Chapter 7: Family Ties

"Mom, Julie, I'm home!" Joshua pushed open the door and called out loudly. "Mom, did you hear that? It's Joshua! Joshua's back!" Julie was overjoyed. She ran toward the front door, with Madeline following close behind. They had feared that Joshua might never return, so hearing his voice was enough to make her emotional. "Joshua!" Before Joshua could react, Julie threw herself into his arms. He shook his head with a smile, feeling a wave of warmth in his heart. She had always been like this since they were kids. No matter how reckless he had been in the past, he had always doted on his sister. He was determined to protect the people he loved. "Joshua, you've returned!" Madeline's eyes turned red as she took in the sight of her son, safe and sound. "Mom, why are you crying? You should be happy that I'm back. Come here, hug me!" Joshua chuckled and pulled Madeline into his arms. He knew that his past had caused endless trouble for the Yale Family. His father, the family's third son, had never been favored by his grandfather. Joshua had also offended the powerful Lashbrook Family, dragging the Yale family into a crisis. And now, with the Miller Family breaking off his engagement, the humiliation continued. His grandfather and his uncles were likely scolding his father again. Joshua's father was the deputy mayor of Habersham—not a high-ranking official, but respectable enough. After years of navigating the political world, he was experienced but had never climbed higher. Part of the reason was that the Yale Family lost much of its influence after Joshua's grandfather stepped down. But the bigger problem was that the Lashbrook Family held far more power. No one wanted to risk offending them to help the Yale family. Joshua knew he owed his family too much. He didn't want his parents and Julie to suffer anymore, so he kept his smile bright, determined to make up for everything. "Joshua, let me take a look at you. Are you hurt? Have you lost weight?" Madeline asked anxiously, inspecting him from head to toe. "Mom, I'm fine. Come on, let's go." Joshua patted her shoulder reassuringly. "Go? Go where?" Julie asked, puzzled. "Yeah, where are we going?" Madeline echoed, just as confused. Joshua glanced at both of them, then casually tossed his military backpack onto the couch. With a smile, he announced, "I'm officially discharged from the army. From now on, I'll stay home and spend time with you. But first, we're heading to the Yale Residence." Madeline's heart swelled with relief. When Joshua had insisted on enlisting, she had been strongly against it. After he had nearly gotten into serious trouble, her worries only grew. Now that he had chosen to return, she could finally stop living in constant fear. "Joshua, if we have to move, then we'll move. If it comes down to it, we can leave Regalburg and start fresh somewhere else, as long as we're together," Julie said earnestly, her face full of determination. "Joshua, let your dad handle the Miller Family situation. We don't have to get involved. You must be hungry. I'll make your favorite spaghetti," Madeline added, smiling through tears. "Mom, this is my issue to deal with. I want to handle it myself," Joshua said firmly. Madeline froze for a moment. Joshua had always been reckless, getting into trouble and hiding behind his parents to clean up his messes. But now, he was standing up and taking responsibility for the first time. She gave him a strange look, then touched his forehead. "Joshua, are you feeling okay?" "Joshua, what's gotten into you?" Julie asked, just as bewildered. Joshua was speechless. So this is what he got for finally acting like an adult? His mom and sister were looking at him as if he were an alien. "Come on, let's go to Yale Residence. I'll take care of my problems," he said, grabbing Julie and Madeline's hands and leading them out of the house. "Joshua, you—" "Mom, for twenty years, I've been nothing but trouble. But from now on, I'm going to be the one holding this family together," Joshua interrupted, his tone serious. Julie and Madeline were stunned. In their eyes, Joshua had always been reckless and irresponsible. But now, he had truly grown up. Madeline nearly burst into tears again. But seeing the determined smile on her son's face, she held back. Joshua had finally matured. That was the greatest comfort a mother could ask for. On the way to Yale Residence, Joshua barely brushed off Julie and Madeline with various excuses. Otherwise, they would have kept pressing him for details about his military time and changes. When they arrived at Yale Residence, Joshua led Julie and Madeline through the grand doors and stepped inside. Seated in the hall were his father, Jaylen Yale, his grandfather, Ian Yale, and his uncles, Travis Yale and