Adaline POV:
Garrison Fletcher stood in the doorway, looking even more formidable than I remembered. He was older, more refined, sharper. The years had sculpted him into something truly powerful, far beyond the boy I' d known.
The entire family rose to greet him, their respect almost palpable. They' d known Garrison and his sister since childhood, since their parents died and Bradly' s grandmother took them in. Garrison' s sister had married Bradly' s father, but Garrison had forged his own path, building a tech empire overseas.
The Hayden family, once prominent, had fallen on hard times over the years. It was Garrison, with his immense wealth and business acumen, who had kept them afloat, investing heavily and safeguarding their fortune. Since Bradly' s mother, Garrison' s sister, had passed, the family' s deference to him had become absolute. They feared his displeasure, terrified he might withdraw his support, the very lifeline of their continued prosperity.
Every face in the room was plastered with a wide, welcoming smile. Garrison, however, maintained an icy demeanor, his expression unreadable. Until his eyes met mine.
A soft, almost imperceptible smile touched his lips.
He walked directly to the seat beside me. Bradly, who had foolishly taken a seat next to me, felt the weight of Garrison' s gaze. He squirmed, looking like a scolded child.
I felt a blush creep up my neck. "It wasn' t me," I stammered, trying to explain that Bradly had taken the seat first.
Bradly, however, was quicker. He shot to his feet, muttering an excuse, and fled the room.
Garrison slid into the vacant seat beside me. "It' s a family dinner tonight," he said, his voice warm, a stark contrast to his earlier coolness. "Let' s just relax and enjoy ourselves."
He picked up a serving spoon and gracefully began placing food onto my plate. Then, without a word, he started to peel a shrimp for me.
I leaned in, whispering, "He sat down there himself, not me."
Garrison placed the perfectly peeled shrimp on my plate. He smiled. "I know," he murmured, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Eat first."
Within minutes, my plate was overflowing. Shrimp, peeled. Fish, deboned. He even picked out the spring onions from my dish, knowing I disliked them. Every dish, it seemed, was exactly to my taste.
It was the most pleasant meal I' d had since my rebirth.
Garrison, his eyes twinkling, picked up a napkin and gently dabbed at the corner of my mouth. "Eat slowly," he said, his voice soft.
Just as I swallowed the last bite and opened my mouth to speak, the dining room doors swung open with a dramatic flourish.
"Good evening, everyone!" Janell' s chirpy voice pierced the quiet.
The family turned, their expressions shifting from pleasant surprise to open disapproval. An elder at the far end of the table slammed his fork down.
"You, you illegitimate child!" he spat, his eyes blazing with contempt. He didn' t need to finish his sentence. His gaze was venomous.
Janell' s mother had been my father' s mistress before she married him. To the old-money families, Janell was nothing more than a bastard, a stain on their lineage. She wasn' t supposed to be here. Not at these private family gatherings.
But my father, blinded by his doting affection for Janell, had allowed her to attend, presenting her as the family' s second daughter.
Bradly, however, seemed oblivious to the collective scowl from the family. He pulled out the chair beside him, gesturing for Janell to sit.
"Bradly, are you out of your mind?!" the elder roared, his voice trembling with fury. "How dare you bring an outsider to a family dinner?!"
Janell flinched, shrinking back, her eyes quickly filling with tears. She clutched Bradly' s hand, her lower lip quivering.
Bradly, unwilling to look bad in front of his precious Janell, lifted his chin defiantly. "She' s Adaline' s sister. My sister-in-law. How is she an outsider?"
He then turned to me, his eyes silently pleading, expecting me to back him up.
Instead, he saw Garrison, his hand still holding a napkin, wiping my mouth.
Bradly' s face instantly darkened. He wanted to rage, to shout, but the sheer authority radiating from Garrison silenced him. He couldn' t. So, he turned his furious gaze on me instead.
Garrison, as if noticing nothing, simply smiled, continuing to peel shrimp. He placed another, perfect morsel on my plate.
Bradly slammed his chair against the floor as he sat down, a loud, angry thud that echoed in the room. It was a clear declaration of his rage.
But I didn' t even glance at him. I simply ignored him.
My phone, resting on the table, vibrated. I glanced down. Bradly.
I picked it up, my thumb hovering over the message.
Are you doing this on purpose?
You can do whatever you want, but why drag Garrison into this?
Are you crazy?
Don' t you dare forget who your fiancé is!
Come here now!
