Chapter 143

Chapter 143:

Janice blinked. “Have you ever considered getting a smart wheelchair? I see you manually pushing the wheels every time, and it seems quite strenuous. Doesn’t it tire you out? Watching you is exhausting.”

Aiden had expected her to say something significant, but her words were merely a practical suggestion.

“Don’t you think this feels more authentic?” he asked.

Janice was dumbfounded. “Aiden, are you serious? What’s ‘authentic’ about manually turning the wheels? You could touch phlegm.”

Aiden recoiled, visibly disgusted. He realized that conversing with Janice meant always being ready for her unexpected comments.

“Couldn’t you?” Janice pressed, noticing his silence. She stepped in front of him, leaned forward, resting her hands on her knees, and peered intently into his eyes. “The wheels roll over all sorts of things. Aren’t you worried about accidentally touching something unpleasant?”

Aiden inhaled deeply, the scent of her perfume filling his senses and momentarily clouding his thoughts. He wasn’t sure whether it was Janice’s fragrance that left him dazed or her blunt words that had stunned him.

“There’s a special rim for turning the wheels,” he managed to reply.

“But the rim is right next to the wheel, so you might still end up touching the wheel itself,” Janice pointed out.

Aiden raised his hand to his forehead in a gesture of frustration, signaling a desire to end the conversation. But then he remembered Janice’s words and quickly lowered his hand.

“Be honest, have you ever actually touched it?” Janice leaned in closer, her face inches from his. Even bare-faced, her natural beauty was striking, a stark and refreshing contrast to the heavily made-up faces he was used to.

Aiden’s breathing became slightly erratic, undoubtedly a reaction to Janice’s challenging presence.

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Nina stood by the expansive floor-to-ceiling window, her gaze fixed on the tender scene unfolding between Aiden and Janice. It had become a ritual for her to rise early, drawn to the garden to watch Aiden perform his morning exercises—a time of quiet observation she cherished. But today’s scene held an unexpected element.

“Janice seems truly well-suited for Aiden,” Nina murmured. “It’s unusual to see Aiden connect with someone. With me, his mother, there’s always a gap he doesn’t let me cross.” Yet, with Janice, he was different.

Contrary to the swirling rumors that painted Janice and Aiden’s union as a mere strategic alliance for shares, Nina saw something deeper. The ease between them, these shared moments of intimacy, spoke of a genuine bond.

“Nina, don’t let appearances deceive you.” Alcott’s voice broke through her contemplations, pulling her attention away from the couple. He joined her by the window, his eyes on the pair outside. “Their closeness might merely be a facade. You know, others may be oblivious, but I am keenly aware. According to my father’s will, you have the authority to reject any decisions about the shares. Without your approval, Aiden cannot access those shares. And should you deem him unsuitable for leadership of the Green family, you have the authority to designate someone else to inherit that portion of the shares.”

Resentment settled in Alcott’s heart like a shadow he couldn’t shake. His wife held his father’s favor, the authority over the shares resting solely in her hands. Despite her deep affection for her son, Nina never wavered in honoring her father-in-law’s will and upholding his trust.

Alcott’s insecurity was palpable. He dreaded the thought of losing Nina’s trust, well aware that it was his only ticket to the Green family’s fortune.

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