Chapter 88 Coming to the Door
Sloane's POV
Watching his resolute figure walk away, the doubts in my heart only grew stronger.
I closed the door and handed the envelope to Jared, who had somehow appeared behind me. "Your stuff."
He took it and casually tossed it on the sofa, but his attention was entirely on me. "What did he say to you?"
"Nothing," I shook my head and told him the details. "But the way he looked at me was strange, like he wanted to say something, and also like he was... struggling with something."
After hearing this, Jared suddenly reached out and gently pinched my cheek, his lips curving into an ambiguous smile. "Probably feeling guilty about you."
"Guilty?" I was even more confused. Christian had only shown me hostility and scrutiny—where would guilt come from?
But Jared didn't explain further. He just pulled me into his arms and changed the subject awkwardly. "Hungry? Try the croissants I brought."
The more casual he acted about it, the more it bothered me.
Christian's hesitant look and his final ambiguous words were like a tiny thorn lodged in my heart.
Just as I was about to press him further, the living room phone rang.
Jared answered, and Grandma's energetic voice came through. Hearing we were both home, she immediately invited us back to the estate for dinner.
On the way to the estate, Jared held my hand tightly the whole time, our fingers intertwined.
The car had barely stopped at the main house when a striking figure came rushing out like a whirlwind.
"Jared! Sloane!" Hannah wore a bright yellow dress, looking like a lively butterfly as she ran to our car.
When she saw our tightly clasped hands, her eyes lit up instantly.
She walked around Jared in an exaggerated circle, clicking her tongue in amazement. "Well, well, brother, you've finally figured it out!"
Jared was unfazed by her teasing, just giving her a light glance, though the corners of his lips unconsciously turned up.
Hannah immediately linked her arm through mine affectionately, "stealing" me from Jared's side. As she pulled me inside, she shouted toward Grandma's room, "Grandma! Come out and see! You can start waiting for your great-grandchild!"
Hearing this, the old lady came out leaning on her cane, beaming. When she saw how close Jared and I were, her face lit up with joy.
"Good, very good!" The old woman couldn't stop smiling. She came forward and took my hand, bringing me from Hannah's side to her own, looking me up and down lovingly while asking after me. "Sloane dear, how have you been? You look much better. That rascal Jared hasn't been bullying you, has he?"
I shook my head, feeling warmth in my heart. "Grandma, he's been very good to me lately."
"That's good!" The old lady nodded with relief, then turned to glare at Jared. "You hear that? From now on, you treat Sloane even better. If I hear you've been a jerk again, I'll break your legs!"
Jared stood to the side, unusually patient, just responding in a low voice, "Grandma, I understand."
Under the warm lights, Hannah chattered away about amusing stories, Grandma held my hand asking about this and that, and Jared stood beside me, occasionally chiming in, his expression softer than I'd ever seen.
In this moment, Montclair Estate was no longer the cold and oppressive place I'd known. Instead, it was filled with the warmth of home, a picture of harmony.
The warm lighting cast a golden glow over the dining room, and the long table was laden with exquisite dishes. This harmonious scene was something I wouldn't have dared dream of before.
Grandma sat at the head of the table, smiling so widely that the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes smoothed out. She placed a piece of tender beef in my bowl while chattering, "Sloane dear, you're too thin. You need to eat more and take care of your health so you can give me a chubby great-grandchild."
Her words were straightforward, and Hannah immediately joined in the teasing, winking at me. "Exactly! Sister-in-law, you've got to work hard—the future of the Montclair family depends on you!"
My cheeks flushed uncontrollably, and I instinctively stole a glance at Jared. He was looking down, carefully removing fish bones with the serving chopsticks, his movements focused and patient, as if it were the most important task in the world. Sensing my gaze, he looked up, a faint smile rippling in his eyes. He placed the deboned fish in my bowl, his voice low. "Why are you looking at me? Eat."
His casual intimacy only confirmed Hannah's teasing.
I lowered my head in embarrassment. Perhaps I should tell them the truth about my pregnancy.
But this warm atmosphere felt like a fragile bubble, so beautiful it made me uneasy.
Sure enough, the peace was soon shattered.
The butler walked in looking troubled and announced, "Madam... Aeneas has arrived with Keira."
As soon as he finished speaking, the temperature in the dining room seemed to drop to freezing.
The smile vanished from Hannah's face, and Grandma's expression darkened, her grip on her chopsticks tightening.
My heart sank. I looked up and met Jared's gaze. He grasped my hand under the table and squeezed it hard, silently conveying reassurance.
Footsteps sounded at the door. Aeneas entered with a dark expression, supporting a "fragile" figure.
Keira wore a simple white dress with no makeup, looking particularly pale and haggard.
Her ankle was wrapped in bandages, and she leaned weakly against Aeneas, looking so pitiful that anyone would feel sorry for her.
As soon as she entered, her gaze landed precisely on my and Jared's clasped hands. A flash of venom crossed her eyes, quickly replaced by deep sorrow.
"Grandma, Jared..." Her voice was weak, with just the right amount of tremor. "I heard you were having a family dinner. I'm sorry to intrude, but I just wanted to... say hello to everyone."
When Aeneas saw me, his expression grew even darker, his eyes full of undisguised disgust and contempt.
Grandma slammed her silver knife and fork onto her plate with a harsh clang.
She glanced coldly at the unwelcome pair at the door, her tone devoid of warmth. "Butler, show them out. Seeing irrelevant people makes me lose my appetite."
Grandma's merciless words made Keira's face turn deathly pale. She bit her lower lip, her eyes immediately reddening as if she'd suffered a great injustice.
Having been publicly humiliated by his mother, Aeneas's face turned iron-gray. Not daring to lash out at the old lady, he directed all his fury at Jared.
"You despicable creature!" He pointed at Jared's nose and shouted, his voice rising with anger. "Keira got hurt because of you and is still in the hospital, and what do you do? You don't even care! Instead, you're here being all lovey-dovey with this woman! Has your conscience been eaten by dogs?!"