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Chapter 1443
When Elbert learned the truth, he was shocked, and just as wild with rage. The Pines and the Laurences were
basically enemies, and now, thanks to Bernard’s meddling, they were awkwardly stitched together as relatives.
Who could swallow that bitter pill?
Elbert had been nursing dreams of vengeance, but old man Sheldon Pine put a stop to that real quick. “He’s family
now, son,” he warned, “and that’s the end of it. Unless some blind bat from the Laurence clan stabs us in the back,
you leave Bernard be.”
Of course, Sheldon was just looking out for the last scion of the Pine family. With Elbert’s hotheadedness, he didn’t
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtstand a chance against Bernard’s wits. So, the old man sweet-talked him into seeing reason.
His argument was a sly one, “It’s Bernard who should be squirming, not us. That boy has to call me ‘Uncle Sheldon’,
putting us a rung above the Laurence’s in this twisted family ladder.”
The moment Elbert realized he had the upper hand in this bizarre hierarchy, his eyes lit up, and he slapped his thigh
in excitement, shaking Sheldon’s arm. “Dad, you’re a genius!!”
Sheldon looked at Elbert’s goofy grin, shook his head, and playfully cuffed him on the ear before booting him out of
the house to cool off.
Elbert couldn’t wait to spread the news to his cousins in Chiang Rai. Stepping out of the airport, he practically
bumped into the very subjects of this mess. What were the odds?
In his glee, Elbert neglected one tiny detail. “Robin, Bernard’s gotta call your mom ‘Aunt’ and my dad ‘Uncle’! Isn’t
this family tree a hoot?”
He was laughing so hard he could barely stand, but the others in the car exchanged awkward glances. They all
knew what Elbert had forgotten – he too had to call Bernard ‘cousin’.
Nobody had the heart to burst his bubble until Elbert started ribbing Robin. “Hey, you’ll have to call Bernard
‘cousin’, too. Hilarious, right? He is now officially your family!”
Robin, barely managing to contain his annoyance while starting the car, fixed Elbert with a withering glare. “You
want to die laughing, or do you prefer dying a stranger’s death in a foreign land?”
Elbert quickly backed off, but muttered under his breath about Robin’s overreaction.
Robin smoothed his ruffled shirt, then coolly reminded Elbert, “I might have to call him ‘cousin’, but so do you. Pot
calling the kettle black, much?”
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmThe realization hit Elbert like a ton of bricks. He wasn’t the one with the upper hand over Bernard; Sheldon was. He
had totally forgotten his own place in the pecking order.
As the car grew quiet, Bernard finally spoke, his voice devoid of emotion, “Family ties are a mess, but I’m happy to
be your ‘cousin’, and my wife is more than willing to be your… ‘cousin-in-law”.”
Elbert had always adored Eleanor’s beauty and gentle nature, so the new title didn’t bother him. But Robin’s
expression soured at the title.
“Why so glum, my dear second cousin?” Elbert teased, quick to adapt to the new family roles. “Not thrilled about
your new cousin and cousin-in-law?”
Robin, having none of Elbert’s flippancy, asked coldly, “You want your mouth torn open, or prefer to take a dive out
of the car yourself?”
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