Lawrence Winters finished speaking and shook his head regretfully, "...I hope you didn’t lend him any money."
Actually, everyone could imagine that a man who could transform a Beijing Jeep into a Mercedes G-Class certainly wouldn’t just deceive for beauty when cheating women.
He might even be after money.
Gabrielle Winters’ face suddenly lost all color.
Lucy Winters blinked, took a long time to recover, and immediately turned to snap at Lawrence Winters: "You’re talking nonsense! That’s clearly a Mercedes G-Class!"
At that moment, Nick Zeller walked over to stand beside Lawrence Winters and said coldly to Lucy Winters: "Second Sister, I saw that car with my own eyes just now, and I don’t need to compare photos to know that it’s not a Mercedes G-Class. Your big brother, who’s traveled around offering feng shui insights, has seen the world. You wouldn’t even doubt your big brother, would you?"
"Besides, Lawrence learned from me. I’ve taught her to identify luxury car details, from top-end Ferraris and Lamborghinis to domestic Hongqi sedans."
"It’s understandable that you’ve only seen a few cars and got fooled by a modified Beijing Jeep. But you shouldn’t underestimate Lawrence’s knowledge of cars."
Nick Zeller never hid his favoritism towards Lawrence Winters in front of his relatives.
Aunt Lillian Winters was originally pleased to see Lucy Winters and her disliked daughter Gabrielle get put in their place. But seeing Nick Zeller openly favor Lawrence, she was annoyed again.
Unable to confront Nick Zeller directly, she had no choice but to vent her frustrations on her second sister Lucy Winters’ family.
She gave Gabrielle a mocking look and said with a smile, "Second sister, your daughter’s name might be Gabrielle, but do you really think she’s as precious as gold?"
Then she gestured towards Lawrence Winters, saying, "Second sister, just look at Lawrence. Even without dressing up, she’s a hundred times prettier than your daughter Gabrielle!"
Lawrence Winters, who was watching the drama unfold, was innocently dragged into the fray and immediately responded, "Aunt, you’re arguing with Second Aunt, don’t bring me into it! Did I provoke you? What’s the deal with using me as a shield?"
Lillian Winters was used to jabbing people with her words but wouldn’t accept the same treatment for herself.
Pricked by Lawrence’s words, she immediately wanted to jump up and scold her: "Lawrence, can you butt in when your elders are talking?"
She quickly turned the topic to Gabrielle Winters: "Big sister, is this how you’re raising your child? Teaching her to be so disrespectful and lacking decorum towards her elders!"
"I’ve always said, a child without a father just can’t turn out right!"
"Look at you, back then you were the prettiest and smartest among the three sisters, went to a prestigious university, yet you divorced so early. A child growing up without a father is just ill-mannered..."
Gabrielle Winters’ expression changed, she stood up sharply and raised her arm, delivering a slap to Lillian Winters’ face.
Lillian Winters’ neck was almost wrenched out of place, holding her face in pain, tears almost welling up, she looked at Gabrielle incredulously: "Sis, you actually hit me?!"
"I’m your eldest sister, you spoke rudely and showed no respect, spouting nonsense, can’t I hit you?" Gabrielle Winters, standing in front of Lawrence, protected her like a mother hen with her chick, said word by word: "Our Lawrence definitely has a father. Although I’m divorced, Lawrence hasn’t severed ties with her father!"
"Unlike you, your husband has countless mistresses outside, putting countless ’green hats’ on your head, and you dare not even say a word, just pretending to be blind. If I were you, I’d take a rope and strangle your husband, then strangle myself!"
Lillian Winters’ husband, Max Wells, turned pale and red with embarrassment, and complained, "Big sister, why involve me in your argument with Lillian? Wanting to strangle me, what does that mean?"
Gabrielle Winters couldn’t even be bothered to look at him, let alone answer.
Nick Zeller coughed heavily and said coldly, "Do you all not respect me as your big brother anymore?"
He first scolded Lucy Winters: "Second sister, you’re still so sharp-tongued. Martin Saunders treats you with all his heart, yet you either hit or scold him at the slightest provocation. Do you think it brings glory to our Winters Family for others to say we’re ill-mannered?"
He then reproached Lillian Winters: "Little sister, you’re even worse. Our Lawrence didn’t have a father growing up, but she had me, her uncle! I’ve been carefully educating and nurturing her from a young age, being far more concerned than your husband, who’s only interested in indulgence. — Look at your son, twelve years old, can’t stand or sit properly! I hear his grades are terrible, will he even make it to high school or college? In what way does he outperform our Lawrence?"
