Andrew chuckled. “Of course it’s necessary, Ms. Theron. It’s not like you haven’t seen old men in their 70s finding new love and marrying girls barely out of high school. Sure, Amari’s a little older, but who says he can’t get married? For all we know, he might even have a kid or two and keep the family line going.”

Elaine snorted. “Fine, what you said makes sense. At least you two have the qualifications and confidence to speak like this in front of me. However, which young lady in our family has Mr. Goodman set his sights on? The Reyes family’s women aren’t wildflowers by the roadside. You know that marrying one of our family’s daughters isn’t something just anyone can accomplish. Moreover, Mr. Goodman is indeed quite old.”

Andrew smiled. “That’s actually simple. A big age gap can be filled with true love. And as for where true love comes from, that’s easy too: money, power, and luxury. I’m sure you get what I mean.”

From behind the curtain came a faint, flustered sound, half scolding, half amused. “You’re just like your father, a shameless bastard. But then again, that’s the world we live in now. As long as there’s wealth and power, anything’s negotiable. Besides his age, Amari is indeed qualified to marry one of our ladies. I just didn’t expect that you’d be backing him up.”

“So tell me, which young lady of the Reyes family has Mr. Goodman, or rather you, set your sights on? We have hundreds of daughters, all of them beautiful. Not a single one is plain, and none of them is ordinary. So if you or Mr. Goodman want to win one of them over, it won’t be easy.”

Andrew smirked. “Whether it’s easy or not, we’ll find out later. For now, let me tell you which young lady Amari’s interested in. She’s got some talent, good looks, and a strong personality. Mostly, I picked her for him because she’s got nice hips, a good sign she can bear children.”

Elaine immediately cut him off, her voice sharp. “What nonsense! Watch your tone; I don’t like how you’re saying that. Just tell me who she is. If it were you asking for yourself, I wouldn’t even need to consult Finnegan, and you could have your pick. But for Mr. Goodman, that privilege takes a little discount. So don’t be too picky.”

Andrew grinned. “Fair enough. The lady in question is your very own Ms. Valerie Reyes. I heard she’s a major general in the military, so I’d say she’s a decent match for Amari.”

This time, there was no soft chuckle or teasing reply from behind the curtain, only dead silence. Then, after a long pause, Elaine’s voice burst out, dripping with disbelief and fury.

“Valerie? Do you even realize she’s Finnegan’s most beloved daughter? And did you just say that a major general like her is just a decent match for Mr. Goodman? Andrew, go look in a mirror and take a good look at yourself and Amari. You’re dreaming, ridiculous dreams at that. You want Valerie, the most beautiful woman in our family, to marry that old relic? Aren’t you reaching for something impossible?”

The sarcasm in her voice was razor-sharp. If she did not have a soft spot for Andrew, she probably would have ordered him thrown out on the spot. Now she was genuinely furious. She thought Andrew was delusional, utterly absurd.

After all, Valerie was not just any woman; even someone like Conrad, or an heir from another great house, would barely qualify to pursue her. Although Amari was an eighth-grade divine alchemist, matching him with Valerie was completely impossible.

In Elaine’s view, not even Andrew himself could dream of such a match, let alone Amari.