“Carrie, how can you drop your cutlery at dinner with Grandpa? Where are your manners?” Shannon
lectured Carrie with a long face.
“That’s enough. It’s just cutlery. Must you yell at the child?”
Nigel had a problem with Shannon because Carrie was his precious granddaughter.
Shannon gripped her fingers under the table. She could be med for breathing in the presence of the
old man.
“Grandpa, Dad, Mom, I’m finished with dinner.”
With her cheeks burning in shame, Carrie kept her head down and bit her lips as she left the dinner
table in a hurry.
Justin stared in contemtion at his sister’s receding figure while falling into thought.
Bethany was delighted to get even with Carrie.
‘You should stay an invisible dummy, Carrie. You didn’t have to endure the humiliation. But that’s what
you get for trying to get with my man. Open your eyes and see who is Mom’s and Dad’s favorite and
who deserves to stand next to Ryan!’
“Why Ryan?”
Nigel blinked and asked in bewilderment, “I thought Ryan was into Anna.”
Gregory, Shannon, and Bethany made a face.
They were speechless.
Justin was taking a sip of his drink when his grandfather’s remark made him choke.
The man clutched the ss, his face grimacing.
“Why would Ryan be interested in Be, Grandpa ?” Bethany turned flushed with rage.
“Doesn’t he like Anna? I might be 80, but I can read the room. Ryan. was all over Anna at my birthday
celebration. He couldn’t stay away from Anna. I’m sure he’s the type to be loyal to his wife.”
While talking, Nigel side-eyed Justin, who scowled. “Since Ryan was interested, I thought about setting
Anna and him up since the Hoffmans are in the same social ss as Anna’s family. Most importantly,
Ryan is good to Anna. He cares about her wholeheartedly. I’m sure he can give Anna a better life if
they end up together.”
‘A better life? As if Ryan and Be would have a better life together.”
Justin thought, his fingers clenched so hard that he could crush the ss he was holding.
Nigel never mentioned Justin’s name, but Justin could tell that thements were directed at him.
Ryan yed the field and experienced his first intimacy at the age of 16. He could not even keep his
pants on, yet Nigel had the nerve to set Ryan and Be up together. Talk about reading the room.
Justin had nothing to say.
“Am I your granddaughter, or is Be your granddaughter, Grandpa?”
Bethany was so angry she could cry. “Ryan loves me, not her. You should be paying attention to me.
Why would you pair Ryan with her?”
“You like Ryan, but are the feelings mutual on his part?” Nigel looked at her seriously and asked.
“I… I…” Bethany was at a loss for words.
“I saw how Ryan acted around you at the birthday celebration. You didn’t even say a word to each
other. Ryan didn’t even look at you.”
Consumed by rage and embarrassment, Bethany gritted her teeth.
However, Nigel was right. She could not refute the truth.
“We don’t need our girls to marry for business, but they can’t be throwing themselves at men. You can’t
force things to happen, or they might turn out badly.”
ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .
Nigel was not optimistic about the marriage. He shook his head. ” Besides, you and Ryan are two very
different people. Ryan is hot- tempered. I can imagine the heated arguments when you marry him.”
“Grandpa!” Bethany teared up.
“What do you expect Bethany to answer, Dad? She’s a girl. Have some consideration for her feelings.”
Coming to his daughter’s rescue, Gregory said with a smile, “Ryan feels something for Bethany. I know
that because he came to the house the other day to have a word with Bethany. Shannon and I were
home, so we saw him.”
As Bethany’s mind wandered back to what Ryan said, her heart sank.
She knew that Ryan could not stand her, but so what?
Bethany believed she could marry Ryan once she got her whole family in on it. With time, Ryan was
bound to fall in love with her and be captivated by her charm.