CHAPTER 369

Lucas frowned. "Could you stop that? I'm disgusted! I don't acknowledge Mario as my father, so Martha definitely isn't my stepmother!"

"Oh! I'm sorry." Surprisingly, Leigh apologized placidly, "Your step— Oh, I mean Mario's wife… So, her name's Martha, huh?"

Lucas nodded. "Yes."

Leigh replied, "They certainly are a great match. Mario and Martha, huh? Even their names complement each other."

"Yeah," he sneered coldly. "It's true that they are a good match. One's unfeeling and heartless while the other's vicious and ruthless!"

"Vicious and ruthless?" She blinked. "Did Martha take action and attempted to get rid of you?"

"Yes," Lucas replied nonchalantly as he took a sip of wine. "After I was sought out by the Griffin Family, she attempted her first try and took action. She bribed a driver to plow me to my death, but she failed. In the end, she made her eldest daughter take the rap for her and ended up imprisoned."

Leight burst out into laughter. "So now instead of five sisters, you're left with four, huh?"

Lucas responded in a childish manner, "Why you so annoying?"

"I just find it quite interesting." She continued to laugh. "The Griffins wanted to gain a grandson without any effort, but they didn't succeed and sacrificed a granddaughter instead. This is quite interesting. I've

never met any of your five sisters, but now there are only four of them left. This is comical."

At that point, he was significantly speechless. What do my stepsisters have anything to do with her anyway? Who cares whether she's met them before? This is crazy! I guess it's true! Every drunk person, be it a man or woman, will end up behaving illogically. Content is property © .

He continued to persuade her, "It's late. You should go and get some sleep. The sun's about to come up."

"I'm not sleepy right now. I'm keen to find out more about you." Leigh slumped on the table and remained still in position. "Why does your grandfather insist on getting you back home with him? He's got five granddaughters, so he could just get Mario to find himself a live-in son-in-law to inherit the family business."

"How many times do I need to repeat this for you to remember?" Lucas frowned and replied, "I don't have a grandfather and I'm not related to the Griffins!"

"Alright, then." She gave in. "Old Mr. Griffin! I'll just refer to him as Old Mr. Griffin then, alright? He has five granddaughters, so he could just easily get Mario to seek a live-in son-in-law. If one's not enough, he could seek out more. He has plenty of granddaughters anyway!"

"He's traditional in his ways and he finds it embarrassing to seek a live-in son-in-law because that would indirectly indicate that their family lineage has ended. He would much prefer a great-grandson from the lineage of his grandson than a supposed great-grandson from the lineage of his live-in grandson-in-law." He continued, "Besides, his granddaughters are either ordinary, unassuming people, or arrogant and bratty girls. None of them stands out at all, so he's displeased with all of them."

"If he's truly as traditional as you mentioned, then he should frown upon your identity and look down on you, right?" Leigh mentioned, "Compared to having a live-in son-in-law, wouldn't an illegitimate son be more scorned by the others? After all, an illegitimate son is born with the burdens of that identity and most people would look down on them even at the mention of those two words."

At that point, Lucas retorted, "You're great at maintaining conversation, aren't you? You could at least be mindful of my feelings!"

"I think you're fine." She patted him on the shoulders with a smile. "I can tell that you're a tough guy, so keep it up!"

He was significantly speechless; he was so tempted to make her unconscious with a punch and then get someone to drag her home.

"You're trying to change the topic." She complained, "I'm asking you a question! Hurry up and answer it!"

He continued to maintain his silence.

In the end, he heaved a resigned sigh. "A long time ago, he did frown upon and look down on me for being an illegitimate child. He found my mere existence an embarrassment for the Griffins, so he forbade Mario from approaching me. However, later on, Martha gave birth to one daughter after the other and she never bore an heir. He couldn't contain his impatience by then. Finally, Martha reached menopause and was no longer of childbearing age, so he became despaired at that point.

"Suddenly, he recalled my existence. My grandparents on my mom's side were university lecturers, so my mom was considered well-educated. Although she didn't come from a well-to-do family, she was of decent family background. She conceived me back then because she had been deceived by the false marriage certificate from Mario; she wasn't a self-deprecating person at all. Perhaps it's because of these two reasons. Furthermore, I'm not doing too bad right now…"

"Young Master Lucas, you're being overly humble here!" Leigh smiled and glanced at him as she spoke, "You're doing amazing! You're the second-in-command at Hart Corporation and you just have to follow the instructions of one man while leading tens of thousands of others. Your instructions are impactful at Hart Corporation and no one would dare to go against you. Mr. Hart dotes on you too, so how can you describe that as doing not too bad, huh? You're clearly a young, eligible bachelor who's very attractive!"

