He Watched Me Shine Without Him novel Chapter 73

Rose stopped, confused, her gaze fixed on Houston.

Vivian felt like she had just been dragged through a hurricane—now that it had passed, all that was left was a cold emptiness.

She had clearly heard Houston say a girl’s first time was something precious. Her face turned ghostly pale.

So men did care about a woman’s purity.

Her blind confidence shattered into dust by Houston’s words.

She yanked the curtain shut with a sudden motion, as if trying to block out every last one of her foolish dreams.

The world outside was vast and silent once more.

Clayrance Estate.

In the ultra-expensive city of Crestview, Clayrance Estate sprawled across an enormous stretch of land from the inner first ring all the way to the third ring on the city’s southern side.

Only one family could command that kind of territory in such a prime location: the Clarke family—Crestview’s undisputed apex predator, the richest of the rich.

The Clarke family patriarch was the founder of the globally renowned Clarke Group, and the cornerstone of this massive clan.

He had four sons: Noah, Gordon, Morton, and Jose. All four were savvy in business. But being born with silver spoons in their mouths, they each carried the signature flaws of privileged heirs.

Noah craved power. Gordon was a notorious womanizer. Morton worshipped money. Jose, somehow, had inherited all the worst traits of his brothers.

Because of their particular vices, each brother had stuck to his own interests and none was deemed suitable to take over the entire Clarke empire alone.

So the old man set his sights on the next generation. But the grandchildren were, if anything, even more disappointing—spoiled, lazy, addicted to luxury.

Except for one.

Houston, the eldest grandson, raised away from the main household, stood out as the polar opposite of the Clarke family mold. Every virtue they lacked, he possessed.

He was the embodiment of excellence.

The patriarch had seen this and quietly begun grooming Houston to be his successor. Over the years, he had gone to great lengths to pave the way, hoping the family would one day wholeheartedly accept Houston as the rightful heir.

The butler evaluated them one by one. “If we’re only judging the men, then Master Houston clearly outshines the rest. But birthdays like this require someone who can also manage household affairs. Unfortunately, Master Houston chose a wife from a humble background. I fear Miss Rose may not be used to this kind of grand occasion. She might not be able to handle it.”

“Now, Grant from the second household may be a womanizer, but he married a formidable woman from a noble family—smart, well-bred, and a true lady of the house.

“Leon from the third household spends money like water, but his wife’s a penny-pincher. If they were to host it together, they might balance each other out and surprise everyone.

“As for young Jeremy from the second household—he just got married and he’s still too young. I doubt he has the authority to lead such an event.”

The old man tapped his thigh rhythmically. “You’re right. Of the grandsons, Houston is the most talented. And among the granddaughters-in-law, Grant’s wife is the most capable. But this is my birthday. There’s no reason an outsider’s wife should bear the burden. I’ll leave it to Houston.”

The butler was taken aback and cautiously said, “Sir, while it’s true Houston would be in charge, the actual household matters would fall to his wife. If Miss Rose isn’t up to the task and something goes wrong at your birthday celebration, the fallout could be disastrous.”

A glimmer of cunning flashed in the old man’s eyes. “Houston won’t let her mess up.”

The butler suddenly understood. “Sir, are you using this as a test? To see if Mr. Houston truly loves Miss Rose?”

The old man nodded. “Exactly. I just can’t understand it. A man as proud as Houston—why would he humble himself to marry a woman he doesn’t love? I don’t believe it’s that simple.”