The Heiress They Lost Came Back Overpowered
Chapter 19 - 18: Why Didn’t She Tell Me?

Chapter 19: Chapter 18: Why Didn’t She Tell Me?

Yvonne Lowell deftly sidestepped her, taking her mother’s hand instead. "It’s not heavy. Just a few desserts I wanted to bring for you all to try."

"Huh? From Prosperity Pavilion? Since when do they do takeout?" Charles Lowell asked, squinting at the logo on the wooden food box.

"Yup, I’m the exception. Come on, try these new items. They’re pretty good." Yvonne Lowell opened the lid and placed the desserts on the table.

"Prosperity Pavilion belongs to Nola, too?" Charles Lowell immediately guessed the meaning behind her words.

Yvonne Lowell speared two pieces of cake with a fork and popped them into her parents’ mouths. "Amazing! You guessed correctly. Your prize is... the permanent right to use the top floor of every Prosperity Pavilion branch, free of charge."

"Only for your dad? Nothing for your mom?" Wendy Sutton reached out and poked her on the forehead.

"Now you’re just maligning me! Of course everyone gets a share. I’m very fair!" Yvonne Lowell raised her hands in a gesture of surrender. "You two start eating. I’ll go get Third Brother."

With that, she dashed up the stairs.

"Slow down, don’t fall!" Wendy Sutton called out worriedly.

Once Yvonne Lowell’s figure disappeared from sight, the couple exchanged a look and shook their heads helplessly. Everything was understood without a word.

Yvonne Lowell knocked on Yancy Lowell’s door. "Third Brother, can I come in?"

"Come on in."

Pushing the door open, Yancy Lowell looked back. "What’s up, Nola?"

"I came to get you for dessert. What are you busy with?" Yvonne Lowell leaned over his desk and asked.

Yancy Lowell pushed a sheet of scratch paper toward her. "An assignment my advisor gave me."

"This step is wrong. That’s why you can’t solve it." Yvonne Lowell spotted the problem at a glance, pointing to one of the steps.

Yancy Lowell followed her finger, his eyes lighting up. ’She’s right!’ He’d been wondering why he couldn’t find a solution.

Once the error was found, the rest of the problem naturally fell into place.

"Nola, did you study math before?" Yancy Lowell asked, looking at her with pure admiration.

"Nope, I studied economics." ’And weapon manufacturing,’ she added silently.

’Economics? An economics major just schooled him, a math prodigy who got into university through the gifted program? How frustrating!’

"By the way, Third Brother, are you still planning to get your doctorate?"

Yancy Lowell smiled. "Of course. I want to try applying to Loster. If I don’t get in, it’s okay. I can stay at Aurelia Tech for my Ph.D."

"Loster? Is it for Spencer?" Hearing this, Yvonne Lowell immediately thought of that scruffy-bearded old man who wore slippers.

Yancy’s face filled with longing. "Yeah. The reason I started studying math was because of Professor Spencer. He’s the one who made me realize how fascinating of a subject it could be. Besides, I also want to go to the places you’ve been and walk the paths you’ve walked."

[Disclaimer: The author does not personally find math fascinating. This has nothing to do with me, I swear. *whimper*]

"Okay. You’re so brilliant, Third Brother, you’ll definitely get in. Let’s go. If we don’t go down now, Mom and Dad will eat everything." Yvonne Lowell pulled him to his feet.

Downstairs, Caleb Lowell, who had been working late, had also returned. After spending a little time with them, Yvonne Lowell went back to her room.

Seeing the "message sent" confirmation, Yvonne Lowell smiled silently. ’I’m just building a bridge for them. The rest depends on whether they both decide to walk across it.’

...

「Meanwhile.」

Leo Grant had just walked through his front door.

"Well, well, what’s our big CEO doing with free time today? You actually remembered to come back and check on us old folks left behind?" Mrs. Grant said sarcastically from her seat in the living room.

