The CEO’S Unplanned Heir novel (Aurelia and Leopold)
Chapter 987

Aurelia mulled over the archaic family rule that dictated a female inheritor of the family business must remain unmarried for life.

It was a mechanism to safeguard the family's wealth from opportunists. Heavy was the head that wore the crown.

Sheryl remarked. "The Stirling family have always favored sons over daughters. If you try to change that, it'll be even harder for the girls to take over. Outsiders, reliable? Ha! Look at those men who've turned on their family after marrying in for fortune... The ultimate fantasy of dreamers from rags to riches is to rise through the ranks, make a fortune, and then ditch their old wives. You support them with all you've got, and as soon as they're strong enough, they turn on you." Aurelia had to admit, Sheryl, with her experience in the sophisticated entertainment industry, had seen more of dark human nature than she ever had.

"You do have a point, Sheryl. No wonder the rules of the Stirling family have remained unchanged for centuries. Outdated perhaps, but not without their reasons." "I know you're young and progressive in your thinking, but the Stirling family are traditionalists. As the manager of the house, you should align with the family's pace." Aurelia sighed inwardly.

Was her dream of reforming the Stirling family something she had to pass on to the next generation? Was she powerless? Two hours later, the men wrapped up their competitive fishing battle.

Skyler had reeled in a bucket brimming with fish, including several elusive rockfish. He was a master of deep-sea fishing.

Fredric's catch was impressive too.

Leopold had a modest haul. He had no need to outshine everyone today but to let his cousins take the top spot.

The women joined them to tally the catch.

Raines had a decent number of fish, but luck hadn't been on his side to snag any rare species, which might put him behind in the count.

On the side, Aurelia prepared the punishment concoction, putting a handful of clean, fresh cilantro into a juicer and producing a glass of pure cilantro juice. The potent smell wafted across the deck, enough to churn the stomach of anyone who disliked it.

Beverley made a face and pinched her nose. "lI mean, I don't mind cilantro in a taco, but this is a bit much, even for me." Sheryl and Lisbeth had just finished counting Fredric and Leopold's buckets. Leopold was up by two.

As they started on Raines’ bucket, Lisbeth slipped and lunged forward. Sheryl instinctively reached out but missed. With a splash, Lisbeth knocked over Raines' bucket, then inadvertently tipped over Skyler's too.

The catch from both buckets mixed together on the deck and was indistinguishable.

With a look of concern etched on his face, Raines helped Lisbeth to her feet. "Are you alright?” He asked, “Did you hurt yourself?" Lisbeth was mortified, apologizing profusely. "I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to..." Beverley teased her as she cover. "Lisbeth, don't tellyou were so concerned about Raines losing that you 'accidentally’ mixed all the fish up?" Fredric chuckled mischievously. "Beverley, you gotta have faith in Raines. He's caught plenty. Who knows, maybe I'm the one who'll end up losing." Lisbeth was shaking her head and hands, face flushed with embarrassment. "It really was an accident. The deck was slick." Though Aurelia was busy juicing, she couldn't help but watch the commotion, half wondering if Lisbeth's fall was intentional. It was quite the convenient tumble, perfectly knocking over the buckets.

"Let's call it a draw between cousins and Raines, since we can't tell the fish apart anymore," she proposed.

"No way!" Skyler protested, pouting. "Angel, don't worry about it. I kept track of every fish I caught. I know what's mine." He fished out his smartphone and opened his note-taking app.

"I caught three rockfish, five moray eels, four conger eels, six groupers..."

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