Chapter 169: Chapter 169

Maxwell's brows furrowed, a hint of displeasure appearing on his face. He looked at Mrs. Smith and said, "Aunt, such inappropriate words couldn't have come from you. Did Chiyoko ask you to say this?"

Mrs. Smith hesitated for a moment. Yes, it was Chiyoko who asked her to say this. However, Maxwell's reaction made her feel at a loss. When Chiyoko made this request, Mrs. Smith also felt it was inappropriate, but she had no choice!

"Chiyoko didn't say that. It's my concern for her. I think you should do this, considering she is your fiancée. I know you might say you don't want this fiancée, but since you two were already engaged before, it's not something you can just reject. You should be very clear about how this engagement came about and who the witness was," Mrs. Smith said with great seriousness.

"I haven't forgotten, but I don't think I need to be led by a woman," Maxwell spoke indifferently. Chiyoko Tokugawa! Did she want to use Mrs. Smith to pressure him? She was being too naive!

"Do you think this matter is so simple as just involving a woman?" Mrs. Smith scolded in a lowered voice. "You should know better than me what Chiyoko represents and what her status is!"

Maxwell raised his voice in response, "Chiyoko Tokugawa may represent Yota Gang, but that doesn't mean Yota Gang can control me, Maxwell. I made it clear when we got engaged."

"Are you not worried that people from Yota Gang might do something extreme to our Smith Family? Have you thought about Robin, Richard, and others? Your stubbornness will eventually lead to your demise. Do you realize that?" Mrs. Smith was anxious. She had been carefully coaxing Chiyoko, and Maxwell's indifferent attitude made her feel particularly distressed.

Maxwell sneered, "Yota Gang is just a criminal organization. There's nothing to fear." He knew well that members of Yota Gang wouldn't dare to act recklessly. After all, his reputation in the criminal underworld was not insignificant, and any conflict would result in mutual harm or arrests by the police.

Even last month, when he lost his necklace, if Yota Gang wanted to kill him, they would resort to an assassination, not a confrontation.

"It's precisely because they're from the criminal underworld that they are more frightening!" Mrs. Smith said helplessly. "Why do you have to be so stubborn? Chiyoko is beautiful and talented, a thousand times better than Flora, isn't she?"

"Aunt, Flora is now pregnant with my child," Maxwell explained with a smile. He was clarifying to Mrs. Smith and himself, that he hadn't fallen in love with Flora; he kept her around solely because of the child.

"In the whole world, only you believe that the child is yours. Prepare to be taken for a fool!" Mrs. Smith sneered. She never believed that Flora could be pregnant with Maxwell's child, especially considering it was a sudden change of statement.

"Let's talk about it when the child is born," Maxwell said with annoyance. He couldn't help but ask himself again, is the child in Flora's belly really his? He hoped it wouldn't turn out as Mrs. Smith had suggested!

"What about Oliver? Are you going to watch him be disappointed and heartbroken again?" Mrs. Smith said with concern. Oliver did seem to be a pitiable guy, always getting involved with his elder brother's women.

"Him?" Maxwell chuckled mockingly, showing no sympathy. "He'll return to managing the branch company in England in a few days. Time will heal everything, won't it?"

Mrs. Smith, after hearing his words, looked at him disapprovingly from head to toe and then scolded in a low voice, "Maxwell, how can you treat your own younger brother with such indifference?"

"Aunt, I haven't said anything wrong," Maxwell said nonchalantly. "It's your heart that has been disturbed by Chiyoko. Your thoughts and words are not as smooth as before."

Mrs. Smith's expression changed slightly, and she looked at him with disappointment. "Are you blaming me for interfering too much, or are you blaming me for..."

"Aunt, don't overthink it. You know I would never blame you." Maxwell interrupted her, hastily explaining, "It's just that I didn't expect you to say such things today. Feelings and women are not something to be compromised on. Besides, Flora is not worthy of Oliver. She shouldn't be a part of our Smith Family."

Upon hearing his words, Mrs. Smith's embarrassed expression due to the first half of the sentence instantly turned into a hint of a smile. Joyfully, she exclaimed, "Do you really think so? Do you truly believe that Flora shouldn't be a part of our Smith Family?"

"Of course, I do!" Maxwell's statement wasn't firm, and he even felt a bit regretful after saying it. He thought he shouldn't have asserted that so early. After all, no one could predict the future. Subconsciously, he was unwilling to say those words, especially since he didn't harbor any aversion towards Flora at the moment.

With this statement, Mrs. Smith was somewhat reassured. Although Maxwell might not follow through, it was still better than admitting his feelings for Flora in front of her. At least this way, there was room for change.

Initially, Mrs. Smith didn't dare to expect that Maxwell would agree to give Flora to Oliver. This was such a ridiculous matter that she didn't want to continue forcing it. With a hesitant expression, she stood up, seeming as if she wanted to say something but ultimately walked away without another word.

After Mrs. Smith left, Maxwell took a deep breath, slumped on the sofa for five minutes, and then got up to walk to the bedroom. When he entered the bedroom, Flora was wearing headphones, and playing the piano with a blissful expression on her face.

Afraid of disturbing others, Flora had muted the sound. With earplugs in, she was oblivious to the surrounding noise, unaware that Maxwell had entered.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, Maxwell, feeling unreserved, approached. With a stern expression, he extended a long finger and pressed a black key in the high-pitched section, producing a piercing sound that immediately reached Flora's ears. Startled, she removed her headphones and glared at him with irritation. The abrupt key-press not only startled her but also caused discomfort to her ears.

Ignoring her annoyance, Maxwell gazed at her and calmly said, "Don't you think it's time to go to bed?"

"I slept too much this morning; now I can't sleep," Flora explained, wondering what Mrs. Smith had said to him. Despite his recent mildness, his face had returned to its usual expression.

"Maintain a regular sleep schedule. Haven't you forgotten what the doctor told you?" Maxwell had indeed changed a lot, much more than before meeting Mrs. Smith. His initially good mood had been disrupted by Mrs. Smith's suspicions.

Observing the aggression on his face, Flora cautiously asked, "What's wrong? Did Mrs. Smith scold you again? If so, you can..." Flora ran to the bed, grabbed the large teddy bear that had accompanied her every night, and handed it to him. "You can shout at it; it won't talk back!"

Maxwell furrowed his brows as he stared at the big doll in front of him, unable to utter a word.

Seeing his silence, Flora continued to recommend, "Really, every time you bully me, I yell at it, just like yelling at you, a couple of times and I feel much better."

In anger, Maxwell raised his hand and forcefully tossed the obstructing doll to the ground. He grabbed Flora's arm and pulled her close to him, glowering down at her as he coldly demanded, "Tell me the truth, is the child mine?"

Flora was stunned. After several days, he was still asking this question. Meeting his gaze defiantly, she said, "Are you going crazy again? Have you had enough?" It must be Mrs. Smith talking bad about him again. It was surprising to see how sensitive this man's heart was, or rather, how sensitive he was specifically about this case.

"Just answer 'yes' or 'no'!" Maxwell had gone mad again. Until he was a hundred percent sure the child was his, his heart was easily provoked and disturbed.

He wanted to clarify if his efforts were worthwhile. He disdained to measure material contributions, but he unmistakably felt that he was becoming less averse to this woman, even finding himself thinking about her for no apparent reason. He also felt a strong anticipation for the baby in her belly, eager to see its face.

Perhaps, like women, men only truly experience intense parental love when they have their own child.

"Do you find it meaningful to ask in this way?" Flora pushed against his shoulders and shouted, "I've sworn, written assurances, what else do you want from me?"