The brothers saw the caption above Audrey's head at the same time.
Abner was a little confused. What two million?
Eric, however, instantly understood and couldn't help but chuckle to himself, thinking, "Pathetic, all for the sake of two million."
As Eric critiqued Audrey now, he could never have imagined that in the near future, he too would stay at home and compromise for two million.
But leaving Audrey aside, everyone present, except for Gary, could sense the awkward atmosphere.
Eric couldn't fathom why Abner had returned today, but he believed that the three siblings wouldn't come back to the old mansion without a good reason.
Was Abner back just for today, or would he be returning for the next few days as well?
Eric felt that certain matters needed to be expedited; otherwise, spending too much time in the same space as Abner might lead to depression.
"Dad, about the cinema chain approval, could you get it sorted out quickly? It's not fun if you keep dragging it along".
Eric instantly ruined Gary's good mood with just one sentence.
"What do you mean I'm dragging it?" Gary glared at Eric, then suddenly spoke in a calm tone, "I've handed over the cinema-related work to your older brother. Go get him to help you with it."
"What?" Eric couldn't help but exclaim.
Abner also gave Gary a quizzical look; he had just learned that the cinema-related matters were now under his responsibility.
This was probably a spur-of-the-moment decision.
Abner sneered inwardly. Gary had gone to great lengths to foster brotherly bonds among them.
But unfortunately, Gary was bound to be disappointed. After all these years, the fractures were undeniable, no matter how much they tried to mend them.
Eric wasn't as detail-oriented as Abner or as composed. He directly retorted in anger, "What do you mean? Are you trying to disgust me?"
Gary put down his utensils, his face taking on a stern expression as he looked at Eric, "If you keep being so tactless, forget about the cinema chain matter."
Eric was indignant and couldn't eat anymore. He muttered, "I'm full," and stormed off upstairs.
The atmosphere fell silent for a moment.
Audrey and Anthea intentionally made themselves less noticeable, slowing down their breaths.
The only one unaffected was Abner, who maintained an upright posture and continued to dine at a leisurely pace, displaying utmost elegance.
Gary took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Let's ignore him and just eat ourselves."
Audrey glanced at Eric's hastily retreating figure and the nearly untouched food in front of him. She thought he would probably go hungry tonight.
But well, that has nothing to do with her. He was an adult; he could figure it out himself if he got hungry.
After dinner, Gary called Abner to the study.
"Sort out the cinema chain matter as soon as possible. Let's avoid arguing about it every day," Gary told Abner.
Abner nodded and asked, "Do you have any other instructions?"
Seeing Abner's expressionless demeanor, Gary felt a hint of helplessness.
Couldn't a father have a heart-to-heart conversation with his son? Why use the word "instructions"?
"Since the company isn't very busy recently and you don't need to work overtime every day, just come back to live here. It'll be lively to have the family together."
Gary concealed his hopeful anticipation well, but Abner still noticed it.
Only Gary seemed to anticipate this kind of liveliness in the house.
However... Abner didn't immediately refuse, because he had noticed something interesting – returning home didn't seem as stifling anymore.
"Let's see how it goes," Abner said.
Gary knew that when Abner said that, there was potential for success. A smile appeared on his face, and he even patted Abner's shoulder.
He did what a father would do often to his son.
Abner glanced sideways at his shoulder and said nothing.
Audrey was unaware of these matters. After taking a stroll in the garden with her mother, she headed upstairs to her room.
She still had to read the script and develop the character's backstory.
It was her habit – whenever she received a script, she had to fully understand the character. Only by grasping the character's essence could she portray it effectively.
After roughly preparing the character's backstory, Audrey massaged her slightly stiff shoulders. She was planning to go downstairs and pour herself a cup of hot water.
As she descended to the first floor, she noticed the light in the kitchen was on. At this time, the housekeepers would usually be resting since they needed to wake up early to prepare breakfast.
Who would be in the kitchen?