Mr. CEO's Substitute Bride

"Huh? Was Uncle’s face injured by Evander?" Mina Drake covered her mouth with both hands, full of disbelief. No wonder Uncle had a bandage on his cheekbone a few days ago; turns out, it was actually a father and son fight.

Thinking about the fight, Robert Lancaster was also helpless, "Yes, it was."

Mina Drake shook her head, sighed, "Ah, the Lancaster family’s affairs are quite deep!"

"Mina." Robert Lancaster became serious, waiting for Mina Drake to look at him before he asked, "Do you look down on me? Or on my mother?"

Mina Drake was taken aback, pursed her lips, and said, "It’s not about looking up or down. It’s just a bit hard to accept."

Robert Lancaster pulled Mina Drake into his embrace, supporting her back with his palm, speaking in a murmuring tone.

"Mina, I know what you might think, but please, don’t look down on my mother, okay? She hasn’t had it easy her whole life... People only see her glamorous life in public, but who knows the suffering she endures behind the scenes?"

Robert Lancaster’s words were moving, but Mina Drake laughed out loud, pushed him away, and looked at him amusedly.

"Since when did you become so sentimental? Planning to take on the melancholy approach now?"

Being pushed away disliked by his wife, Robert Lancaster originally felt a bit uncomfortable, but hearing Mina Drake joke like that, his worries instantly vanished. First, ensure peace within before dealing with external matters, as long as his wife didn’t harbor resentment.

After getting up in the morning, Robert Lancaster first called his father Joseph Lancaster. Although there’s no action from Uncle’s side for now, he must inform his parents about this immediately.

November in New Zealand is the perfect season for holidaying, with limitless green farms adorned with patches of gosling yellow.

A red and white horse became moving figures against the green curtain. On horseback, a man wore a gray shirt with a camel-colored vest and camel jodhpurs spreading comfortably down to his long boots.

On his head was a wide-brimmed cowboy hat, holding the reins tightly with both hands.

The woman beside him was also dressed in standard equestrian attire.

With a wide-brimmed cowboy hat on her head, her white shirt sleeves rolled up slightly. The camel-colored fitted vest beautifully accentuated her figure. Despite being over fifty, Violet Zimmerman showed no signs of gaining weight.

Loose riding pants and black long boots, matching the same outfit as the man beside her.

The two horses strolled side by side with a pace as slow as a walk.

"Violet, let’s come here and enjoy life when we retire!" Looking ahead, Joseph Lancaster’s profile was gentler than the sky blue.

Violet Zimmerman had the same look, a slight curve at her lips, eyes full of hopeful laughter.

"I’m really eager to retire immediately,"

Saying this, Violet Zimmerman sighed softly, "Unfortunately, company directors don’t allow it!"

"Violet, it’s been more than thirty years, are you afraid of waiting a few more years?"

Joseph Lancaster turned over, and Violet Zimmerman turned to him, as if they had a tacit understanding. Both reached out, ten fingers intertwined, as if all worries disappeared with a calming heart.

"But I really want to live with you right away."

Violet Zimmerman said. Joseph Lancaster held her hand tighter as if comforting her, his brows became softer.

"Aren’t we together now?"

"How is it the same? We will be separated once we return home!"

Violet Zimmerman expressed eagerly, hoping to live together daily as a couple.

Although Violet Zimmerman and Joseph Lancaster see each other every day, every night they sleep in separate residences. No longer young, no youthful passion, just wanting a companion to talk to in the quiet night.

She fared somewhat better, with her son by her side, not too lonely.

But for him, alone, solitary, a lone figure.

When the children were unmarried, every festive season, Lancaster Family members would gather, exhausting each other before returning to their residences for rest.

Although Joseph Lancaster never complained, every time he stood up, she knew of the concealed loneliness in his eyes.

An actual but not de jure husband, the biological father of her children, yet standing aside as a relative, watching mother and sons from afar.

She didn’t want to continue living like this, wishing to be like a normal couple, assisting her husband with a foot bath in the evening, engaging in conversation...

Over thirty years as a couple, how could Joseph Lancaster not understand Violet Zimmerman’s intentions? Their hands tightened together again; gazing at Violet Zimmerman, he was full of anticipation.

"Soon, we can rightfully live together in a few more years."

Looking afar, Joseph Lancaster even envisioned the future scene, surrounded by children and grandchildren, happiness filling the courtyard...

Blue skies, white clouds, and green grass, with two horses leisurely walking above the lush green, seen from afar like a picturesque painting.

Trotting horse hooves disrupted this beauty, as a man in cowboy attire rode over, whipping brandish towards the two.

Hearing the horse hooves, Joseph Lancaster instinctively held the reins and turned to see his cowboy approaching.

"Sir, your son just called saying there’s an urgent matter for you."

The cowboy reported in broken Chinese; Joseph Lancaster held onto the reins while underneath, the restless white horse spun in circles. Joseph Lancaster adjusted the horse back, his facial lines no longer gentle, replaced by a serious expression.

"Did he mention what it was?"

"No, he just wanted me to make sure to tell you to return his call."

The cowboy honestly reported, Joseph Lancaster nodded, "Got it."

As the cowboy gradually rode away, Violet Zimmerman furrowed her brows, "Joseph, do you think something might have happened?"

Dominic Quinn’s rejection of the marriage annulment kept Violet Zimmerman uneasy, always worrying he might stir something up.

Seeing Violet Zimmerman’s concern, Joseph Lancaster gently pat her shoulder to comfort her, "Don’t worry, our son is excellent, capable of handling things independently."

"But..."

Although aware of her son’s abilities, Violet Zimmerman still felt uneasy; something urgent must have happened, otherwise Robert wouldn’t have hurriedly asked them to call back.

"No buts." Joseph Lancaster patted Violet Zimmerman’s shoulder again, firmly saying, "If the sky falls, there are us three men to support you!"

Violet Zimmerman sighed gently, swallowing all her worries.

With the three strong men at home, she decided to be frail just this once.

Returning home, Joseph Lancaster called Robert Lancaster back, who reported Mrs. Xu’s complaints and Uncle Daemon Lancaster’s unusual actions to Joseph Lancaster. After hearing his son, Joseph Lancaster simply replied.

"Remain still to counter movement, keep unchanged to deal with changes!"