"Of course, that's a given." Jombo then turned to look at Carla. "Name your price. In return for you letting the children be recognized by the Giblos, I will pay you any amount."
"Grandpa, why do you have to insult me with your wealth?" Carla frowned and rubbed her sore temples. "Zayn is their father anyway. I have no objection to them bearing his surname!"
"Good to know!" Jombo smirked and looked at Zayn smugly. "Did you hear that?"
Zayn was speechless. This stupid woman is making things difficult. Is she only capable of sidelining me? It's obvious that she sucks at negotiating.
"Well, stop bullying her just because she is agreeable!" Zayn sighed inwardly. He had no choice. This negotiation was between him and Jombo since Carla was of no help at all. "The census registration cannot be without Carla! The children need a mother!"
"The name of the mother matters very little. The father's name is what bears the most weight." Jombo looked at Carla coldly. "It would be beneficial to have the children raised among the Giblo family. Think about their future! If they stayed with you, there is no guarantee that they will have food on the table. They will be scorned for being raised by a single mother. If you really love them, you should consider this."
"What is the meaning of this?" Carla was already being pushed to the brink. "You want my children, but you don't want their mother. Are you expecting me to just sign them away to you?"
"Exactly." Jombo nodded sagely at Carla. "Leave, and the children will stay. That's precisely what I meant. You've given us three heirs, so the Giblos will not ill-treat you. I will fulfill any conditions you have."
"You're going too far!" roared Zayn, clearly enraged.
"Be quiet." Jombo glared at him and addressed Carla again. "Even if I were to ignore your background, do you think you're a woman worthy of Zayn?"
"Zayn was a genius in STEM fields during his teens. By then, he'd already created his own tech group, built Divine Corporation's commercial branding from the ground up, and already managed more than thirty companies under the Giblo Group."
"On top of that, he's fluent in eight languages, has technical knowledge in various fields, and has doctorate degrees in three different subjects. In the future, he will inherit a fortune worth trillions."
"Now, let's talk about you." "You barely managed in a regular university. You don't have outstanding talent, work capacity, nor are you good at entrepreneurship."
"How are you going to marry into the family when you're barely even touching mediocrity?"
"Zayn's mother is a high-achiever with a doctorate from a prominent university. Her father is an Ustranian Duke, making him noble-born and of good character. Her marriage was optimal because both families would benefit from this union. Can you even begin to compare yourself to her?"
"Let's go back even further. Zayn's grandmother was the only daughter of a shipping magnate, and she was a skilled entrepreneur herself. She helped me manage the businesses after we got married, and we owe our successes to her efforts." "And you, what are you capable of?"
"You can tickle a few keys on the piano, raise the kids… All of which are things that can be done by hiring a nanny. Why do we need you in the family at all?"
Carla was rendered speechless by the man's tirade.
She was nurtured by her father's loving care as a child and had learned quite a bit. While it was definitely not bad by ordinary standards, it was a far cry from the upbringing of the women who married into the Giblo family.
All in all, she had never considered what it would take for her to marry into a prestigious family, but she finally understood.
Given her current state, she was only fit enough to be one of the staff.
"That's enough!" said Zayn, seething.
"Let me finish."
Again, Zayn was interrupted by Jombo. He was not about to let him intervene.
"You are the mother of my great-grandchildren. Although I can't let you marry into the family, I have no desire to hurt you. In fact, I am grateful that you have raised the children so well."
"However, I think that it's not unreasonable to think that marrying into considerable wealth and power is no easy feat. Large and wealthy families tend to be complicated."
"As the heir to the Giblo family empire, Zayn will be the head of the family. This places heavy burdens on his shoulders. If he has nobody capable to share those burdens with, it will not be an easy path to take in the future."
"I won't live for much longer. I can't be watching over him all the time. I need to find someone who can do what needs to be done and help him, instead of hiding behind him all the time."
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