Repairing A Broken Home With My Patriarch System

Cole walked in, his shoulders slumped from tiredness. He had already taken off his suit, letting it dangle over his arm as he walked into the dining room.

His eyes immediately sharpened as he looked at Ethan, but he didn’t say anything harsh.

”Good evening.”

Ethan returned the greeting and gestured for him to sit. They all sat together at the table, and after a short prayer, they began to eat.

Cole looked at Evelyn in surprise and remarked, ”You’ve gotten better with cooking, haven’t you? This is simply divine.”

The young woman shook her head and glanced at Ethan. ”I didn’t prepare it, actually.”

Cole blinked, surprised. ”Huh? Are you saying Nora did?”

Hearing this from him, Ethan felt a little indignant and briefly considered knocking the man. However, he held back. He was far more mature and wouldn’t let such things trigger him.

Evelyn stifled a laugh at her brother’s words, then shook her head. ”Ethan prepared the dinner.”

Cole’s expression sank, and he stopped eating. He turned to look at Ethan, his expression serious.

”Look, Ethan. I’m not the type to ignore your games. What exactly are you playing at?”

Ethan glanced at him, unfazed. ”Playing? You think I’m playing something simply because I cooked?”

”Yes,” Cole replied confidently.

Ethan was rendered speechless for a few seconds, then sighed.

”You’re free to think whatever you want, I’m sure I’m innocent of whatever you’re thinking, anyway.”

Cole clicked his tongue and turned away, quietly resuming eating. He didn’t know why, but Ethan’s current indifferent attitude made him a bit annoyed.

Fortunately, he wasn’t a fool who would latch onto anything just to prolong an argument. He quietly returned to eating, not saying a word about the taste.

Ethan turned to Nora, his gaze expectant. ”What do you think, Nora? Do you like it?”

The white-haired girl looked at him and nodded. ”It’s delicious. I like it.”

Ethan was satisfied and showed a smug smile. ”I told you, didn’t I? I’m the best cook in the world.”

”Honestly, I didn’t think omelette could taste this good,” Evelyn commented, glancing at Ethan subtly.

Having heard her, he turned to her with a smile. ”Anything can taste good if prepared properly.”

Evelyn nodded slowly, taking another bite of her meal. No one said anything else, and silence settled over the dining room until they finished dinner.

Evelyn turned to her brother after packing the plates to the kitchen and washing them.

”Big brother, did you find a solution to it yet?”

At her question, Cole’s face darkened, and he sighed.

”I haven’t. Perhaps I’ll just submit the one I have. But I doubt that’s going to really impress my boss.”

Ethan leaned in, curious. ”What are you submitting?”

Cole shot him an annoyed glare, but still replied. After all, it’s hard to be rude to someone who’s being polite.

”It’s a business proposal for my workplace.”

”Oh?” Ethan raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised.

He had been wondering how to get Cole into partnership, not knowing that an opportunity was right in front of him.

”What kind of company do you work in, though? And this... business proposal, you have competitors?”

Cole couldn’t understand why Ethan was being nosy, but frustrated, he answered him casually.

”It’s an investment company, if you understand what that means. And yes, we’re all supposed to submit proposals to the boss. The best one will be implemented, and the person who submitted it will be in charge.”

Ethan blinked and nodded. ”Oh, that’s very serious. I agree.”

He leaned back into the chair, choosing to remain silent for now. He was familiar with such tactics, as he had once employed it with his subordinates in his previous life.

Cole groaned and opened his bag, pulling out his laptop and turning it on. He tapped a few keys, then stared intently at the screen as if he could somehow find the answer hidden within it.

Evelyn quietly walked behind him, leaning over to check.

”Um... investment in rural agriculture? Is that it?”

Cole nodded. ”That’s what we’re trying to do. Invest in rural farmlands and generate higher returns without exploiting the farmers. I know my proposal is good, but I know there are smarter people in the office who can beat this.”

Evelyn’s smile also dimmed, and she couldn’t help but feel worried. If only he could find someone to help him...

Her eyes moved to Ethan who was busy on his phone, and she thought back to what had happened in her shop today.

’He... can he?’

It was a completely absurd idea, and she highly doubted that her brother would even agree. A conflicted expression appeared on her face, and she didn’t know what to do.

”What’s wrong? You want to say something?” Cole looked up and saw his sister hesitant about something.

She glanced at Ethan again, then mumbled, ”I don’t know if Ethan could have an idea...”

Cole looked at her like she had just said the funniest thing he had ever heard, but Ethan looked at her with warm eyes.

Indeed, a good wife. Always supportive.

Even if she was unaware of his plans, she was still supporting him.

’Remember to spoil her a lot in the future,’ He thought.

Looking at Cole with a thin smile, he asked, ”What do you think, brother-in-law? Do I look like I can give you an idea?”

Cole wanted to snort and say no, but seeing Ethan’s calmness and composure, the words didn’t come out.

He frowned, scrutinizing him deeply. Why did this young man seem so different?

There was something different about his gaze too, like a mind with years of experience. What exactly was it?

Ethan chuckled and said, ”Show me the proposal you’ve written. There’s no harm in doing that, no?”

Cole’s frown deepened, but he agreed. He slid the laptop over to Ethan, then watched him read with concentration.

”I’ll take Nora inside,” Evelyn said, taking her daughter’s hand and going inside the bedroom to put her to sleep.

When she returned, Cole was on his feet, staring at Ethan with a dark expression.

”What do you mean?” He asked.

Ethan kept his gaze on the screen and shook his head in disappointment.

”This proposal is far too ordinary. If you go with this, you’re not going anywhere. Besides, you’re viewing the project through the wrong lens.”

Cole’s anger turned into confusion. ”What are you talking about?”

Ethan finally looked at him and said, ”You’re thinking of short-term benefits for a project that should give long-term benefits to the company. Do you want me to rewrite the proposal for you?”