Chapter 43 Family Dinner Gathering
Ethan raised his eyebrows slightly, a hint of amusement flashing in his deep eyes.
Given Susan's usual mean personality, there was no way she would invite him—a just-released ex-convict—to a family dinner with relatives. She'd want to keep as far away from him as possible to avoid embarrassment.
"Alright, I'll be right there." Ethan happened to be free lately, so he agreed without hesitation.
After hanging up, a tempting fragrance suddenly filled the air.
Mia, wearing an extremely revealing black silk low-cut camisole and only a pair of ultra-short hot pants, jumped out from behind the sofa.
Without any hesitation, she wrapped her arms tightly around Ethan's arm, pressing her full breasts firmly against his strong arm muscles, even deliberately rubbing against them.
"Ethan~ Where are you going? Take me with you, please?"
Mia blinked her seductive big eyes playfully, her long legs pressed close to Ethan, her voice so sweet it could make an ordinary man's bones go weak instantly.
"I've been helping you manage the company every day lately. You need to treat me to a nice meal to make it up to me!"
Feeling the amazing sensation on his arm, Ethan didn't even lift an eyelid and simply pulled his arm away.
"Just a family dinner." Ethan stood up and casually grabbed a pure black jacket to put on.
"Cheapskate! Heartless man!" Mia pouted her tempting red lips in dissatisfaction, hands on her hips.
Watching Ethan's broad, upright figure disappear through the doorway, a barely noticeable cunning gleam and strong interest flashed in her eyes.
......
Half an hour later, Ethan drove his low-key black SUV to the upscale French restaurant David had sent him.
As soon as he pushed open the private room door, Ethan saw Susan, who had always been extremely mean to him.
"Oh my God! Look who's here! It's our most handsome and charming Ethan!"
Susan, who used to roll her eyes at the sight of Ethan, was now wearing an exaggerated fawning smile and rushed over to greet him.
She enthusiastically pulled out a velvet-cushioned chair for Ethan, and even personally picked up the red wine to pour him a glass. Her tone was so over-the-top it gave people goosebumps.
"Dear Ethan, are you tired from driving? I specially ordered several dishes you used to love! I had a bad temper before and said some harsh things—please don't take them to heart. After all, we're family..."
Susan's eyes were practically sparkling.
Ever since she witnessed Ethan's relationship with Clara firsthand, she understood that Ethan was no longer just an ex-convict. Even Clara had publicly slapped Layla for him!
If she could build a good relationship with him, she'd definitely be able to walk sideways in high society circles!
Ethan sat in his chair, watching Susan's ridiculous behavior without responding, only smiling at his uncle-in-law David sitting across from him.
However, just as Ethan picked up his wine glass to take a sip.
An extremely grating voice, full of arrogance and contempt, suddenly rang out from the other end of the table.
"Susan, are you getting senile in your old age?"
The speaker was Madeline, Susan's distant cousin, wearing an exaggeratedly large pearl necklace around her neck.
She was now looking Ethan up and down with disgust as he sat there in casual clothes, her lips curling into an extremely mean sneer.
"Such an upscale family gathering today—how could you invite an ex-convict just released from prison? What, now any trash with dirty hands can sit at the table and eat with us?"
Faced with Madeline's extremely harsh mockery, Ethan didn't even lift an eyelid. He simply continued cutting the premium filet steak with blood streaks on his plate, forked a piece into his mouth, and even picked up his wine glass to gently swirl the red wine inside, his movements elegant and composed.
He knew very well that these people were Susan's relatives, which meant they were somewhat related to him too.
So he couldn't be bothered to deal with them and simply pretended not to hear.
But David, sitting across from him, had already turned bright red.
He rubbed his hands together, his lips moving awkwardly, wanting to defend Ethan, but his dull and rigid personality left him unable to say a word after struggling for a long time.
Instead, it was the usually sharp-tongued Susan who, hearing Madeline insult Ethan, was so frightened her heart nearly jumped out of her throat!
My God! This stupid pig had no idea what kind of terrifying person was sitting in front of her! This was someone even the Foster family had to treat with respect!
"Madeline! What nonsense are you spouting?"
Susan jumped to her feet. "Ethan is our family! I won't allow you to insult him with such filthy words! Take it back!"
At these words, not only was Madeline stunned, but even David and Evelyn looked at Susan as if they'd seen a ghost.
Was this still the same Susan who looked down on the poor and loved the rich, who couldn't wait to kick Ethan out of the house?
After a brief moment of shock, Madeline not only didn't back down but dramatically covered her mouth and burst into even sharper, more piercing laughter.
"Good lord! Susan, did you take the wrong medicine? Or have you been married to that useless David for so long that your brain has become just as useless?"
Madeline made no effort to hide the contempt in her eyes, her finger pointing arrogantly in the air.
"Look at your whole family—you all reek of poverty from head to toe! Especially Evelyn, graduated from college and can't even find a decent job, only able to wear those cheap clothes that cost a few dollars!"
These blunt words made Evelyn bite her lip in grievance.
"Look at my daughter!" Madeline pulled over the gaudily dressed girl beside her, her chin raised high, her face full of superiority.
"She just got an extremely capable boyfriend! He's a newly listed tech mogul from Silicon Valley, a senior vice president at Polaris Internet! Annual salary in the millions!"
Madeline grew more excited as she spoke, as if she herself had become a billionaire.
She glanced at Ethan with contempt, her eyes looking at him like he was garbage.
"Unlike you people—a whole family of poor nobodies is one thing, but coming to eat at such an upscale restaurant, you actually bring along a useless ex-convict! It's absolutely disgusting!"
This vicious boasting instantly dropped the atmosphere in the private room to freezing point.