Repairing A Broken Home With My Patriarch System

Ethan went outside to make the call, feeling a little expectant as the cool afternoon air brushed against his face. He leaned casually against the outer wall of the shop, phone already pressed to his ear, and waited for the line to connect.

”Well, what’s the matter this time?” He asked, his voice smooth and relaxed.

”Haha, Brother Ethan,” Lucas greeted from the other end, sounding as cheerful as ever. ”It’s been a while.”

Ethan rolled his eyes at the unnecessary formality, though a faint trace of amusement tugged at the corner of his mouth. ”You called me in the morning. Remember?”

”Ah...” Lucas paused for a moment, then let out another laugh. ”Haha, sorry about that. I didn’t even remember. Hahaha.”

”Alright, go on,” Ethan said calmly, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. ”I know you wouldn’t call just to hear my voice.”

”Ahem...” Lucas cleared his throat on the other end, the sound slightly muffled. ”I just wanted to inform you that my wife and I have finally spoken about it, and she has dropped the idea of divorcing me.”

Ethan nodded to himself, unsurprised by the news. Still, he gave a proper reaction for the sake of the conversation.

”That’s good. Now, don’t mess up again,” He said, his voice turning serious.

Lucas nodded on the other end, even though Ethan couldn’t see it. ”I recognize my mistakes, Brother Ethan. And I won’t be repeating them.”

”Good. I hope your secretary understands that too.”

Hearing this, Lucas laughed again, though it sounded a little more restrained this time. ”Haha, I gave her an entire week break. She needs to spend as much time as possible with her husband.”

”Hmm...” Ethan hummed thoughtfully, then asked, ”How are things with the Yin and Yang Games? Are they being productive?”

”Ah, yes,” Lucas admitted without hesitation. ”Some new companies have also come to request their services. I made them sign long-term contracts that would slowly but surely benefit me, hehe.”

”Good. Take advantage of them, and if possible, develop them.”

Ethan paused for a moment, letting his gaze drift toward the quiet street, then continued.

”Is Samuel still bothering you? Or has he given up completely?”

”I don’t know for sure, but he seems to have stopped pestering me. For now, I don’t know what he’s up to,” the older man replied.

Raising an eyebrow, Ethan frowned slightly. ”He’s quiet? That’s a little unusual. Track the business activities of the Mobos Game Company. See what connections they’ve been making lately.”

”Alright.” Lucas agreed readily. ”I’ll look into it. By the way, how’s Miss Evelyn and Nora? I hope they’re all fine.”

Ethan nodded, even though the other man couldn’t see the gesture. ”They are. Thanks.”

A smile slowly appeared on his face as he heard a woman’s voice faintly in the background on Lucas’s end. ”Well, I should probably get going. Don’t want your wife to think you’re cheating or something.”

Lucas chuckled awkwardly. ”Haha, goodbye, BROTHER ETHAN.”

Ethan ended the call and laughed quietly to himself, clearly amused by the other man’s exaggerated formality.

He turned around and headed back into the shop, only for Evelyn to suddenly pull him into a warm hug the moment he stepped inside.

He blinked in mild surprise, then gently patted her back with one hand. ”What’s wrong?”

She nuzzled her head against his chest, her voice soft. ”Nothing. I just want to do this.”

Knowing that she was actually still thinking about Cassie’s case, he smiled faintly and wrapped his arms around her properly, gently brushing her hair with his fingers in a soothing motion.

A short distance away, Cassandra smiled and turned away from them, a faint, knowing smile on her lips.

’They surely are a happy couple,’ she thought to herself.

Three hours later, they closed the two shops. Miraculously, both shops had been emptied out completely. The fruit juices had all been bought even though today was the first day the shop was opened.

As for why they had such high sales, it was mainly because many parents had decided to buy the juices for their kids who were just returning from school.

Just like Nora had been interested earlier, the other kids were also interested in the colorful drinks and the pleasant atmosphere of the new shop.

Ethan hummed with a faint, satisfied smile as he watched Evelyn carefully count the daily income at the counter. Her fingers moved quickly over the bills and coins, and every now and then she would glance up at the total with growing excitement.

