Chapter 217 The Rival in Love Gets Jealous

Matthew was not someone to mess with.

He'd been onto Raymond's game for a while now, and today he was making it clear he wasn't backing down. 

He knew Elizabeth would listen to him and sit by his side.

After all, someone like Raymond was simply not worthy of Elizabeth, and he didn't understand her at all; they were just not suited for each other.But Raymond didn't see it that way. The two of them locked eyes, and they both saw sparks in each other's gaze.

Raymond sneered. Just thinking about Silvermist City made him loathe Matthew even more.

How could the Moore family heir care about Elizabeth? It was probably just a passing fancy, and once he got bored, he'd drop her like a hot potato.

But today was Elizabeth's birthday party, and with her mom and close friends around, Raymond needed to remind Elizabeth carefully without being too blunt.

"Guys are way more complicated than you think. They're born liars. You'll never really know what's going on in their hearts."

"He might be with you here, but back home, who knows if there's another girl waiting for him."

Raymond almost mentioned Nova by name, so Elizabeth got the hint.

Raymond's willingness to stand up to Matthew for her touched Elizabeth a bit. She walked over and looked at him seriously.

"Thanks for telling me this today. As a friend, you've done more than enough. But my future is something I want to figure out on my own. Who knows what choices I'll make?"

There were plenty of guys out there; she didn't have to be with Matthew.

Raymond felt a wave of relief and smiled, throwing a triumphant glance at Matthew.

The mood at the table took a nosedive.

Matthew's face was cold, but he wasn't mad at Elizabeth. He could feel Raymond's hostility.

He hadn't expected this illegitimate child from the Carter family to have the guts to go after his girl and stir up trouble!

He wanted Elizabeth to be happy, so he wouldn't cause a scene at her birthday party.

But Matthew would remember this. Once back in Silvermist City, he'd deal with the Carter family.

After the table fell silent, everyone had different expressions, and no one broke the silence.

Nola, sensing the awkwardness, decided to serve the food quickly.

Once everyone started eating, there'd be no time for arguments.

She hadn't expected that Elizabeth had so many admirers, and seating them at the same table was bound to cause troubles.

They were dining at her villa today, and most of the dishes were prepared by Nola herself.

She had also ordered a cake from a famous local bakery, which was already delivered and waiting to be served after the meal.

As Nola brought out the dishes, several men quickly stood up to help.

In no time, the table was set, and Leandro even pulled out a chair for her with a warm smile.

"You've been working hard for so long. Please, sit down and join us! The food smells amazing, and I've been looking forward to it!" Leandro said with a warm smile.

Nola was flattered and immediately took a liking to Leandro. As the captain of the police force, he had a stable job, a bright future, and high social status. Many would consider him an ideal son-in-law.

Nola was no exception and served Leandro first. "Thank you for all your help recently, and for bringing a gift today. You should have the first bite!"

Elizabeth discreetly glanced at Matthew's expression, but it was too late to stop Nola. Alice also took a sharp breath, silently observing Matthew's reaction.

Matthew's face was indeed grim, clearly showing his anger. Nola had always been kind to Matthew, but now, with Leandro's presence, she seemed to overlook him. He was even feeling jealous, thinking Nola might be trying to set up Elizabeth with Leandro.

Leandro, however, didn't seem to notice the others' reactions and took a bite of the dish. The delicious fish was tender and flavorful, and he enthusiastically gave Nola a thumbs-up. "You're amazing! This is the best fish I've ever had!"

Nola was even more pleased and served Leandro several more pieces before giving some to the others. But the difference in her attitude was noticeable to everyone.

Alan didn't mind. He was just happy to be there and taste Nola's cooking. Caught between these men, he felt a bit awkward and didn't dare have any thoughts about Elizabeth. 

Alan kept his head down, eating quietly, hoping the strange atmosphere would soon pass.

But Raymond spoke up again, his tone still mocking. "Mr. Moore, why aren't you eating the fish? Is it because the Moore family is so well-off that you only eat seafood and abalone, and you look down on freshwater fish?"

Matthew hadn't said anything like that, but Raymond twisted his words to provoke him. 

Nola immediately picked up on the tension and glanced at Elizabeth, unsure how she would handle it. Nola had always refrained from interfering too much in Elizabeth's personal affairs. Elizabeth's future happiness should be in her own hands.

Elizabeth had been in a good mood, but the tension between the men was too much. Even with her good temper, she couldn't help but frown and give them a warning look.

"I don't care what you do in private, but today you're my guests. You brought gifts to my birthday party, so can we just have a peaceful celebration?"

Raymond realized he had gone too far in front of Nola and gave an awkward smile, falling silent to avoid angering Elizabeth. Matthew snorted but didn't argue further with Raymond. He tasted the dish Nola had served and returned to his usual gentle demeanor.

"Your cooking is indeed excellent, but I'm curious about Elizabeth's culinary skills," Matthew said, looking at Elizabeth with a smile in his eyes.

Elizabeth felt a bit embarrassed under his gaze and nervously touched her nose. "My cooking is okay."

Her dishes were edible, and her meals were passable, but that was about it.