Chapter 4

Hayden looked David up and down carefully.

He stood 6.06 feet tall, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, looking quite distinguished.

What a shame he hadn't amounted to much!

With the backing of the Jones family, he was now just a security captain at some base in Sandbar.

Still, he was Jones family blood after all, and Nolan's eldest grandson at that.

A temporary setback didn't really matter.

Just as Hayden was about to welcome David inside, Aria stepped forward, her eyes falling on David's empty hands.

"Hayden truly lives up to being from a grand ducal family—coming to our Perez family empty-handed is enough to bring honor to our humble home!"

The grand duke Aria mentioned was the Jones family's title in America.

Above duke, marquis, earl, viscount, and baron was the grand duke.

The grand ducal title was second in prestige only to a king.

As for the Perez family, they had been granted a viscountcy thanks to Hayden's past achievements.

Even so, the Perez family held quite a high status in Seabrook.

Hearing this, David finally realized—coming to propose for the first time with empty hands was indeed rather rash of him.

"I came in such a hurry that I forgot to buy some good wine. Please forgive me," David said with an embarrassed smile.

He looked through the crowd but didn't see Elizabeth anywhere. Just as he was about to ask, Hayden smiled and said, "It's fine. Your grandfather and I have been through life and death together. Haven't seen you in years—didn't expect you'd grown so handsome. Come, sit inside."

Hayden didn't take such trivial matters to heart.

Right now, what concerned him most was whether he could make this marriage between Elizabeth and David happen.

Owen, Aria, and the others looked down on David.

They even felt Hayden's behavior was somewhat embarrassing.

Sure, the Jones family held a grand ducal title.

But David had long left the Jones family and hadn't had direct contact with them for years.

Forget inheriting the Jones family title—whether he'd even be recognized by the Jones family in the future was uncertain.

Yet now, Hayden was treating him like the Perez family's lifeline.

Elizabeth's mother, Ava Davis, followed beside Mason who was being pushed in his wheelchair by a servant, tears already filling her eyes, "Mason, are we really going to marry Elizabeth off to him? Coming here for the first time empty-handed—isn't that way too arrogant? So careless and irresponsible—won't Elizabeth suffer if she marries him?"

Mason looked down at his legs that had lost feeling years ago and sighed, "Father has already made his decision."

That long sigh contained not just a father's worry about his daughter's future, but also a compromise with reality.

David seemed perfectly at ease.

He followed Hayden and the others into the villa's living room.

As soon as he entered, David immediately fixed his gaze on Elizabeth, who sat in a corner of the living room, staring blankly at her computer.

After all these years, not only had Elizabeth matured quite a bit, but her figure had gotten even better.

Out of the corner of his eye, Hayden saw David staring at Elizabeth without blinking. He smiled slightly and called softly to Elizabeth, "Elizabeth, David is here."

Elizabeth didn't turn around, just answered quietly, "You all talk. I'm still waiting for a document."

Hayden looked somewhat embarrassed, "David, don't misunderstand—Elizabeth is now the group's CEO, very busy with work..."

As Hayden spoke, David had already walked up to Elizabeth. After glancing at her computer screen, he reached out his hand and smiled at Elizabeth, "Hello. It's been years—didn't expect you'd become even more beautiful!"

Elizabeth frowned and laughed coldly, "Not cheesy at all?"

David looked at his hand hanging in mid-air, "Actually, it is a bit cheesy."

The atmosphere in the room instantly became extremely awkward.

Hayden hadn't expected that what should have been a lively matchmaking scene would turn out like this.

Ava couldn't take it anymore, "David, I know you're the Jones family's eldest grandson, but coming here for a matchmaking, shouldn't you show some sincerity? Never mind how expensive the gifts are, but when you speak, can't you be more proper? In front of so many elders, talking so frivolously—isn't that going too far?"

Once Ava spoke up, everyone in the Perez family started talking.

Especially Aria and Quinn.

Their mouths were like machine guns, verbally attacking David.

"David, it's not that I look down on you, but you're in your twenties now. Born into the Jones family, even if you don't have a head for business, at the very least you should be making a name for yourself in politics or technology like the other Jones family descendants, right?"

"But you? Now you're just a security captain. Can't find a girlfriend, so you're relying on your grandfather's friendship with our Perez family, trying to marry Elizabeth."

"If I were you, I'd be too ashamed to show my face!"

Sandbar Penitentiary was classified as top secret in America.

Everyone at the base had the unified external title of security guard.

As the base's leader, David having "captain" added after that was perfectly reasonable.

Just as Aria finished speaking, Quinn continued sarcastically, "If you ask me, he just couldn't make it out there, so now he's trying to use his ancestors' achievements to come to our Perez family and marry Elizabeth, to get himself a great deal. After all, Elizabeth is now the CEO of the Perez Group."

The room was in an uproar.

Hayden's eyebrows furrowed.

Elizabeth's brows knitted together. Thinking about how Owen and the others had been constantly pushing her to go on blind dates before David came, plus the crisis the company was currently facing, feeling irritated and confused, Elizabeth stood up and first shouted loudly at everyone, "Everyone stop arguing!"

The room instantly fell silent.

David was also surprised—he hadn't expected that the seemingly gentle Elizabeth could be so captivating when angry.

"David, right? Listen carefully. In three days, bring your ID documents and we'll go register our marriage."

David's eyes filled with joy, very impressed with Elizabeth.

Decisive and efficient, never dragging things out—wasn't this exactly his type?

Before he could nod, Elizabeth spoke again, "If you agree, leave my house now and come find me in three days. If you don't agree, shake your head now and get lost immediately!"

Everyone present was dumbfounded.

David's heart leaped with joy—what a fiery temper indeed!

"Alright, I'll come find you in three days!"

With those words, David turned and left, "Mr. Hayden Perez, take care. See you in three days."

Hayden watched David's carefree departing figure, his mind blank.

"What just happened? The marriage was settled that quickly?"

Mason and Ava also looked at Elizabeth in disbelief.

But Elizabeth had already sat back down in her chair, looking at her computer screen again.

As for David, after leaving, he walked to his car. Laser opened the door with a smile, "Boss, did you like her?"

David got in the car and said with a smile, "Of course. Let's go check out the castle Josh gave me!"