CHAPTER 330 A POWERFUL ALLIANCE

Chapter 330 A Powerful Alliance

As for Victoria's situation, it wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst either.

After all, it was his own flesh and blood daughter. Brandon was angry, but he didn't shut her out.

And with James there to smooth things over, at least the two could sit down at the same table and eat

together.

Still, Brandon wasn't budging over the contract and obviously wanted to put pressure on her again.

Victoria sighed over the phone. Natalia didn't know what else to say other than to take it slowly.

This was between a parent and child, and she was an outsider. There wasn't much she could do for

her.

Victoria didn't talk for too long with her. She hung up a few minutes later.

Natalia walked around for a while longer with Archie and went back.

The dumpling feast at night was boisterous and peaceful.

On a day like this, even someone as obtuse as Faye knew to rein it in without upsetting Ariana, so the

atmosphere was joyous overall.

Because they'd gone too late with the festivities, Natalia and Archie stayed the night at the old house.

Early the next morning, they were woken by a barrage of firecrackers.

They were in the city, which technically forbade letting firecrackers loose, but William just had to set

some off and smuggled in a couple small ones.

After all, they had to start things off with a bang.

Anne woke early. She was young but didn't frighten easily. Seeing the firecrackers go off, she wasn't

scared. She alternated between putting her hands on her ears and clapping as she laughed.

Having just gotten up, Natalia looked at the happy atmosphere at the side of the window, nudging the

drowsy man beside her. "It's time to get up, Archie. Look, Anne's already up."

Archie frowned, dissatisfied that they'd interrupt their beauty sleep this early. He reached out with a

long arm and dragged Natalia back in.

"If they're awake, they can have fun themselves. Sleep with me for a while longer."

Held in his arms, Natalia smiled exasperatedly. This was a special day. With that much noise, Ariana

had to be up already. They still had to pay their respects and couldn't get up too late.

So she reached out and tickled the man's armpit, urging, "Grandma and the others are up too. If you

sleep in, they'll laugh at you. Come on, up and at 'em."

Archie didn't reply and simply hugged her tighter.

He was always disciplined and stern with himself, and rarely slept in like this.

Natalia tried for a while and he still didn't budge. Knowing that he'd slept late last night, she couldn't : owner of this content.

bear to force him out, so she waited a while for him to fall asleep before carefully slipping out of his

grip, getting dressed, and heading out herself.

As expected, it was bustling inside the yard.

William was there playing around with Anne, and the Kawn and Nixon families had sent people over

too.

The families were used to visiting each other for the festivities. The people coming were young, but

they did bring a fresh bit of joy to the place.

Upon entering, Max first greeted the old lady and the old man, got his presents, then came in and saw

Natalia coming out. "Happy holidays, Natalia! Where's Archie?"

Natalia chuckled. "Still sleeping. Why are you here so early?"

"I come around at about this time every year so I'm used to it."

Natalia gave him a present she'd prepared, just to be polite.

Max didn't mind. He took it and went inside to find Archie.

From the Kawn family, on the other hand, Wilson and Selena had come around.

Probably because they knew that Natalia had a history with Jessica, no one was tasteless enough to

send Jessica over.

Natalia greeted Wilson first, then went to find Ariana.

At noon, the two families stayed for lunch.

After lunch, Max found an opportunity to whisper to Natalia, "I'll tell you a secret. You know Jessica

Dawson, who just went back to the Kawn family?"

Natalia looked at him, raising her eyebrows. "What?"

"I heard that last night, the Bissel family just sent someone over to the Kawn family and proposed a

marriage with none other than Jessica."

Natalia blinked.

Max winked, clearly basking in it a little.

"They're dead set on marrying up with the Kawn family. You have to hand it to the Bissels. The Kawns

just got her back and they immediately tried to snap her up before anyone else could. Who knows if the

one they've found is the real lady of the Kawn family? At the end of the day, with the old man dead and

all their eggs having been put in one basket, they'd have ended up with nothing. As for the Bissels'

youngest, it's a shame for the pure boy."

Natalia thought for a while, recalling the young man with the sunny disposition she'd come across on

her walk with Archie.

Jessica was marrying him?

Just thinking about it brought unpleasant chills down her back.

"Do they know about what Jessica's done?"

Speaking of that, Max's smile grew even more sinister.

"How would they not? The Dawson family affairs were all over the internet. Anyone who wanted to find

out just needed to look. There's no hiding it."

Natalia frowned.

"Then why are they letting the young man marry her?"

Max chortled.

"Why else? For children of a noble family, especially on the level of the four great families, the

individual doesn't matter. The family profits come first. As much as the young master doesn't like it, he

can't hold up against the pressure from his old man. No matter how fiercely he protests, he'll probably

have to compromise later on. Except for Archie, who in this generation isn't involved in all the tug-of-

wars of our families' interests?"

Max was uncharacteristically serious this time around. There was a hint of sadness to his voice.

He almost seemed like he felt sorry for the boy.

Natalia thought about it and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Don't get too down. I wouldn't say it about anyone else, but for someone who behaves like you do, no

family would dare marry off their daughter to you. After all, marriage is a double-edged sword. If you

get along, you make a powerful alliance, but if you break apart, you could end up as enemies. With that

many nice women outside and you basically as a huge pitfall, no one with a brain would jump towards

you, so relax!"

At her teasing, Max rolled his eyes, exasperated.

"I gossip with you out of the goodness of my heart, and this is what I get? Hmph, see if I spill anything

else next time around!"

With that, he crossed his arms and marched off, steaming.

Natalia grinned, but after a while, the grin began to fade.