SWNOVELS Chapter 4
Chapter 4 Master of the Bamford Family
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Chapter 4 Master of the Bamford Family
Hearing movement outside his door, Carlisle’s Grandpa called out from inside. “Carlisle, is that you?”
“Yes, I’m back. Would you like to rest?” Carlisle replied respectfully.
“No, come in.”
Carlisle pushed open the door and walked in, tugging on Helene’s hand and motioning for her to follow him.
Franco Bamford sat on the sofa, watching Carlisle and Helene walk inside his bedroom hand in hand. A relieved smile crept across his face as he took in the sight. He knew it was desperate at best to have asked Carlisle to suddenly get married. Franco had been diagnosed with terminal kidney cancer, and his doctor told him he only had about six months left.
His only hope was to see his only grandson get married and have children while he was still alive. It was his only wish.
At first, he was worried that this request would trouble his grandson in the future. After all, finding a bride on such short notice was sure to invite problems. But now that he had laid eyes on Helene, his only thought was that she was more beautiful than the pictures he had seen. She had a gentle and pleasant temperament, the type of woman to raise a proper family with. Imagining her standing at his grandson’s side filled him with joy.
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Then, Franco’s mind drifted to Carlisle’s previous partner, Sylvie. He couldn’t help worrying again. From what he knew about his grandson’s romantic life, Carlisle wasn’t one to appreciate a gentle and introverted girl like Helene.
He was simply too stable, too conformist. He preferred a lively and outgoing girl who could add some fun to his life. Sylvie could give him that. Perhaps the reason why Carlisle agreed to marry Helene, who was everything Sylvie wasn’t, was because he had truly given up. Perhaps the whole ordeal with Sylvie had rendered him emotionally absent, and he just wanted to settle down now.
This was what worried Franco most of all.
“You must be Helene,” Franco said warmly, waving for her to come closer.
Helene walked to the side of his bed and politely greeted him. “Hi, um… Grandpa. I hope you’re doing alright.”
Franco took out a check for $70,000 and handed it to Helene. As he placed it in her hands, he said, “Young lady, as Carlisle’s Grandpa, I only have one wish. I hope you will respect and love each other from now on. Find love with one another and nurture a relationship that will last a hundred years.”
As Helene took the check which would save her grandmother, she suddenly felt guilty.
“Thank you, Grandpa,” Carlisle said, prompting Helene to do the same.
Feeling even more embarrassed now, she quickly echoed, “Thank you, Grandpa. Carlisle and I will live a happy life together. Don’t worry.””
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Franco Bamford nodded in satisfaction and looked at his grandson again. Carlisle knew almost at once what the old man intended. He wanted to hear Carlisle make the same promise.
Carlisle didn’t speak for a long time, and as Helene looked at him, she caught the shadow of a mixture of conflict and emotion on his face. After a long time, he finally replied, “Don’t worry, Grandpa. I will take responsibility for Helene.”
There was certainly a better way to have phrased it. It sounded so forced when he talked about it as if it was a responsibility, almost as if he was pressured into it.
Regardless, with Carlisle’s promise, Franco was all the more relieved.
The two then returned to the room they would share. It had a relatively simple layout, but it was still grand. A king–sized bed, the frame made of polished wood, sat inside. Off to one side was a bright, clean balcony. And on the other side was a large walk–in closet. The sheets were practically brand new, and the blanket looked like it hadn’t been touched.
Though Helene didn’t have the money to shop, she still liked to browse around home furnishing stores and recognized the brand at once. They weren’t cheap, with a set costing hundreds of dollars. And they were new.
She wondered whether Carlisle enjoyed a more luxurious life. As she lost herself in her thoughts, she noticed him handing her a document. The title read “Prenuptial Agreement“.
Helene froze for a moment before taking the document in her hand. She didn’t know what he wanted her to do with it as he took her other hand and brought her to the bed. Guiding her
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to place it on the nightstand, he began to point out a few terms of the agreement.
“My Grandpa has already given you a check for $70,000 today. I’ll allow you to borrow another $70,000 before the end of this weekend. It’ll be sent to your account. Now that we’ve settled the money, I want you to know that my Grandpa was diagnosed with cancer. He only has half a year left, which is why I’ve asked you to take care of him for that long. I hope he can spend his last six months happily and in someone’s care. I need you to do this for me.”
Helene looked at the terms of the agreement which Carlisle had pointed to. One of these terms read, “During this marriage, the couple’s sexual lives do not have to be fulfilled. However, the two will present themselves as a loving couple to the public. This may include physical intimacy at times.”
