Chapter 86
In the past, he could only catch glimpses of her in her dark or dimly lit room, as he only entered her room after midnight and left early in the morning.
And for that, he cursed himself. How could he not notice her beauty? Just because he hated the idea of an arranged marriage didn't mean he should have ignored her!
Ethan desperately wished he could travel back in time and slap his past self hard on the head to wake him up from his foolishness.
Theo called Ethan a few times, but he didn't answer, as his father seemed to be in a trance, staring at his mother, and smiled before taking his father's hand.
“Dad, it looks like Mom ate too much!” Theo said when their eyes met. “That's why she fell asleep.” He gestured toward the empty plate on the coffee table.
Theo was sure Antonio had given his mother the same slice of cake, and Ethan turned to look at the table, unable to suppress a smile when he saw the empty plate.
“Let's go outside? I'm afraid she'll wake up if we stay here!” Ethan suggested, and Theo responded with a nod.
As they approached the door, Lilian's voice caught their attention.
“Are you done talking?” Her voice sounded hoarse, and Ethan and Theo turned around to see Lilian sitting on the edge of the bed, surprising them both.
“Mom?” Theo approached her with a worried expression. “You can sleep more if you're still tired...”
Lilian tucked her messy hair behind her ear before smiling at Theo, her hand resting gently on his chubby cheek, and before she could respond to Theo, she glanced quickly at Ethan.
Their eyes met briefly before she redirected her attention to Theo.
“I've had enough sleep. And, did you finish talking to your father?” Lilian whispered.
She couldn't contain her curiosity about the conversation, even though she had seen them leaving the room hand in hand when she woke up, she still wanted news from Theo.
“Hmm, we had a good talk. Don't worry, Mom...” Theo reassured her, noticing her concern. “We came here because we were worried you might be bored waiting for us.”
“You did well, son...” Lilian said proudly to Theo.
As they talked, Antonio appeared at the door, informing them that lunch was ready, and the three went downstairs, and once again, Lilian was touched to witness Théo's closeness to Ethan.
Lilian was impressed by how quickly Ethan had won Theo's heart, as Theo's introverted personality and aversion to socializing usually made it difficult for others to approach him.
She remembers that when they arrived, Theo strongly objected when Ethan wanted to carry him.
“Ethan, Théo isn't a baby anymore, he's four years old and can walk on his own...” Lilian said as she shot a piercing glance at Théo, who stared back at her, his eyes reflecting her protest. “I remember you saying earlier that he wasn't a baby anymore!” she reminded him.
“It's okay, Liam,” Ethan replied. “It's the first time I've carried him, so just let him!”
Ethan was willing to carry his four-year-old son to make up for lost time in the past, and he deeply regretted not having been there to witness his son's growth.
Theo rested his head casually on Ethan's shoulder, his arms firmly around his neck, feeling satisfied at his father's words, and looked at his mother, smiling.
Lilian was beginning to suspect what they were up to, so she needed to talk to Ethan about it. She was afraid they had made a deal.
As soon as they entered the dining room, the aroma of the food made Lilian and Théo smile, and after seeing the rows of dishes carefully arranged on the table, Lilian was surprised.
“Ethan, are you expecting more guests? Why did you prepare so many dishes?” She could see that there was enough food to serve twelve people.
“I'm not expecting anyone, actually. This lunch was made for us,” Ethan explained as he pulled out a chair for Theo. “I asked my chef to prepare the best food for Theo and, of course, for you!”
After seating Theo, Ethan helped Lilian sit down next to her son before sitting down across from them. Antonio was nearby, ready to serve drinks, while another maid entered the room and placed a few more plates on the table.
Lilian was speechless.
Did Ethan really believe they could finish all that food? Why did he seem to want to make her fat again with so much food?
“All right, shall we eat?” Ethan said, his eyes fixed on Theo as he asked him what he wanted to try.
Lilian remained silent as Ethan helped Theo, and she also began to feel hungry when her eyes landed on the grilled lobster on the table. Just before they started eating, another waitress entered the room and whispered something to Antonio, who was standing in the corner.
Instantly, Antonio's calm expression turned stern, and he rushed over to Ethan and leaned in to whisper something urgently.
Ethan's smile disappeared, and the change in Ethan's expression was enough for Lilian to realize that something disturbing had happened.
“Ethan, what happened?” Lilian asked anxiously, but he didn't answer right away. Instead, he exchanged a few words with Antonio before he disappeared from view. Finally, Ethan turned his attention back to Lilian.
“It's nothing. Please, you can start eating.” In a calm tone, he reassured her.
Lilian didn't believe his words, as she could clearly see the irritation in his eyes.
“I could tell something was bothering you, Ethan. I...” Lilian's words trailed off when a familiar laugh reached her ears from behind her, and she recognized the voice instantly.
Not only did Lilian recognize the voice, but Théo did too, and he stopped in the middle of a bite, turning his attention to the source of the laughter.
“Great-grandfather!!” Theo said in surprise. "You came here too!
When Lilian's gaze fell on Nelson, who had suddenly appeared there, she was speechless and wondered if Ethan had invited his grandfather as well. Still, she was speechless when she saw his clear focus on Nelson Legrand, as if expressing his anger toward him.
Lilian immediately realized that Nelson Legrand had come to that house uninvited, and it was no wonder Ethan seemed unhappy. However, another question arose in her mind: why did Nelson show up here suddenly? Did someone tell him we were visiting Ethan's house? Did her grandfather tell him?