C10 Marriage Gift!

After Rollins finished signing the appointment papers for Heyden as the company president, he rode his electric scooter back home. Upon opening the door, he was greeted by the sight of his wife Zoie, along with her parents, all bowing subserviently before an old lady perched on the sofa, clad in lavish attire and exuding an air of icy disdain.

It was none other than Old Madame Ramirez!

Rollins was taken aback to see her. As the matriarch of the Ramirez family, she had always looked down on Zoie's family. Despite years of marriage, she had never once visited; her sudden appearance today was utterly unexpected.

Quickly regaining his composure, Rollins greeted her with due respect, "Good to see you, Grandma."

Old Madame Ramirez turned, and upon recognizing the 'good-for-nothing' grandson-in-law, she let out a cold huff, offering no response.

Rollins was no stranger to her contempt; he simply shrugged it off and took his place next to Zoie.

Tracy, Rollins's mother-in-law, promptly presented a cup of tea with utmost reverence, saying, "Mom, please enjoy some tea."

Old Madame Ramirez sniffed the tea disdainfully and snorted, "You expect me to drink this swill? Take it away at once!"

Tracy's face flushed with embarrassment. The tea leaves were a premium purchase by her husband, rarely indulged in, and she was mortified that they were rejected by the Old Madame.

Scanning the room with a look of scorn, Old Madame Ramirez declared, "I'm here regarding the engagement banquet for Elena and the Perez family's Young Master. Elena has been fortunate and well-behaved enough to secure a union with the Perez family, who are far more influential than the Ramirez family in every way. Elena's marriage into the Perez family will bring advantages to our own."

Her gaze then sharpened as she turned to Rollins and added sternly, "The Perez family holds significant clout, and while the Ramirez family may not be their equal, we cannot afford to be looked down upon at the engagement banquet. The dowry must be substantial; we absolutely cannot afford to lose face."

Old Madame Ramirez believed that the Perez family far surpassed the Ramirez family in both wealth and influence. It had been no small feat for Elena to secure a marriage with the Perez family's young master. To maintain their dignity, they couldn't afford to appear weak or be disrespected by the Perez clan.

Upon hearing this, Tracy quickly inquired, "Mom, what exactly are you suggesting?"

With a stern, inscrutable expression, Old Madame Ramirez replied, "What I'm saying is that your family must also present a substantial gift as part of the dowry."

Tracy's smile waned as she cautiously asked, "And what amount would you consider appropriate?"

Old Madame Ramirez fixed her gaze on Tracy and said unhurriedly, "Elena’s third uncle has already purchased a Porsche for her, valued at over two million. Whatever your family contributes must at least match that figure."

Zoie, who had been silent until now, spoke up in protest, "Grandma, two million is excessive. Our family is already drowning in debt—we simply can't afford such a lavish dowry."

Tracy, her voice tense, added, "That's right, Mom. We're truly strapped for cash."

Hasten chimed in with a sycophantic grin, "Mom, is there any chance we could give a little less? Two million is just too steep."

Old Madame Ramirez's expression darkened as she rebuked them, "Your financial situation is not my concern. I've made myself clear—a gift worth two million is non-negotiable!"

Tracy's mouth fell open as she looked desperately at Hasten for support, but he averted his gaze, silent and unwilling to challenge his mother.

From the sidelines, Rollins shook his head in disbelief. In a moment that called for strength, his father-in-law was utterly voiceless—a disappointing show of weakness.

"And one more thing," Old Madame Ramirez warned, "if you fail to manage this and cause me to lose face with the Perez family, don't expect mercy from me afterwards."

Old Madame Ramirez let out a cold, mocking laugh before slamming the door and storming off.

Tracy watched her go and sighed in frustration. "Zoie is a Ramirez too, but when she got married, not a single person from the Ramirez family gave her a red envelope. Now, for Elena's wedding, they expect us to cough up two million for the dowry. How can Mom play favorites like this?"

Hasten's face fell as he said, "The priority now is to figure out how to come up with two million, fast."

Then, something occurred to him, and he whispered, "Wait, don't we have two million with Rollins? We could use that to tide us over."

Tracy clenched her jaw and snapped, "Have you lost your mind? We're already six million in debt and clueless about repayment. And you want to give away another two million for Elena's dowry?!"

"What choice do I have?" Hasten replied, clearly upset. "Mom's made up her mind. If we don't comply, she's bound to be furious."

Zoie interjected with a furrowed brow, "That money was meant to pay back Rollins's friend, and he's already settled that debt."

She exchanged a covert glance with Rollins.

Catching the signal, Rollins touched his nose and chimed in, "Dad, I really did transfer the two million to my friend."

Hearing this, Hasten's expression darkened, and he let out a weary sigh. "What are we going to do now? If your grandmother gets angry..."

"Dad," Zoie said calmly, "we should only extend ourselves as far as our means allow. We can't just sell the house to scrape together Elena's dowry, can we?"

Tracy nodded in agreement. "Zoie's right. We've only got a little over a hundred thousand left. I say we buy a gift worth fifty to sixty thousand. We still have to live, after all!"

Zoie suggested with a hint of excitement, "The Green Pavilion is quite nice. They carry a variety of high-quality jade and gold jewelry. We should check it out."

With a resigned sigh, Hasten acknowledged the grim reality that their family was strapped for cash, and the prospect of coming up with a sum as large as two million was out of the question. Satisfying the old madame seemed an impossible feat.

Once the decision was made, the family of three wasted no time. Rollins started the car and drove his family toward the Green Pavilion.