Chapter 47

Eleanor had no idea that someone on the second floor was watching her every move with a pair of hostile eyes.

Jealousy ate away at Lainey, and her glare nearly burned with it.

How did Eleanor manage to capture Nolan's attention when every woman in town wanted him?

She was nothing but a divorced woman without any connections.

Emma was completely useless and failing to get even the slightest upper hand!

A man, dressed like a butler, rushed over,interrupting Lainey's thoughts. "Miss Gilbert, we've taken care of the situation with the orphanage."

Relief finally washed over Lainey. She gave a crooked smile, her eyes cold. "You did well."

Eleanor only cared about that shabby old orphanage.

Destroying it would hit her where it hurt.

The butler looked uneasy. "Miss Gilbert, what if Jonny finds out about this..."

Lainey's father had assigned him to support her,so he had some idea about Lainey and Jonny.

There had been heated arguments before, all because of that orphanage.

If the truth came out, her father would turn his anger on him.

Lainey shot him a hard look. "It was just a routine inspection team. Whatever they reported is exactly what they saw. It had nothing to do with us."

In her mind, even if Jonny learned the truth, it would not make a difference.

Everything was different now. Her father was already thinking about putting money into the Todd Group.

By now, Jonny wouldn't just avoid blaming her. He would even make an effort to make her happy.

A satisfied feeling crept in as Lainey straightened her shoulders and walked into the private room.

Not wanting to upset her, the butler trailed after her.

Across the table in the private room, Jonny faced Lainey's father, Kurt Gilbert.

Jonny/ lifted the cup but set it back down without taking a sip. "Kurt, if you decide to put money into the Todd Group now, I would be deeply thankful."

If the Todd Group wasn't teetering on the edge of collapse, he would never lower himself to seek help from a company that had yet to make its mark on the stock exchange.

The Gilbert family might have lived quietly in Elepdon, but everyone in town knew their fortune was impressive. Getting them to invest would be the lifeline the Todd Group desperately needed.

Kurt showed no sign of being moved. Leisurely,he took a sip from his glass before finally saying, "Jonny,you know the Stewart Group hasn't made its position clear. Rushing into an investment with you would put us at too much risk."

No clear answer came from him.

Right at that moment, Lainey entered the room and jumped in as if she had been waiting for her cue."Dad, Jonny, and I have known each other our whole lives. You can trust him. Please give him a hand."

She slipped into the chair beside Kurt and linked her arm with his, sharing a look with him.

With a smile that looked annoyed, Kurt made his voice gentle. "You two aren't even married, and you're already choosing his side."

"Dad, why would you say that?" Lainey lowered her gaze, putting on a bashful look, thouigh a flash of calculation hid in her eyes.

It was time to get serious.

Kurt took another slow sip, then focused on Jonny."Now that I think about it, three years ago, I made a mistake by separating you and Lainey. Now, all I want is for my daughter to be happy. If you agree to marry Lainey now, I'll give you $100 million. Let that count as my way of helping the Todd Group through this rough patch."

That kind of money and a marriage to Lainey would have been a dream come true once upon a time.

Oddly enough, Jonny couldn't get Eleanor's face out of his mind.

Noticing his hesitation, Lainey clenched her jaw so tightly it nearly made her teeth ache, but she managed to put on a gentle smile. "Dad, Jonny and I truly care for each other. Please, don't try to force his hand like this."

Jonny snapped out of his thoughts at her words. He realized there was nothing stopping him from being with Lainey now.

If Eleanor got upset, he could always charm her back with a few kind words.