earth is going on?!"

Atlas Lancaster flung his sleeve in frustration, and the patriarch also looked up, turned to pass the tea cup to the servant behind him, sighed helplessly, and patted Atlas Lancaster’s leg, speaking earnestly.

"Old second, you know, I’m getting old and my vision is failing. That’s why I passed the position of Family Head to Daxton. Now Daxton is the head of the Lancaster Family, whatever he says or does, this old man can only listen."

The patriarch opted for a strategic sidestep, essentially hinting that he wasn’t actually blind and could see things clearly.

On the other hand, he was also reminding Atlas Lancaster that Daxton was now the Family Head, and as long as he didn’t break family rules, the entire Lancaster Family had to obey.

The patriarch understood clearly that Daxton’s succession as Family Head left the second branch perpetually dissatisfied.

Although substituting to serve tea was somewhat absurd, his grandson wanted to assert authority, and as a grandfather, he couldn’t undermine that.

Atlas Lancaster understood his father’s intentions; if it weren’t for the patriarch being there, he might have lost his temper.

Beside him, Joseph Lancaster was still cheerfully trying to persuade her, "Second Aunt, you see, the whole family is waiting on you. If you don’t drink, everyone else has to starve too. Second Aunt, please be kind, your nephew has to go to class."

"Drink it." Atlas Lancaster flicked his sleeve in anger, and only then did Eva Hayes take the tea cup, sip it, and hand it to the servant behind her, her face still unfriendly, saying, "I’ve drunk it now!" So just get out already!

That was the underlying message.

Joseph Lancaster still refused to leave, rubbing his fingers together in front of Eva Hayes, making a gesture of counting money, smiling as he spoke.

"Second Aunt, the tea has been drunk, what about the red envelope?"

Seeing his wife about to argue again, Atlas Lancaster waved his hand, "Give it to him, give it to him..." Hastily dismissing them, he couldn’t afford to be at odds with them.

Eva Hayes angrily pulled out a red envelope and slapped it into Joseph Lancaster’s hand, "Here you go! Your whole branch is so poor you have to rely on red envelopes to get by!"

Joseph Lancaster weighed the red envelope’s weight with a smile, pretending poverty.

"Second Aunt, what you said is so true. In the Lancaster Family, proletariats like me indeed rely on red envelopes to get by."