Chandler Yale. There was also another man Joshua didn't recognize, but judging by his lively conversation with Ian, it was clear that this person held a significant status. "Dad!" Joshua called out to Jaylen and walked straight toward him, completely ignoring everyone else in the room. Jaylen was visibly relieved to see his son return safely. As long as Joshua was unharmed, that was all that mattered. However, with guests present, he had to suppress his emotions to maintain the decorum of the Yale Family. Meanwhile, Ian, Travis, and Chandler were all stunned to see Joshua alive. Based on the reports, the seven elite soldiers sent on the mission had walked into an ambush, and survival was deemed impossible. Because of this, the Miller Family, who had long wanted to annul the engagement, had rushed over in fear of any complications arising. "Joshua is back? That's wonderful news! Mr. Ian, I truly apologize. The Miller family is at fault for pushing to break off the engagement, but we had no choice. My daughter, Megan, is quite headstrong and spoiled by me. I hope you can understand." Nathaniel Miller, seated in the VIP section of the hall, was the speaker. The Miller family was a second-tier family in Regalburg, not the type to align themselves with a third-tier family like the Yales. However, after multiple negotiations between Ian and the head of the Miller family, an agreement had been reached to strengthen both families through marriage. However, after Joshua was accused of spying on Abby Lashbrook, the Miller family repeatedly requested to annul the engagement. Ian had managed to convince them otherwise, insisting it was a misunderstanding. Although Ian no longer held power in the family, he couldn't bear to see the Yale Family decline, and he had hoped this alliance would bring prosperity. Yet now, with Nathaniel coming to demand the annulment, it was becoming difficult to refuse. Before arriving, Nathaniel had already received instructions from his father: the Yale Family was declining, and while no one wielded significant power anymore, ruining a relationship wasn't wise in a city like Regalburg. The best approach was to find a reasonable excuse to end the engagement without offending anyone. Their chosen excuse had been Joshua's uncertain fate, and Megan had found someone else. Now that Joshua had returned, Nathaniel swiftly abandoned that excuse and instead brought up Megan's supposed new love interest. "Mr. Quiney, half a year ago, when our families arranged this marriage, we even exchanged betrothal gifts. Now the Miller family wants to go back on its word. What do you take the Yale Family for?" Jaylen demanded, clearly angered on Joshua's behalf. "No need to be upset. This was truly out of necessity. Houston family's young master, Ramon, and my daughter, Megan, fell in love at first sight. We parents can't stand in the way of young love, can we?" Nathaniel said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. Madeline was furious when she heard this. It was an obvious excuse—the Miller family now looked down on the Yale Family and wanted to cut ties. The talk of young love and parental understanding was nonsense. In Regalburg's elite circles, marriages were political tools meant to solidify alliances and elevate family status. The children involved rarely had a say in the matter. Seeing Madeline about to argue, Jaylen quickly stood up. He didn't want his wife to get dragged into this. The Lashbrook Family scandal had already put Ian, Travis, and Chandler at odds with his family. If Madeline had started a scene now, it would have only invited more blame. More importantly, he didn't want her to suffer any humiliation. "Mr. Quiney—" "Jaylen," Nathaniel interrupted, not giving Jaylen a chance to speak. "The Miller family acknowledges its mistake in handling the engagement. To make up for it, I've spoken with my father, and we will secure the position of Habersham's mayor for you next year when the current mayor steps down." Ian, Travis, and Chandler's eyes lit up at that. Jumping from deputy mayor to mayor was a significant promotion they hadn't expected. "I'm not interested," Jaylen said firmly. "I just want a fair explanation for my son." Nathaniel chuckled awkwardly. "Mr. Ian, we are in the wrong here. To express our sincerity, my father has also transferred half of Oceancrown Group's shares to the Yale Family." Joshua stretched lazily before the Yale Family members could respond and stood up. He smirked and said, "Since the Miller family is so generous, it's a deal. First, my father's appointment as mayor must go through. Second, I want half of Oceancrown Group's shares in my name. If you can't deliver, the Miller family will be humiliated, and I don't think you can afford that embarrassment, can you?"