Chapter 87: Chapter 87: A Man Who Listens to His Wife Won’t Have Bad Luck
Lillian Donovan, who had been agonizing over how to tell her dear friend Joyce Lowe about the matter, brightened at the suggestion. She glanced at her sister-in-law, who gave her a nod, then excitedly grabbed Lucy Ingram’s hand.
"Don’t you dare say I don’t think of you when something good comes along. Our Serena’s skills are the real deal; not just anyone can get her help. It’s only because we’re so close that she’s willing to fit you in. Anyone else would have to wait in line."
Arabella was speechless. ’She’s exaggerating. I’m really not at the point where people have to line up to see me.’
Lucy Ingram was already tempted, and Lillian Donovan’s encouragement made her all the more curious. She looked up at her husband, her eyes full of expectation.
Liam Lowe sighed. With Lillian Donovan putting it like that, he had to go through the motions, if only for his wife’s sake.
"Then I’ll have to ask for your help, Miss Donovan."
Arabella Donovan gave a poised nod. Instead of immediately bringing up his daughter, she began to carefully study his face.
After a long moment, Arabella Donovan’s brow suddenly furrowed, her expression growing more and more serious.
Everyone saw the shift in Arabella Donovan’s expression. Lucy Ingram, having a fiery temperament, was the first to step forward and ask, "Miss Donovan, is something wrong with my husband?"
Arabella Donovan offered her a reassuring smile. "You and my aunt are good friends; please, call me Serena. From what I see in Mr. Lowe’s face, he appears to have recently run into some troublesome obstacles at work."
Liam Lowe raised an eyebrow, a half-smile playing on his lips. "I believe Mr. Rhodes just mentioned something to that effect."
"Liam." Even Lucy Ingram could tell he was deliberately trying to undermine her. She shot him a sharp glare, wordlessly telling him to shut his mouth.
Lillian Donovan couldn’t bear to see anyone doubt her precious niece. Besides, she knew Liam Lowe and his wife as well as she knew herself. Her expression turned cold, and she said in a biting, sarcastic tone, "It seems Mr. Lowe doesn’t think much of our Serena’s abilities. If that’s the case, we shouldn’t be a nuisance. The last thing we’d want is to put in a great deal of effort only for it to be unappreciated. That would be a terrible shame."
It has to be said, the people closest to you always know exactly how to push your buttons.
Sure enough, the moment Lillian Donovan finished speaking, Lucy Ingram instantly flew into a rage.
"Liam Lowe, if you don’t know how to speak, then just shut up! It’s not like anyone thinks you’re a mute!"
Liam Lowe was speechless.
Poor Mr. Lowe might dare to provoke Arabella Donovan, but he wouldn’t dare cross these two formidable women. To avoid sleeping in the study that night, he resolutely swallowed his pride and kept his mouth shut.
The corners of Arabella Donovan’s mouth twitched. It was taking all her effort not to laugh.
’A big-shot CEO like him is actually henpecked in private? Is this what people call an endearing contrast? Hahaha... Well, a man who listens to his wife can’t have luck that’s too bad. See? He was lucky enough to meet me.’
After warning her misbehaving husband, Lucy Ingram took a deep breath, gradually composing herself and resuming her warm, gentle demeanor as an elder.
However, her words still betrayed the domineering air of the family matriarch. "Serena, you go on, don’t mind him. And what’s all this ’Mr. Lowe’ business? Call him Uncle. For a man his age to be pulling rank and picking on a junior... doesn’t he have any shame?"
The so-called "rank-pulling" Mr. Lowe was, once again, speechless.
"Alright." An irrepressible smile graced Arabella Donovan’s features. "Uncle Lowe, your eyebrows press down on your eyes; they droop slightly and are unruly. Moreover, the area at your temples is slightly damaged and has a bluish tint. This is a sign of being plagued by villains."
"Plagued by villains?" Lucy Ingram’s expression faltered.
"That’s right. In physiognomy, the eyebrows are known as the Sibling Palace, or the Palace of Friends. From this area, you can discern one’s relationships not just with siblings, but also with friends, peers, and colleagues. Uncle Lowe’s eyebrows droop slightly and are unruly, while his ears are small and slightly bent outward. If I may be blunt, I suspect that in his daily dealings, Uncle Lowe isn’t as easygoing as he appears."
Arabella Donovan had phrased it diplomatically, but everyone present was exceptionally shrewd. How could they fail to grasp her unspoken meaning?
Lucy Ingram froze for a second, then, as if she’d just remembered something, she shot her husband a meaningful glance. Playing along, she asked, "So, what kind of person do you think your Uncle Lowe is in his daily affairs?"
"Astute and capable, resourceful, and handles matters with absolute ease. He’s the type to plan a hundred steps ahead to ensure nothing is left to chance. But at the same time, he’s ruthlessly decisive. Once he’s made up his mind, he won’t listen to another soul’s opinion—he’s dictatorial, stubborn, and arrogant."
The moment Arabella Donovan finished, before Liam Lowe even had a chance to speak, Lucy Ingram burst into applause. "Yes, yes, that’s it exactly! Spot on!"
This took Lillian Donovan by surprise. "Is he really like that? From what I’ve seen, he’s always so agreeable with you."
"That’s because you’ve all been fooled by him." Lucy Ingram rolled her eyes, feeling as though she finally had a way to vent years of frustration.
"He only *looks* easygoing. If you ever actually have a disagreement with him, you’ll be the one compromising nine times out of ten. You have no idea how many times I’ve fought with him over this through the years! And every time, that man is so quick to admit he’s wrong, but he does it again the very next time. He staunchly refuses to change!"
The more Lucy Ingram spoke, the angrier she got. That husband of hers, Liam Lowe, wasn’t just dictatorial, he was also silver-tongued. Whenever they had a difference of opinion, he would tirelessly wear her down, arguing his case from every possible angle.
Lucy Ingram wasn’t the most logical person and hated all the convoluted, long-winded lectures he’d deliver. Most of the time, his words would just make her head spin until she dazedly agreed with his point of view.
"It’s a terrible thing, having a stubborn husband who loves to lecture. Half the time, I suspect I married a second father." Saying this, Lucy Ingram reached out and grasped Arabella Donovan’s hand, appreciating the girl before her more than ever.
"In all these years, you’re the only one who’s ever seen through his act. Even my own daughter thinks I’m just being difficult when I get upset with him, but it’s clearly his fault!"
Listening to Lucy Ingram’s resentful tirade, Arabella Donovan couldn’t help but smile. "Mr. Lowe may have a strong personality, but he’s very clear-headed about important matters. Otherwise, Miss Ingram, you would never have put up with him for so many years."
Lucy Ingram froze. What Arabella Donovan said was true.
To put it bluntly, Liam Lowe was a morally ambiguous man. But he had his principles, his vulnerabilities, his scruples, and a human touch.
Even if he had some gray-area businesses that couldn’t see the light of day, he was still able to operate skillfully within the lines, never once making a fatal misstep.
The proof was that he bore no aura of blood or corruption. However, once you dabble in certain things, how easy is it to keep your own hands clean? The slightest misstep, and you become a target others are all too eager to eliminate.
For this very reason, no one in the Lowe family realized that murderous intent churned just beneath the tranquil surface. Danger had long been lurking right beside them.
"Besides, Miss Ingram, you just said that in your arguments over the years, you’re the one who compromises nine times out of ten. Well, what about that remaining one or two times?"
