“`html

Thanks to Charlie’s encouragement, Claire found herself awake all night, restless and preoccupied with thoughts about her business. As a result, she looked quite worn out and fatigued the following morning due to her lack of sleep.

After waking up, Claire quickly got ready for the day. Noticing her hasty demeanor, Charlie frowned and asked, “Dear, why don’t you take your time and sleep in? What’s the rush?”

“I’m heading to Millenium Enterprise. I can’t afford to be late,” Claire replied.

“Millenium Enterprise? Is it for another interview?” Charlie inquired.

“No,” Claire replied, shaking her head. After a brief pause, she added, “I’m going to seek out some projects for myself.”

“That’s fantastic!” Charlie exclaimed with a smile. “If you start a construction company, I’d love to be your first employee.”

“Do you really think starting a construction company is as easy as whipping up dinner? It requires funding and connections to thrive and survive,” Claire explained. “I plan to start with a small office where I can create design drawings for the construction sector. Once I’ve built a solid network and gathered enough capital, I’ll register the company.”

Charlie chuckled. “Money and connections shouldn’t be an issue. I could help you launch your company right now if you wanted.”

“No, thank you,” Claire responded instinctively, then added earnestly, “I want to tackle this on my own first. Besides, what resources do you actually have? Starting a construction company isn’t child’s play.”

“I’m being serious. I have the funds and the business contacts to help you start a company,” Charlie insisted.

At that moment, he remembered that the Emgrand Group had investments covering nearly 70% of Aurous Hill’s businesses, making it easy to secure design projects from construction firms.

Claire thought he was merely joking, so she waved her hand dismissively and said, “You don’t know anything about the construction industry. I’ll handle the investment matters, so leave it to me.”

To establish a construction company, she would need at least $10 million as start-up capital and a considerable amount of working capital. Where would Charlie possibly obtain that kind of money?

Even if he had the funds, it was hard to believe he’d have connections in the construction industry.

Charlie found himself at a loss for words. His wife preferred to start from scratch rather than utilize the resources he readily offered. He was unsure of how else to convince her.

Just as Claire left the house, her mother Elaine returned. Relying heavily on the Wilson Group for her pension, she had been visiting them frequently over the last few days.

Although Claire had distanced herself from the Wilson family, Elaine seemed to feel otherwise. In fact, she desired to mend the relationship.

“Where did Claire go?” Elaine asked.

“She went to look for freelancing projects,” came the reply.

“What freelancing projects? Does she truly want to sever ties with the Wilson family?” Elaine huffed in frustration. “It was just a minor misunderstanding—why make such a big deal about it and cut connections? We’ve become the laughingstock of the city!”

Jacob stared at Elaine, astonished and confused.

“Darling, what on earth did Lady Wilson do to you while you were there? Did you bump your head after all the scolding? Have you lost your mind?”

“What? No! I haven’t lost my senses!” Elaine exclaimed as she flopped onto the sofa, grumbling, “Tomorrow, you’re coming with me to the Wilson family villa to apologize to Lady Wilson. She’s your mother, and Chris is your brother. Family ties are important—how can you just cut them off like that?”

Jacob shot her a glare and replied, a hint of anger in his voice, “They wanted to sell my house and take Charlie’s villa. They’ve never seen me as part of the Wilson family! If you want to apologize, you can do it alone. I refuse to step into their house ever again!”

Elaine’s frustration grew as Jacob, usually kind and mild-mannered, stood his ground. Turning to Charlie, she said, “Charlie, your dad is being stubborn. You should be the judge! They are mother and son, brothers. Family disputes can be resolved! Isn’t it a bit childish to sever ties like that? Plus, I rely on the Wilson Group for my pension!”

“See?! She’s lost it! They want to take my property, seize Charlie’s villa, and even pressure Claire to divorce Charlie and marry someone else! Don’t you see how outrageous they are?” Jacob shouted in indignation. “Did they put you under a spell or something when you were there? How can you blindly believe everything they say?”

Charlie’s head throbbed as he stood caught in the middle of this conflict; he quickly sought an escape. “Claire asked me to pick her up, so I really need to go now.”

“`