After breakfast, Sara and the others trudged off to the office for some extra work. None of them looked thrilled about it, but under Oliver’s silent stare, they didn’t dare complain. They dragged their feet the whole way out, tossing him disgruntled looks over their shoulders, but in the end, his authority was impossible to ignore.
Honestly, talk about choosing love over family, Patricia thought as she watched them go,
“So you sent them to the office just so we could have the house to ourselves?” Patricia asked, standing by the living room’s big window, watching as Sara kept glancing wistfully back at the door.
Oliver just hummed, not really answering, and stepped over to her. He rested his hand gently on the small of her back, his fingers tracing slow circles. Her waist was delicate and fit perfectly in his hand.
“Go get changed. I want to take you somewhere,” he said quietly.
She raised an eyebrow. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see,” he replied, a hint of mischief in his voice.
That day, they left Jackson at home. Aiden drove, another plain Buick following behind, almost invisible on the road. They took the highway out toward a little town near Riverdale.
It wasn’t until they pulled up that Patricia realized where they were. Oliver had brought her to an old historic town just outside the city. Their car stopped in front of a house with classic Chinese architecture, all wooden beams and graceful lines.
Oliver took her hand, pushed open the gate, and led her inside. The courtyard was gorgeous and peaceful, with a little pond, a stone path winding through the garden, and willow trees swaying in the breeze. Patricia looked around, stunned. “Is this a hotel?”
“It’s a house,” Oliver replied simply.
She blinked, confused. “Wait, what?”
He guided her straight into the living room. The space was filled with rich, dark wood furniture, smooth with age, everything polished to a soft glow. The whole house felt steeped in history and warmth.
“This kind of furniture only gets more beautiful the longer you use it,” Oliver said, running his hand along an armchair.
He glanced at her, his eyes soft. “Last time, I saw how much you loved the courtyard. When I went back to Golden Bay, I asked my mother for this house.”
“It’s close to Riverdale, so you can come here for a weekend getaway whenever you want,” he added. “When my mom got married, my grandfather gave her several estates as part of her dowry. This is one of them.”
While he spoke, Oliver signaled to Aiden, who quietly opened a folder and handed Patricia a document.
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Chapter 276
She took a step back, startled. “You’re giving this to me? Isn’t that a bit much?”
It was his mother’s dowry, after all. She hadn’t even met his mom yet. How could she just accept. something like this?
“I don’t think it’s right,” she said, shaking her head. “We haven’t even met. It feels rude to just take it.”
Oliver didn’t seem bothered at all. “Why not? You’re my wife. My mother would want you to have it.”
Patricia hesitated. “Still, I haven’t even met her. It just feels off.”
He watched her for a moment, unreadable. “There’ll be plenty of chances for you to meet her. No need to rush.”
She stood firm. “I really can’t accept it. Not yet.”
Oliver didn’t push. He slid the contract back into the folder. “Whether you sign it now or later, this place is yours. If you’re not ready, we’ll just wait.”
He handed the folder back to Aiden and led Patricia outside. “Come on, let’s look around the garden.” Patricia couldn’t help but be amazed at how wealthy Oliver’s family was. Back then, his mother got several estates as a wedding gift. Most people were just trying to get by, but his family had been on a whole different level.
She’d grown up comfortable, but her family only got rich in her dad’s generation. The Padillas, though, had been wealthy for at least three generations. The gap between her world and Oliver’s felt wider
than ever.
They had lunch in the garden, the air filled with the scent of late–blooming flowers. That night, they stayed over. After dinner, they changed into something cozy and walked out into the old town, where the autumn air was cool and fresh and the streets buzzed with tourists.
The estate was just a block away from all the action. It was close enough to feel the energy, but tucked away and peaceful–a little haven just for them.
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