“And there’s one more thing I’d like to bring to your attention.” Carlisle pointed to the last term in the document.
“After half a year, the two will divorce. The $70,000 offered at the start beginning of this marriage will be used to compensate the woman for her time.”
So this $70,000 wasn’t to buy her affection, but simply her time. Helene was surprised to read this, as she was already determined to spend her life with Carlisle if it meant saving her grandmother. Instead, she would be able to regain her freedom.
Seeing Helene’s unconcealable joy, Carlisle’s face became grim.
Then, he pointed to another clause that had been added to the agreement. “Before separating at the end of this contract,
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Helene Lopez must pay the money she borrowed in full. The marriage will continue until this debt is paid off.”
She looked at Carlisle warily. He seemed so afraid that she’d run off with his money, and he made great efforts to keep her from doing so. She supposed that she should have expected this level of detail from someone who worked in tech.
“Read over the agreement properly. If you don’t have any problems with the terms, you can sign it.”
Carlisle handed her a pen and patiently waited as Helene skimmed the agreement. He had already pointed out all the important terms. Their belongings wouldn’t be shared, either. Whatever they owned before the marriage would stay theirs after.
At first, Helene had assumed that they’d have to establish ground rules regarding their finances, but to her surprise, the agreement went above and beyond. Even after the two would split, all of her expenses would be paid for. She’d be able to walk away without even worrying about money.
Helene happily signed, which made Carlisle visibly relieved as he quickly put away the agreement.
Then, Matilda stopped by the room with Helene’s suitcase. She had also come to inform that Carlisle’s Grandpa had twisted his back as he tried to get up earlier and asked Carlisle
to check on him.
Carlisle and Helene hurried to the old man’s room, where Franco leaned awkwardly against the armrest of a sofa, not daring to move.
“Grandpa! Are you okay? I’ll call 911,” Carlisle exclaimed
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nervously.
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“Wait,” Helene stepped forward and gently pressed a few points on the old man’s waist as she gave him a quick diagnosis. If it was only a sprain, a trip to the ER wouldn’t be needed.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s late, and it’s not that severe. We’ll give him a hot compress and some ointment, and he’ll be better when he wakes up in the morning.”
Carlisle felt as though Helene’s advice was dubious, but at his Grandpa’s insistence, he relented. Helene took out some ointment that she had picked with her and began to give the
man a massage.
After a few precise movements and satisfying cracks, the old man let out a contented sigh. It was evident he was in much less pain now, which relieved Carlisle.
After Helene’s massage, Carlisle’s Grandpa was able to move immediately and became much more animated. He praised her for her expertise and grinned from ear to ear, knowing that his grandson had found a great woman.
“Helene, hurry up and ask Carlisle to have a child with you. If you give me a great–grandson, I’ll let you have the entire estate. How does that sound?”
Just then, Carlisle nearly choked on his own spit and died as he heard his Grandpa’s offer. He caught himself in the doorway and looked back incredulously.
“Grandpa, please… Let’s not talk about that stuff right now. Get some rest and go to bed early.”
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This estate was evaluated over a hundred million, and it would take a fool to not be aware of how valuable it was even if they didn’t know its exact market value. The temptation would be too great for anyone.
This entire interaction was giving Carlisle a headache.
Helene, however, was unfazed. She would be freed from this marriage in half a year, so she definitely wouldn’t be getting pregnant just because some stranger told her to.
The two returned to their room again, and Carlisle took out a card from his pocket. He handed it to Helene and explained, “This card is for the account that holds my wages. I want you to take it and use it to pay for any family expenses. That includes Matilda’s monthly salary. She makes about 1200.”
“That’s a lot of money to be shelling out,” Helene responded as she took the card.
“My aunt introduced us to her. She’s very capable and down- to–earth.”
“If I have this card, does that mean I can make some of the
decisions at home?”
“Of course, but you have to discuss anything important with me first.”
“What counts as important?”
Carlisle paused, not knowing how to answer.
“Okay, for example, is it a big deal to change to a cheaper nanny?” Helene asked, feeling as though they were paying way too much.
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“I don’t think so, but is 1200 that expensive?”
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“That’s a whole third of what you get paid every month. You don’t think that’s expensive?” Helene asked, looking at Carlisle in shock. The two just couldn’t see eye to eye when it came to money, apparently.
Carlisle frowned. He was almost tempted to say that he had paid more than that for a single shirt.
“If that’s how you feel, you can do whatever you want,” Carlisle finally said. Then, he walked into the closet for a change of clothes before walking to the bathroom.
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