The other two men didn’t say a word, but their expressions conveyed the same sentiment.

Leo Grant felt a vein throb in his temple. "Grandpa, Mom, Dad, you all just got back from your trip a few days ago."

"Oh, so you *do* know it’s only been a few days?"

Leo Grant didn’t continue the topic. He placed the food box on the table. "I brought you all some desserts from Prosperity Pavilion."

"Prosperity Pavilion? You’re not trying to pull one over on us, are you? Prosperity Pavilion doesn’t do takeout, and their stuff is limited daily." Mr. Grant gave him a suspicious look.

"Why don’t you try them and see? The young lady from the Lowell family had them specially prepared. They’re all low-sugar, so Grandpa can have some too."

Old Master Grant pulled off his reading glasses and stared at him. "You’re talking about that girl the Lowells just found?"

Leo Grant nodded slightly. "Mhm. We had dinner together tonight. Prosperity Pavilion is hers."

"Oh, Wendy Sutton specially dropped off an invitation for me today. She said they’re holding a welcome-home banquet for Yvonne next Saturday at Lowell Manor. I can’t imagine how much that child must have suffered out there to achieve so much at such a young age." As Mrs. Grant spoke, her face filled with affection. ’How come other people get to have daughters? And such capable ones, too!’

"A welcome-home banquet? Why didn’t she tell me?" Leo Grant was momentarily stunned to hear this.

Mrs. Grant looked at him as if he were some strange creature. "Sonny, why would she need to tell you specifically? The invitation is for our whole family. By the way, don’t tell me you had dinner alone with the young lady tonight?"

"Mhm."

Mrs. Grant stepped forward to feel his forehead for a fever, but he dodged her. "You’re not my son, are you? My son is practically gynophobic. How could he possibly have dinner with a young woman? Who are you?"

Old Master Grant squinted at him for a long moment before speaking. "I never arranged a childhood betrothal between you two."

"So?"

"So don’t you dare go around using my name to get close to her. This old man can’t afford that kind of embarrassment." Old Master Grant picked up a dessert and ignored him.

Leo Grant: ...?

Recalling what the young woman had said at the dinner table, Leo Grant smiled. "We can drop the ’childhood’ part. A direct engagement wouldn’t be out of the question."

That one short sentence stunned all three members of the Grant family.

"Ahem, ahem." Mrs. Grant actually choked on his words, and Mr. Grant quickly patted her back.

Once she caught her breath, she said, "Sonny, don’t you dare say that in front of the young lady. She’ll definitely think you’re a pervert."

’A pervert? It does fit. Isn’t she a little pervert herself?’

Leo Grant stood up. "Alright, you all stop meddling. We’re just friends right now. I’m going upstairs to rest. Enjoy the desserts."

Leaving the three of them staring at each other, Mrs. Grant pouted. "Is he even up to the task? He’s as cold as a block of ice. His only hobbies are praying to Buddha and fiddling with prayer beads. How is he supposed to win a girl’s heart?"

The Grant family couldn’t figure it out. Although their family was small, the atmosphere was warm and harmonious, and they were all chatterboxes. But he had somehow developed a silent disposition, exuding a chilly aura at a moment’s notice. They didn’t expect him to be as humorous and talkative as others, but he didn’t have to be a mute either.

Mr. Grant rubbed his chin. "I think the fact that he said so many words today, and even cracked a joke, is already a miracle."

"Alright, why bother with him? He’s a grown man; he knows what he’s doing. If he can’t find a wife, that’s his own problem. But I have to say, these are really delicious." Old Master Grant calmly picked up another dessert.

"Hey, Dad, save some for me!"

"You’ve already had two of this kind! I haven’t even tried it yet!"

"Don’t you know how to respect your elders? Are you two trying to rebel against me!?"

"And why don’t you care for the young?"

"Grant, if you fight me for this again, you’re sleeping in the study tonight!"

"I don’t think a night or two is a big deal. I can always sleep in the guest room."

...