Her eyes sparkled with genuine excitement too, and she finally turned to him with a bright grin. ”Ethan, look. We made over a thousand dollars today!”

He raised a hand and patted her head softly, his expression warm. ”Good job. I’m proud of you.”

She hugged him again without hesitation, and this time, Nora joined in by wrapping her small arms around both of them as well.

”Alright, alright. Let’s prepare to go home,” Ethan said after a moment, gently tapping both of them on the shoulder.

He then turned to Cassandra, who was already gathering her things. ”Looks like your ride home is here. See you tomorrow.”

She nodded with a polite smile, then moved over to hug Evelyn briefly. ”See you tomorrow.”

The two women laughed softly at the short embrace, then separated. Evelyn watched her friend get escorted into the waiting car outside, then turned to her remaining employees with a bright expression.

”You guys did amazing today. Good job.”

She grinned and gave them a thumbs up for extra emphasis.

Maya and Gilbert exchanged glances with each other, then both smiled. ”Thank you, ma’am.”

Maya hesitated a little, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, then decided to give a suggestion. ”So I was thinking about opening a social media account for your business, and advertising online. This way, even people who don’t live at this side of the district can know about your business.” 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ

Evelyn blinked in surprise at the idea, then turned to Ethan for his opinion. ”Honey, what do you think?”

Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Ethan considered it very seriously for a few seconds.

”That’s an interesting means of promotion. And it’s a viable one too.”

He glanced over at Maya.

”Are you adept at managing such things?”

She smiled confidently and nodded. ”Yes. I work part-time as a VTuber, so I know my way around these things. Besides, we don’t really need to make long videos. Just short snippets of you selling, customers buying, and a little advertisement.”

Ethan nodded, clearly interested in the idea. ”Makes sense, honestly.”

”Yes,” Maya agreed, then glanced sideways at Gilbert. ”This guy here is a good cameraman and editor. He’ll make something good for us.”

”Oh?” Evelyn’s brows rose with curiosity, and she turned her attention to Gilbert.

Seeing him nod in confirmation, she smiled. ”Alright. That’s set, then. Also...”

She paused for a moment, her gaze alternating between the two young employees.

”Are you guys a couple?”

Gilbert coughed lightly and looked away in slight embarrassment, while Maya nodded with complete confidence.

”Yes. I’m his girlfriend.”

Evelyn smiled warmly at the admission. ”That’s cute.”

Ethan rolled his motorcycle keys in his hand idly, then spoke up. ”I’ll get a camera for you two tomorrow. Let’s see how the promotion works out.”

Maya nodded quickly. ”Understood, Boss. See you tomorrow, sir.”

She greeted Evelyn politely as well, then turned around while gently pulling Gilbert’s hand so they could leave together.

The older couple watched them go in silence for a moment, then Ethan spoke again. ”Time to go home. Nora, you’re preparing dinner tonight.”

The little girl flinched in surprise, staring up at him with wide eyes. ”Ehhhhh?! Why? How?”

”Just teasing you. Maybe when you become a teen, I’ll teach you how to boil water.” He laughed quietly, clearly amused by her exaggerated reaction.

Nora huffed in annoyance and kicked his leg lightly, only for her to immediately wince and hop on one foot. ”Ow... Dad, are you made from iron?”

Ethan chuckled at her complaint and smoothly picked her up off the ground. He placed her in front of him on the motorcycle, then waited for Evelyn to sit behind him and wrap her arms around his waist.

”Don’t ask weird questions. Of course I’m made of flesh.”

Nora pouted from her seat in front of him, still rubbing her sore toes. ”Then why is your leg so hard?”

Chuckling once more, he answered without missing a beat. ”That’s cuz I’m the strongest father.”

Without delaying, he started the motorcycle and drove them home. The ride was silent as they quietly enjoyed the evening breeze.

After all, it had been a while since they had returned home in the evening.

It didn’t take them long to get back.

Ethan parked his bike in the garage, then led them upstairs to their own apartment. Nora immediately went to the room to change out of her school uniform and wash it, while Evelyn headed to the balcony to inspect the flowers.

Left alone in the living room, Ethan pursed his lips and thought, ’The wedding is coming soon.’