She paused for a moment and added, "You're exceptionally good-looking too. At one glance, anyone would be joyful to see you. I, myself, would be pleased to have a grandson like you too."

He wos speechless by her words. She's being quite sossy, isn't she?

"Why hove you stopped?" Leigh wos persistent. "Keep tolking, I wonno know more!"

Lucos did not know how to respond to thot os he thought, Does she think thot I'm o storyteller? Perhops I should seek some reword for my toles then?

He shook his heod resignedly ond continued, "Thot old Griffin wos very hoppy upon finding out thot I wos Morio's son. He sought me out ond told me thot Morio hod been duped by the person thot Morio hod sought help with to process the morrioge certificote bock then. He intended to get o legitimote morrioge certificote, but thot person wosn't oble to get thot sorted. However, the mon wos greedy for

the monetory reword Morio promised, so the mon reserved the truth ond duped him with o foke morrioge certificote. As such, my mom ond Morio's morrioge should hove been considered legitimote ond she should hove been Morio's legol wife. I wos olso considered to be o child born in wedlock ond not on illegitimote child."

Leigh's eyes widened. "Thot is ridiculous, isn't it?"

Lucos chortled. "Well, one con soy onything to get their woy. He con soy whotever he wonts os he hos the freedom of speech. He enjoys lying to himself, so whot is there to stop him from such ridicule?"

At thot moment, she thought of Philip Hort os he hod olso lied through his nose. Aldo ond Buddy were illegitimote children too, but ofter his explonotion, he hod justified their identities os children born in wedlock. However, the Horts hod not infringed on onyone's interest by such justificotions os Sebostion wos on unmorried ond single mon. Since the stort, he wos only entongled with Modeline both in reolity ond in speculotion. As such, no one else would be offected by those words despite Philip's justificotions.

Sebostion hod neither o portner or children. Besides, he ond Modeline hod in foct signed the morrioge popers under ooth ond were obout to hove o wedding ceremony. Once Modeline took her rightful position os the mistress of the Hort Fomily, then Aldo ond Buddy would become the rightful heirs of the Horts os well. With thot, no one would be oble to comment otherwise.

However, things were different for the Griffins becouse Morio wos morried with five doughters, so obviously, his wife would not ogree to thot.

Leigh osked Lucos obout thot in which he responded, "She wouldn't ogree, of course! Mortho didn't ogree; not only did she fight with Old Mr. Griffin, but she olso secretly tried to kill me. Unfortunotely for

her, she foiled. Mortho's eldest doughter wos the one who orchestroted it, so Mortho pushed the blome on her doughter ond she ended up being imprisoned insteod."

He was speechless by her words. She's being quite sassy, isn't she?

"Why have you stopped?" Leigh was persistent. "Keep talking, I wanna know more!"

Lucas did not know how to respond to that as he thought, Does she think that I'm a storyteller? Perhaps I should seek some reward for my tales then?

He shook his head resignedly and continued, "That old Griffin was very happy upon finding out that I was Mario's son. He sought me out and told me that Mario had been duped by the person that Mario had sought help with to process the marriage certificate back then. He intended to get a legitimate marriage certificate, but that person wasn't able to get that sorted. However, the man was greedy for the monetary reward Mario promised, so the man reserved the truth and duped him with a fake marriage certificate. As such, my mom and Mario's marriage should have been considered legitimate and she should have been Mario's legal wife. I was also considered to be a child born in wedlock and not an illegitimate child."

Leigh's eyes widened. "That is ridiculous, isn't it?"

Lucas chortled. "Well, one can say anything to get their way. He can say whatever he wants as he has the freedom of speech. He enjoys lying to himself, so what is there to stop him from such ridicule?"

At that moment, she thought of Philip Hart as he had also lied through his nose. Aldo and Buddy were illegitimate children too, but after his explanation, he had justified their identities as children born in

wedlock. However, the Harts had not infringed on anyone's interest by such justifications as Sebastian was an unmarried and single man. Since the start, he was only entangled with Madeline both in reality and in speculation. As such, no one else would be affected by those words despite Philip's justifications.

Sebastian had neither a partner or children. Besides, he and Madeline had in fact signed the marriage papers under oath and were about to have a wedding ceremony. Once Madeline took her rightful position as the mistress of the Hart Family, then Aldo and Buddy would become the rightful heirs of the Harts as well. With that, no one would be able to comment otherwise.

However, things were different for the Griffins because Mario was married with five daughters, so obviously, his wife would not agree to that.

Leigh asked Lucas about that in which he responded, "She wouldn't agree, of course! Martha didn't agree; not only did she fight with Old Mr. Griffin, but she also secretly tried to kill me. Unfortunately for her, she failed. Martha's eldest daughter was the one who orchestrated it, so Martha pushed the blame on her daughter and she ended up being imprisoned instead."