Ava brought over a cup of ck coffee. Everett nced up, took a sip, and replied casually, "I''ve already got a son and a daughter. Mateo is top-notch in every way. When ites to heirs, it''s about quality, not quantity. We''re not running a farm here. Why have a bunch?"


    Sure, big families love the idea of having lots of kids, but more heirs just mean morepetition. And if they''re not from the same mom, they might end up at each other''s throats over who gets what. Just like Everett''s situation—no siblings, but a whole bunch of uncles. If he lets his guard down even a little, they''d be causing trouble. It''s a headache and a half.


    So, he''s not keen on letting his kids go through that mess. Unless they turn out to be total failures, of course. But right now, Selena, besides being drop-dead


    gorgeous, is super smart and has done a ster job raising the kids. She''s nailed


    it.


    All things being equal, Mateo is shaping up to be the future of Bet Corporation. Hearing this, Ava walked away with a smile.


    Of course, not everyone was happy. Carolina''s face turned frosty. Comparing kids'' inheritance to running a farm? Really?


    She realized, even if Everett went back to being his old detached self, his views had already been swayed by Selena. Back in the day, he''d never have talked like this. Now, it''s obvious he only wants kids from Selena, hence the no-more-kids stance. But if it were about having more with Selena, he''d probably be singing a different tune.


    Carolina wasn''t in a hurry for him to get hitched to Joy. But seeing him hanging around Selena so muchtely gother all riled up. She was


    annoyed, but she knew Everett et


    all grown and independent, didn''t respond well to pressure. She had to be gentle.


    "Everett, you''re right. It was my oversight. Mateo is amazing," she started, then shifted gears, "And that''s why Joy would be the perfect mom for him. She''s liked you


    while you were married. Now that you''re single, she finally wants a shot. She''s a great girl, and I hope you''ll consider giving her a chance."


    forever never causing any not


    "Plus, the Kesler family and ours have always been tight. The current head is about to step down, and Joy''s brother, Abraham, looks set to take over. You know how big that is."


    Sure, the Bet family and Bet


    Corporation are the top dogs in


    Newport, but staying on top means keeping up good ties with other power yers. Newport''s current leader was tight with Josh and even took a bullet for him, which really


    helped Josh rise above the rest. Since Josh passed, things have


    cooled a bit-everyone wants a


    piece of the pie.


    Abraham''s a hot contender, and everyone''s trying to get in good with him. But what''s more solid than family ties?


    Carolina truly liked Joy, but honestly, without Joy''s connections, she wouldn''t be pushing so hard.