Chapter 382: Chapter 382: Don’t Push Yourself
In the blink of an eye, it was Wednesday.
In the morning, Evelyn Clayton and Yara Reagan went to Silent Crest Cemetery to attend the memorial for Felix Ford, alongside Violet Ford and Franklin Ford.
It was inevitable to see Summer Monroe, but perhaps because of the special day or Violet’s presence, Summer, though looking unwell, did not cause any trouble. Her black veil covered half her face as she sat quietly at the front of the chapel, listening to the pastor’s eulogy.
After the ceremony, Evelyn and Yara went together to the Ford Family’s ancestral estate.
The estate was near the outskirts, styled like a European manor, covering nearly a hundred acres. The entire garden was filled with white and yellow daisies, solemn and imposing under the main building’s spire.
Everyone present had some connection to the Ford Family, whether as relatives or friends.
Some people brought flower baskets and went to greet Violet and Summer, while Evelyn and Yara kept their distance, watching from the garden’s swing.
The two clinked glasses and took a sip of amber liquid, and Yara lightly frowned.
"Is this rice wine?" Yara asked softly, "Why is it served in a wine glass?"
Evelyn replied in a low voice, "The Ford Family originally made their fortune in rice wine. However, their primary business is now overseas, mainly relying on real estate and stocks domestically, with less focus on rice wine. But today, being a family gathering, it’s customary to serve it to the guests."
Yara nodded thoughtfully, her gaze falling on Franklin Ford not far away.
A moment later, she withdrew her gaze and chuckled, "If I hadn’t come today, I might not have realized, but after seeing it, I understand that a family like the Fords isn’t something an ordinary person can aspire to."
She spoke calmly and with a hint of mockery, but Evelyn detected the underlying bitterness.
Just as she was about to say something to comfort her friend, Franklin Ford approached them.
He held two glasses of clear liquid, handing one to Evelyn and one to Yara as he neared.
"If you don’t care for the rice wine, try this," Franklin said with a slight smile. "It’s Sprite."
Evelyn raised an eyebrow in surprise and took a sip, finding it sweet and bubbly as expected.
Yara laughed, "Director Ford, you’re letting us cheat."
"Not really, considering there will be a family banquet tonight. I’m worried you two might not make it," Franklin said helplessly, then asked, "Why didn’t you bring Rhys along? He could help you with the drinking."
Evelyn smiled without answering but nudged Yara gently with her elbow, hinting for her to take over.
Recognizing that Evelyn was giving her a chance to talk more with Franklin, Yara chuckled awkwardly, "He’s just one person; if he’s drinking for both of us, he might end up drinking himself sick. Plus, we only rested for one day over the weekend, and I gave the company a day off today, so I didn’t ask him to join."
Unscheduled workdays are common in design firms, so Franklin joked, "You two really know how to take care of your staff; if my employees found out, they might say I’m a Scrooge."
With that, Franklin inquired about the progress of Gem, "Is the company infrastructure complete?"
"It’s almost done," Yara started, noticing Franklin’s eyes were always on Evelyn, she smiled softly and turned to Evelyn, "Evelyn, you tell Director Ford; I’ll head to the restroom first."
Evelyn felt a slight heaviness in her heart.
However, Yara had already walked away.
Franklin was still waiting for an answer, so Evelyn said, "We have all the department personnel, but the advertising and distribution sections are still relatively weak. It’s hard for just one or two people to cover everything."
Hearing this, Franklin smiled and clinked glasses with her.
"Don’t try to tough it out. If there are any issues, let me know; I’m more than happy to help."