Chapter 851 Toby’s Concerns
Jean’s voice turned shrill at the mention of Sonia. Toby was nearing the stairway when he heard her, sensing the disgust in her words. He narrowed his eyes as he halted at the stairway. Then, he turned around to Jean.
Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the sulky look on his face. Attempting to explain herself, she muttered, “Toby… I…”
“Mom, as I have told you before, I won’t force you to like Sonia. After all, everyone has their own preference. However, please don’t make it evident in front of me because it upsets me. She is my girl, and I am not going to let anyone look down on her. Not even you. Do you understand?” He gave her a stern glare.
Jean lowered her head and replied sheepishly, “I understand.”
“Of course, you understand, but your actions show otherwise,” Toby remarked. “There is no blood feud between the two of you. What good is it for you to despise her so much?”
Jean’s lips parted, but she quickly forced them back together. She couldn’t say anything back to him.
Of course, Jean knew that picking on Sonia would be foolish. It was just that she had been embarrassed by Sonia publicly several times. She had lost all respect, and all she wanted was to be respected as an older person. Because of that, she held a grudge in her heart. That was why she hated Sonia. Therefore, every time she saw or mentioned Sonia, she subconsciously became spiteful.
When Toby saw Jean’s silence, he realized the topic had come to an end. He rubbed his temple and sighed as he said, “Anyway, please keep the promise that you will not pick on her anymore.”
“I held my promise. I didn’t do anything to her physically. I just wanted to say something,” Jean mumbled. If she wanted to take action against Sonia, she would have done so already. She wouldn’t have been holding back if it weren’t for Toby.
What’s more, she had not forgotten what Toby had said before. If she took action against Sonia, he would choose Sonia over her and send her away to the other properties of the Fuller Family. In fact, it implied a disguised expulsion from the Fuller Family. She certainly wouldn’t want to rock the boat and go against Sonia unnecessarily.
“Don’t even say anything bad about her.” Toby had no idea what was going through Jean’s head, but he couldn’t care less. “I adore her so much that I can’t even raise my voice to her. That is why I will not tolerate others speaking ill of her. Regardless, you can ignore her, as she will not be living with you,” he added.
Jean wasn’t happy to hear that, but all she could do was nod. In the end, Toby was satisfied by her response and proceeded upstairs.
After he went upstairs, Jean stood there for a long moment. Then, she stomped her feet with annoyance on her face before returning to the couch. Before long, Toby came down with a jewelry box in his hand.
She immediately got up from the couch and strode to him as she saw the jewelry box. “Toby, what jewelry have you chosen for her?” she asked with curiosity.
“A sapphire jewelry set,” Toby added as he opened and showed her the jewelry box.
Jean couldn’t take her eyes off the sapphire jewelry set. In wonderment, she reached her hand out as she couldn’t resist touching them. As soon as Toby realized her intention, he immediately closed the box, stopping her from gazing and feeling the jewelry.
There is no way I will give the jewelry that was touched by others to my Little Leaf. Not to mention that the person who wants to touch it is someone she dislikes.
Jean had not anticipated Toby closing the box so quickly. Her expression froze for a while before she could react. Soon, she asked incredulously, “Why did you close the box, Toby?”
He did not respond to her question. “It’s getting late. I should go now,” he said as he put the box away and prepared to leave.
Just then, Jean pulled his arm and said, “Wait a second, Toby. Why are you giving her jewelry all of a sudden? Don’t you think it is too valuable to give as a gift?” She acted like she was concerned about him.
Toby pressed his lips down as he frowned, and Jean was back to her old self again. Although she did not specifically mention Sonia, he was able to read between the lines. Mom doesn’t want me to give the jewelry set to Sonia.
He just couldn’t figure out why his mom had a problem with Sonia.
Jean had never liked Sonia in the past six years. She did not want him to marry a lower-class woman because not only did it not bring him any business support, but it also made him a joke in the social circle.
But he had also made it clear to her that he did not care whether his wife would bring him any benefits. He had the ability to expand the Fuller Group financially. As long as he remained in power, others would not dare to mock his wife’s social status.
He knew Jean was certain that he could do so. Nonetheless, she was still unable to get along with Sonia. He couldn’t understand it, but he was not bothered by it. It no longer mattered because he and Sonia would not live in the Fuller Residence with Jean.
“Why not?” Toby replied. “This jewelry set was meant as a gift from my birth mother to my wife. Sonia will be her daughter-in-law again, so there’s nothing wrong with giving it to her,” he looked at her and said.
Jean remained silent. What else could she say when his attitude was firm and undeniable? Even if she was unwilling to give the jewelry set to Sonia, she could not convince Toby to do so.
In the end, Jean stopped persuading him. So, Toby ended the conversation, walked toward the main door, and left Fuller Residence.
It was already past nine o’clock at night when he arrived at the Bayside Residence. When Toby opened the door and entered Sonia’s apartment, he instinctively felt something wrong with the atmosphere.
He frowned first, then walked gingerly toward the living room with light steps. The lights were on, and he found Sonia sitting on the couch with her head slightly bowed, seemingly in a daze.
Toby’s heart sank because he could tell from her body language that she looked intense, and the air around her exuded anxiety.
What made her so tense? Why is she so anxious? Did something happen to her while I was away?
He put away the jewelry box on any surface that he could find and sprinted toward her. “Little Leaf!” he called out her name in a deep tone, looking worried.
When Sonia heard his voice, she raised her head and turned toward him. The moment she saw him, she seemed frightened and startled. She lowered her gaze as she forced a smile on her face. “Hey. You’re here,” she murmured in her hoarse voice.
Toby did not respond. Instead, he pursed his thin lips and continued to walk closer to her till he was at her side. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?” he asked in a soothing tone as he looked down and fixed his gaze on her.
His words were full of concern and worry, and they relieved all the tensions she was carrying in her chest. Her lips trembled as she could no longer hold her emotions together. At once, she stood up and let herself fall into his arms. Her hands wrapped around his waist, and she buried her face in his chest.
Toby could sense her helplessness, and it made his heart sink deeper. He placed one hand around her waist and another gently patted her back. There was an endless frost in his eyes while he gazed over her shoulder. However, his tone was still soothing and comforting. “Tell me what happened. You know you can trust me, right?” he said gently.
If anyone bullies her, I will make them go through hell!
