The Cherished Wife

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Joseph heard the remark and quickly ran through the list of Hoffman members in his mind, matching this woman with what he knew about them. He had never met her before, but from the way she spoke to the butler and her tone, it was clear her status in the Hoffman household was significant. Although Joseph had not visited the Hoffman residence that many times, he was quite familiar with the family members.

The only person he had not met, who was known to be formidable, was Mateo's wife, Clarisse. With a closer look at her attire, Joseph squinted and immediately put the pieces together.

"Madam Baker, pleased to meet you. I'm Joseph Harris. My wife's a distant relative of the Hoffmans," he said, introducing himself.

"A distant relative? I've been with the Hoffmans for many years and I've never seen you before," Clarisse replied bluntly.

She was telling the truth; she really had not seen Joseph before, and from his appearance alone, she already did not like him.

"Alright, I don't care who you are, but when you come to the Hoffmans, you follow our rules. What's with all the noise? And by the way, the Hoffmans don't need these things." Clarisse glanced at the gifts Joseph had brought.

Though some were indeed of high quality, the Hoffmans were a family that could easily procure such items themselves-they did not need them from an outsider.

Naturally, Joseph had a different perspective. He thought it was appropriate to bring gifts when visiting, not realizing this would expose how distant he actually was to the Hoffmans.

"And another thing, James works for the Hoffmans, not for just any visitor who walks in. Even a slave deserves some respect."

Both Joseph and James looked uncomfortable. Joseph had not expected his visit to go so poorly right from the start. He even ran into a woman who offered no courtesy-and that woman was Charles' mother, of all people.

It was clear now why Charles had such an arrogant demeanor; it seemed to be inherited directly from Clarisse.

James, on the other hand,

understood that Clarisse was not

really upset with him but was using this opportunity to express her. broader discontent with the

vel.n

Hoffmans. He just happened to be a

convenient target.

"You're right, Madam Baker. It's my mistake. However, Mr. Harris here said he was looking for Sir Hoffman, and Sir Hoffman truly is occupied today!" James explained before turning to Joseph.

"Mr. Harris, I suggest you come back another time."

"Another time? But I'm already here." Being the shrewd man he was, Joseph knew Maxwell would likely continue to avoid him.

Yet, Joseph was unwilling to let this opportunity slip away. If Frotconn could participate in the West City project, securing even a small part would be beneficial even if they could not grab the lion's share.

As a businessman with eyes solely on profit, Joseph could not miss out on such a promising opportunity.

Moreover, if they could collaborate with Collosus Group this time, it would boost Frotconn's reputation, allowing them to rise alongside Collosus Group. That was Joseph's ultimate goal.

"Madam Baker, this is a thousand-year-old herbal root from the Celtic Mountains. Please take a look..." Joseph offered, hoping to sway her. Clarisse smiled faintly, finally understanding Joseph's intentions. He was clearly trying to leverage the Hoffmans.

With a slight smile, Clarisse

accepted the herb. Noticing James' hesitation, she raised an eyebrow and said James, isn't the old man with Mateo upstairs in the study, playing chess? Go and let them know a distinguished guest has arrived."

Joseph's eyebrows shot up in delight. "Thank you, Madam Baker!" he said, feeling he had gained an ally.