Emma Johnson glanced down at her outfit—a long black dress paired with a light blue denim jacket. She radiated youthful energy and vitality.
Liam Williams kept one hand on the steering wheel and turned his head to look at her. "You look good in anything, sweetheart. Forget the gifts. My family doesn't need anything anyway. And my father is a reasonable man. He won't go out of his way to make things difficult for you. Why worry when I'm right here?"
Those words—I'm right here—always made Emma's heart feel at ease.
"But what if he's seen the newspapers? If he has, then I'll never be able to clear my name." That was the thought gnawing at her. Before the daughter-in-law even stepped through the door, the scandal had already spread everywhere. Who would approve of that?
"I'll explain everything to him. Don't stress about it."
Emma trusted him completely. She'd been with Liam long enough to know he handled everything well. He seemed to have an answer for everything.
She stayed quiet, looking down at her phone instead.
"One more thing—my younger brother can be a handful. He's usually rebellious. If he says anything out of line, just let it slide. Don't take it to heart."
Emma looked up and nodded. "Okay, I understand."
She wasn't a child anymore. He'd explained it so thoroughly.
It was just his brother, right?
How hard could it be?
Finally, Emma put her phone down and gazed out the window. She couldn't help but sigh. The view was breathtaking.
Once they left the city, every patch of land along the road was covered with all kinds of orchids. As far as the eye could see, the entire area had turned into a sea of flowers.
Looking up, the vast fields of orchids were a riot of colors—gorgeous, vibrant, full of life.
Under the sunlight, the different varieties of orchids gave off a delicate fragrance. They were beautiful and enchanting. The colors ranged from pure white to pale yellow, from deep red to soft pink, from rich purple to shades that blended two or three hues together, like embroidered lace. Each color had its own large patch, creating a truly stunning sight.
In this early autumn season, when many flowers had already withered, only the orchids bloomed so brilliantly across the land.
"It's... beautiful. These flowers..." Emma turned to look at Liam. It was the first time she'd ever seen so many orchids growing together.
Calling it a sea of flowers didn't even do it justice.
"My mother loved orchids when she was alive. So my father bought this land and hired people to plant them. Every time my mother went out and passed by here, she would smile so sweetly."
Liam kept driving, his tone casual.
So this was how the rich showed their love.
They did it with such high-class style!
Wait—what did Liam just say?
When she was alive?
Had Liam's mother already...
Emma wanted to say something but was afraid of making him sad. She quickly covered her mouth with her fingers.
She stole a glance at Liam. His face still wore that indifferent expression—not angry, not sad.
Bringing up something like this must have been painful. But Liam was always like this. He kept everything inside. It was hard to guess what emotions were hidden beneath that calm exterior.
Emma blinked and decided not to dwell on it. Instead, she rested her chin on her hand and watched the scenery outside the window.
In her entire life, she had never seen such a large field of orchids. She felt her heart soaring with joy.
After a while, the car passed through the vast orchid plantation and drove further into the suburbs.
What came into view was the Williams family's luxurious villa and splendid manor.
The design was elegant and noble. The roof was decorated with light yellow and pink-purple patterns. Several tall white Roman columns stood in front of the entrance, making the place look like a prince's palace from a fairy tale.
Emma stared at the beautiful, solemn building with wide eyes.
Was this even real?
She had never seen such a beautiful house before, and it was her husband's home!
Emma couldn't help swallowing. She didn't speak until the car slowly drove through the gate. As soon as it stopped, a servant trotted over and opened the door for her, respectfully saying, "Welcome home, young madam."
Emma froze for a moment before realizing that young madam meant her. She finally managed to say, "Thank you."
Liam looked at her with a smile on his face. He raised his arm slightly and gave her a meaningful look.
He was signaling for her to take his arm. Emma understood immediately and quickly stepped forward to hold it. To be honest, she was very nervous.
After all, this was her first time visiting Liam's home. She was about to meet his father.
She tightened her grip, her fingers pressing into Liam's arm.
Sensing her nervousness, Liam patted her hand and said, "It's okay. I'm here."
Those words again. Emma felt a warm current flow through her heart.
It was more reassuring than any sweet talk. After all, Emma and Liam weren't seventeen or eighteen anymore. They had passed the age of just talking about love. Real companionship and comfort sounded much better than any kind of romantic words.
The two of them walked to the porch. Oliver, the butler, came over to open the door for them. "Young master and young madam have returned."
Liam gave a cold snort. "Mm. Where's my father?"
"The master is in the study. He received your call and asked us to prepare a lot of dishes for you to eat together," Oliver reported.
"And my brother? Has he come back?"
"He's also at home. When the second young master heard that he was going to meet the young madam, he came back early."
Liam raised the corner of his mouth slightly. He took off his coat, handed it to Oliver, and turned to look at Emma. "Sit in the living room and wait for me. I'll go upstairs and get my dad."
"Okay, sure." Emma always felt a bit restrained in unfamiliar places, let alone in such a luxurious home like the Williams' mansion.
Emma sat down on the sofa and looked up at the surroundings. The spacious living room had an exquisite spiral staircase directly opposite the sofa.
The patterns inside the room were delicate and lustrous. Even the wallpaper and curtains were in soft, fresh colors, full of feminine charm.
These must have been arranged by Liam's mother.
Emma was a long-term planner. How much would such luxurious decoration cost?
She thought about her own little nest back home... Sigh. It really was true that comparing yourself to others would only make you feel worse.