Lucy Winters was red-faced from anger, resenting Nick Zeller’s favoritism, she immediately protested: "Big brother, do you still remember that Lillian and I are your real sisters? And do you remember that Gabrielle and Connor Wells are your niece and nephew?"
"Do you have to be so absurdly biased?!"
"I’m biased?" Nick Zeller sneered, "When you and little sister got married, I paid the down payment for your houses, didn’t I? And now you say I’m biased? Fine, give me back the money I paid for the down payments!"
Lucy Winters certainly wouldn’t agree, she immediately said: "Big brother, the down payment from over ten years ago wasn’t much money, you’ve earned so much, bought Lawrence and big sister such a big house, have we ever said a word?"
"What are you trying to say? Go ahead and say it! What do you want to say?!" Nick Zeller, frustrated, kicked away the purple-brown high-backed chair in front of him, his voice booming with echoes in the private room.
"I, Nick Zeller, use the money I earn with my skills as I see fit!"
"I’m neither your father nor your grandfather, just an elder brother, am I obligated to support you?!"
Lucy Winters, nearly forty, was on the verge of tears from Nick Zeller’s reprimands.
Gabrielle was petrified, shrinking to the side, not daring to make a sound.
Only Martin Saunders, seeing his wife being scolded so harshly, was brave enough to approach, put his arm around her shoulders, and stiffly apologized to Nick Zeller: "Big... big brother, it was Lillian who was wrong, I apologize on her behalf. Our Lillian really means no harm, just her words aren’t pleasant..."
Nick Zeller snorted, giving some face to Martin Saunders, he crossed his arms and sternly said, "You too, married to her for so many years, with a daughter already sixteen or seventeen, yet you let her speak irresponsibly outside. — Offending people without even realizing it!"
"Big brother is right, I’ll try to persuade her more in the future." Martin Saunders quickly pulled Lucy Winters to a spot further away from Nick Zeller, avoiding his direct ire.
Lillian Winters and Max Wells had also been scolded into submission earlier, but both were shrewd enough not to argue directly with Nick Zeller.
After Nick Zeller calmed down a bit, and once the restaurant started serving dishes, the couple strategically occupied the positions beside Nick Zeller, then had Connor Wells sit right next to Nick Zeller.
Gabrielle Winters and Lawrence Winters were left to sit opposite Nick Zeller.
The Saunders family sat together.
Fortunately, the table was large and round, with an automatic rotating platform, so it didn’t affect anyone’s ability to eat.
Nick Zeller originally wanted to lose his temper and flip the table, but Gabrielle Winters had texted him to keep it together and at least finish the New Year’s Eve dinner first.
Nick Zeller had no choice but to curb his temper, taking out his own liquor and having Lawrence pour drinks for everyone.
Max Wells exclaimed in surprise when he saw it: "Moutai! Big brother, where did you get Moutai?! It must be the real deal, right?"
Lillian Winters proudly said: "With my big brother’s stature, how could he possibly drink fake Moutai, right?"
Nick Zeller smiled and said, "A client gifted it to me. They’re planning to build a holiday village in the Southwestern Region, so I went to take a look."
"Great Heavenly Master Zhang is truly renowned now!" Max Wells eagerly accepted the Moutai from Lawrence, warmly suggesting: "Let me do it, Lawrence, sit down and enjoy your meal and drink, and chat with Connor Wells. He really admires you and always says he wants to live with you, Sister Lawrence."
"Yes, yes..." Lillian Winters quickly chimed in, beaming at Lawrence: "Lawrence, you’re doing well in your studies and don’t need to attend classes daily to enter a good university, could you help our Connor with his lessons?"
"He’s our Winters Family’s only male heir, right, big brother?" Lillian aimed her last statement at Nick Zeller.
Lawrence passed the bottle of Moutai to Uncle Max and sat down, just grabbing a golden-fried lotus root to eat, when Lillian’s words made her splutter.
Wiping her mouth with a napkin in surprise, she asked, "Aunt, since when did Connor become the Winters Family’s only male heir? His last name is Wells, not Winters!"
"Lawrence, you don’t have the Winters surname either..." Lillian chuckled, beckoning with her well-maintained hands, "Our Connor could also change his surname..."
She eagerly looked at Nick Zeller and actively proposed, "Big brother, our Connor is both smart and filial. As long as you agree, I’ll immediately change his surname to Winters and adopt him to you, so our Winters Family won’t be without a successor!"