This is the advanced ward of the research institute. Even though Old Mrs. Rathborne has given her approval to let these media reporters in, everyone can only whisper softly. The whole environment is rather tranquil. At this moment, a series of footsteps suddenly echoed in the quiet corridor. Many bodyguards in black arrived, led by a man in a black coat. He was strikingly handsome, with long, sparkling phoenix eyes that exuded a cold and evil aura, his inherent arrogant and wild presence compelling others to instinctively keep their distance. The bodyguards in black stood guard outside the ward as the door was pushed open and the man walked in. When the cold wind outside blew in, the people in the ward all turned their heads, immediately spotting the handsome man standing at the door. Piper Pace’s expression changed; she quickly stepped forward, "Young Master Burke, what brings you here?" A person with the surname Burke? The media reporters present quickly thought about it; there really wasn’t anyone with the surname Burke in the wealthy circles of Bayside, but... They heard that the Crown Prince of Aethelgard shared this surname... Burke! The City of Aethelgard is the most prosperous city, teeming with hidden talents and distinguished individuals. At its center lies an elite circle composed of major elite families, and it’s said that within this circle are four major families: the Rathbornes, the Crawfords, the Burkes, and the Knights. Shaun Spencer of the Burke family is known for being rebellious and bold, fearing nothing since he was the little Crown Prince of the City of Aethelgard from a young age. Among them, the Rathborne family and the Burke family are connected by a wealthy marriage. The daughter of the Rathborne family married the young master of the Burke family. The son born from that union is Shaun Spencer. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novel[f]ire.net If anyone were to question which family among these elites was the wealthiest, the top position would undoubtedly belong to the Rathborne family, with its current head, Marcus Kingsley, being the richest man. Shaun Spencer removed his black leather gloves and tossed them to the aide behind him, then walked to the bedside. He looked at Old Mrs. Rathborne, "Grandma, why did you sneak over to this Bayside all by yourself? You look so pale; haven’t they been taking good care of you?" As he spoke, Shaun Spencer squinted his long, phoenix eyes and cast a cold glance at Director Pace, "It seems Concordiat Research Institute is no longer needed. Someone, break it all down here, then bring over some trucks to flatten this place!" As soon as he finished speaking, everyone gasped. What was this person saying? The Concordiat Research Institute is the largest traditional medicine hospital in the country, and he’s actually thinking of finding people to flatten this place? Initially, everyone could have just laughed it off as a joke, but Shaun Spencer’s squinted phoenix eyes exuded such arrogance and wildness that it sent a chill through their hearts. He didn’t seem to be joking. Piper Pace was about to cry. She didn’t know how this lord of Aethelgard found his way here. He wasn’t joking, truly not joking. There was once an incident at the largest bar in Aethelgard; he climbed onto a bulldozer himself and bulldozed the bar. Piper Pace didn’t want to provoke such a figure, so she immediately looked to Old Mrs. Rathborne for help, "Old Mrs., this..." "Snap," Old Mrs. Rathborne on the sickbed directly raised her hand and slapped Shaun Spencer on the head, then forcefully tugged at Shaun Spencer’s ear, "You little brat, haven’t I dealt with you in days and you’re acting up again, aren’t you? Behave yourself!" Shaun Spencer, who feared nothing in the world, was only afraid of Old Mrs. Rathborne. So everyone watched as the previously arrogant and fierce person quickly showed an innocent and aggrieved expression, crying out, "Grandma, it hurts, let go, I’m wrong, don’t embarrass me, Grandma, give me a little face in front of outsiders..." Shaun Spencer kept begging for mercy, and only then did Old Mrs. Rathborne let him go. Serena watched this Young Master Burke who had suddenly arrived, and roughly understood that he was the Old Mrs.’s biological grandson. This pair of grandmother and grandson was quite amusing. "Old Mrs., shall we eat the candy?" Serena spoke up. "Candy? What kind of candy is this?" Shaun Spencer’s sharp phoenix eyes immediately fell distrustfully on Serena, scrutinizing her from head to toe, "Who are you to give things for my grandma to eat? How do I know you don’t have bad intentions?" Shaun Spencer reached out to snatch the candy from Serena’s hand. With a "snap," Old Mrs. Rathborne reached out and swatted Shaun Spencer’s hand away, "You little brat, watch your words. Serena is my little fairy!" Shaun Spencer looked down and saw that his hand was already red from the smack, "Grandma, you’re really violent, am I your biological grandson? And what’s this little fairy business, I think ugly girl is more like it, otherwise why is she wearing a face veil, clearly she can’t see people..." At that moment, Old Mrs. Rathborne shot a violent look over, and Shaun Spencer immediately closed his mouth. "Little fairy, don’t be afraid. I’ve said it here today, if he dares to touch a single hair on you, I’ll chop off his hands immediately. If he bullies you, don’t waste words with him, just smack him, his skin won’t itch after that." Old Mrs. Rathborne said to Serena with a big smile. Grandma, was my mom picked up from the street? Shaun Spencer was dumbfounded; he had never seen his grandma like a girl so much. Serena naturally wouldn’t fuss with Shaun Spencer, ignoring this surprise, they still had to focus back on the main topic. "Old Mrs., don’t worry, if anyone dares bully me, I won’t be soft on them. Let’s eat the candy first." "What flavor is this candy?" "Um... Snow Grass flavored." Snow Grass flavored candy, Old Mrs. Rathborne really hadn’t eaten it before, but it seemed like it would be very sweet. She liked sneaking desserts with Tess from the Crawford family the most. Old Mrs. Rathborne obediently opened her mouth and took in the white candy. But the next second, a bitterness of herbal medicine spread in her mouth, and Old Mrs. Rathborne pulled a bitter face, "This is medicine, little fairy, you tricked me!" At that moment, Serena swiftly raised her hand and directly inserted the Golden Needle she was holding into Old Mrs. Rathborne’s head. "Damn, you really dared to give my grandma medicine. My grandma hates bitter medicine the most. Grandma, spit it out quickly!" Shaun Spencer jumped out, using both hands cupped as a pouch for Old Mrs. Rathborne to spit out the medicine from her mouth. Old Mrs. Rathborne wanted to spit it out, but Serena’s clear and composed voice sounded, "Old Mrs., the needle is in your head; don’t move or it will hurt a lot." Old Mrs. Rathborne was so scared that she stiffened all over; she was afraid of bitterness, and also afraid of pain. At this moment, Serena blinked her long lashes, her brows curved as she smiled, "Old Mrs., herbal medicine in the mouth is so bitter, I’ll tell you a less bitter way; that is to bravely swallow it." Old Mrs. Rathborne didn’t dare to move, unable to spit, unable to not spit, so she could only close her eyes and swallow the medicine. Shaun Spencer was stunned to see it from the side; his grandma hated taking medicine the most. Every time she had to take medicine, the whole Rathborne family would coax her until she secretly dumped it. It was the first time he had seen his grandma actually swallow the medicine.
Substitute Bride: Utterly Pampered by Her Billionaire Husband - Chapter 173
Updated: Oct 28, 2025 8:16 AM
