Kiera stated, “If I get together with Julian, I can move out after marriage and avoid my parents-in-law.”

After a moment of silence, Mrs. Caron responded, “If his mother doesn’t accept you, even if you don’t live together, it would be easy for her to find fault with you and undermine your relationship. Can’t he cut ties with his biological mother for your sake?”

Kiera fell silent. After some time, she sighed and said, “Mom, are you suggesting that I shouldn’t accept Julian? I had thought this through initially, but now I’m feeling confused again. I don’t know what to do. I think it would be better to live alone. At least then, I wouldn’t have to navigate complicated interpersonal dynamics.

My temperament isn’t suited for dealing with narrow-minded individuals. I’ve heard that mothers-in-law from wealthy families can be particularly difficult. There are few who are as understanding as Serenity and Jasmine’s mother-in-law. Serenity shared that when she first started dating Zachary, his mother couldn’t fully accept her.”

“However, her mother-in-law has never acted against her or harmed their marriage. When others gossip about Serenity, her mother-in-law defends her publicly and reprimands the gossips, showing that she is both elegant and well-mannered, yet fierce when it comes to protecting her family.

They don’t spend much time together, but Serenity holds great respect for her in-laws. I believe there are relatively few mothers-in-law like that.”

Mrs. Caron replied, “You haven’t met Julian’s parents yet; how can you be sure they won’t like you? You need to meet them first.”

Kiera countered, “But I’m afraid that if I fall for him and we become involved, his parents won’t accept me and will try to keep us apart. Wouldn’t that be extremely difficult?”

“Painful? In this situation, it might be better not to pursue any developments and simply maintain the current status quo, as we are now. This way, we can remain brothers and friends,” he said.

Mrs. Caron remained silent.

“Auntie, are you home?”

As Mrs. Caron struggled to find words, she and her daughter heard someone calling from downstairs; the voice sounded like Julian’s.

Kiera, who had been calm, found herself feeling conflicted again due to her mother’s earlier words. When she heard Julian’s voice, she wasn’t sure how to face him, so she said to her mother, “Mom, it sounds like Julian is back. Please go and see him, but don’t tell him I’m upstairs. I’m not ready to confront him yet.”

Mrs. Caron replied, “Don’t overthink it; let things unfold naturally. Perhaps Julian’s parents will like you very much.”

After comforting Kiera, Mrs. Caron got up and went downstairs. Julian was still calling out, and upon entering the kitchen, he noticed the dishes had been washed and the hot pot soup base was ready, but Mrs. Caron was nowhere to be found.

“Julian, I went upstairs to gather some clothes. You’re back early today; usually, you come home around seven or eight,” Mrs. Caron said as she descended the stairs.

“It’s snowing now and getting late. Why haven’t Kiera and her brothers returned? Don’t you have social obligations?” she added.

“I’ll finish my work during the day and let others handle socializing. Brother Cheng and the others will be back soon. Auntie, isn’t Kiera home yet?” Julian asked, eager to find her.

Kendrick advised him against searching for Kiera and encouraged her to take her time.

He refrained from pursuing Kiera and returned to the Caron household to lend a hand.

Mrs. Caron prepared dinner. After assessing the situation in the kitchen, she realized she didn’t need his help.

Where did Kiera go?

When it snows, where will she go?

Kiera didn’t have any close friends and had very few female acquaintances. The only people she could converse with were her older brothers and a few older sisters.

Julian was emotionally attached to Kiera.

“I’m not sure if she’s back. Don’t you usually go to the martial arts gym first after work? Didn’t you see her there?”

Mrs. Caron lied, her face turning red and her breath becoming shallow. The answer she provided to Julian was not definitive. After all, she had just gone upstairs to gather her clothes. She couldn’t understand why it was unusual for her daughter not to come home.