Chapter 226 Back Off, Scumbag Dad!
Robert froze the moment he saw the figure in the doorway. His mouth opened, yet no words came out.
For a second, he wondered if his eyes were playing tricks on him.
The man standing there was none other than Michael—the very pinnacle of wealth and influence in River City, the sole power behind the Johnson Group.
Robert's expression was a mixture of disbelief and confusion. A man like Michael didn't just appear in the Martinez family's living room without reason. What on earth was going on?
"Mr. Johnson, you're here," Jenny said smoothly.
Just moments ago she had been sharp and unyielding, her words cutting like glass. Now, in the presence of her potential son-in-law, her demeanor shifted effortlessly into something poised and refined. Quentin was an outsider; his opinion didn't matter. But Michael? Appearances mattered here.
"My apologies, Ms. Jenkins," Michael replied, his tone courteous but steady. "There was traffic on the way back from picking up an emerald ring as a gift. I was delayed."
He turned toward Robert, who was still staring at him as if trying to process the sight. "Mr. Martinez," Michael said evenly, "I'm Amelia's boyfriend."
The words hit him like a thunderclap.
For two seconds Robert simply nodded on instinct, his mind failing to catch up. Then, recognition dawned on him full force, and his head snapped up.
What? Michael was Amelia's boyfriend?
Jenny had mentioned earlier that Amelia was in a relationship… and he was the man she was talking about?
Robert stood rooted to the spot, stunned as if lightning had struck him. His gaze swept the room. Every face—his wife's, his sons'—was calm, unsurprised. They had all known. They had all kept it from him.
No… Michael must have been invited here. Which meant they had known for some time. Which meant he, Amelia's own father, had been the only one left in the dark.
"This… what is this?" Robert managed, his voice catching. "Mr. Johnson, are you saying you and our Amelia…"
"Can't you figure it out yourself?" Jenny's voice cut in, cool and dismissive.
"You've never paid attention to Amelia. You didn't even know she had someone she cared about. All you've ever done is try to push her toward someone else."
Her tone was edged with impatience, but Robert barely registered it now. His mind was spinning with a single, dizzying thought.
How had the Martinez family stumbled into such impossible good fortune?
This was Michael—the man whose name carried absolute weight in River City. He was interested in Amelia and they were dating now… which meant their engagement could follow, then marriage.
If that happened, Amelia would be the wife of the head of Johnson Group. The sole mistress of the Johnson family.
The thought burned through Robert's mind like wildfire, almost intoxicating.
"This… this is…" He drew in a breath, trying to contain the rush of elation. He looked at Amelia with a mix of mock reproach and astonishment. "Amelia, you're dating Mr. Johnson? Something this important, and you didn't think to tell me?"
Only minutes ago, he had been berating her, even dragging her late mother's name into the argument. Now, with this revelation, his entire demeanor had flipped.
And yet, from the moment she had come home, he hadn't asked once about her injury. Not a single word of concern—only criticism.
Amelia met his gaze briefly, her expression unreadable, then looked away. She didn't bother to answer. She had long since stopped expecting anything from him.
Across the room, Quentin was still processing what he'd heard.
Michael's status in River City was no mystery to him. Even the Williams family couldn't match the Johnson Group in reach or power. A man like Michael could have any woman he wanted—women who would line up for the chance to be noticed.
And yet he had chosen Amelia? A girl who had grown up in the countryside, a girl Quentin had always thought of as beneath the circles they moved in?
He didn't care about her background? He didn't think she was unworthy of him?
The realization twisted in Quentin's chest. So that was why Amelia had been so cold to him. He had thought she was the kind of woman who couldn't be swayed by money or power. But no—she had already secured someone wealthier, more powerful.
No wonder she had turned down the necklace worth tens of thousands without hesitation. With a connection to the Johnson family, what was the Williams family to her?
Jealousy and resentment surged inside him, hot and bitter.
"So, Mr. Johnson, you're here for dinner?" Robert asked quickly, his voice suddenly warm and ingratiating. He turned to Jenny. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? I could have had the staff prepare something special."
Then his eyes landed on Quentin, still seated on the sofa. "Quentin, you came to check on Amelia, didn't you? Well, you've seen her. We have a guest now, so why don't I have the driver take you home?"
Ten minutes ago, Robert had been insisting that Quentin was his invited guest, bristling when Amelia had asked him to leave. Now, without a word from her, he was eager to usher Quentin out the door—anything to avoid Michael getting the wrong idea.
The shift was so abrupt that Quentin could only stare.
"Mr. Martinez, I—"
"Mr. Johnson, please don't misunderstand," Robert said, cutting him off without a glance. His attention was fixed entirely on Michael. "What I said earlier about Amelia and Quentin having an engagement… that was just talk.
"Vaughn told me himself that young people should be free to choose who they want to be with. That arrangement is meaningless now.
"I didn't know Amelia was seeing someone. Now that I do—and now that I know it's you—you have my full support."
He turned back toward Amelia, his expression suddenly painted with concern. "By the way, Amelia, how did you get hurt today? And that cast… is the injury serious?" He stepped forward as if to inspect her injury. "Let me have a look…"