Eating together should be an enjoyable activity. A moment where family members can bond while discussing various things. At the very least, it should include small talk, asking about each other’s news and daily lives. But that’s not what’s happening right now.
For your information, Andreas is not the creator of world peace. He never had any noble intentions to reunite his broken family. Quite the opposite.
His eyes move around, a slight smile curls his lips. Andreas seems to be enjoying the scene on the dining table.
Look at them. They’re all really enjoying this meal.
Andreas chuckles briefly. He leaves his plate for a moment, trying to hide his amusement as a strong sense of tension fills the air.
“Tonight’s menu must be so delicious that I haven’t heard a word for a while. What do you think, darling?”
Being sweet and polite is indeed Andreas’ trademark. But Vlora didn’t expect him to do it now, in this tense atmosphere.
“It’s a perfect dish,” Vlora replies gracefully. “I think Nana likes it.”
Noelle takes a deep breath and stops eating. “Of course. You’ve prepared very well tonight. I am grateful. Besides, this event finally allows me to see someone who has always piqued her curiosity.”
Andreas’ gaze shifts to the other side. Lydia’s hands suddenly stop moving when she hears Noelle’s words. Noelle’s words must have hit her unintentionally.
Even if Lydia wanted to deny it, Andreas could help clarify everything. And that’s exactly what Andreas did.
“Oh! It’s true. Nana has never met Mama Lydia.”
The tension became more palpable. The faces that at first tried to hide their anxiety can no longer pretend. They are all on high alert for anything that might happen. They really can’t predict what Andreas will do.
“What about this, Dad?”
This time Andreas turns to Bryan. He smiles, showing an innocent expression, as if he just found out.
“How come you never introduced Mama Lydia to Nana? I thought it was just a rumor, but it turns out…”
“Andreas.”
Andreas smiles as Bryan cuts him off. It’s hard for him to contain his laughter, especially when Noelle speaks shortly after.
“How can he introduce this woman to me, Reas? It’s just the opposite. This woman had to be hidden all this time.”
Lydia turns bright red. She looks at Bryan, but he doesn’t say anything.
“Oh, not only have you been hiding this woman. You’ve been hiding yourself, too. How long has it been since you’ve seen your birth mother?” Noelle continues, her voice a little sarcastic. It’s an inappropriate attitude, but she doesn’t care. “Since you have everything, you’ve forgotten your own mother.”
Bryan could not deny the truth of Noelle’s words. He had indeed used various tactics to secure everything, especially his position as the CEO of the Sanders Group.
Basically, all women were the same, susceptible to apologies and pitiful expressions, especially when accompanied by sweet promises. Just like Bryan had done with Noelle and Amanda.
Bryan had used such tactics. Like a man living in remorse, he appeared with promises to make complete amends. He would become the husband and son he should have been.
Perhaps Noelle’s mental state was unstable at the time. Her failing health had caused her alertness to diminish. She believed Bryan’s words, even after the affair was discovered, and since then she had never trusted her son’s words.
And then there was Amanda, blinded by love, believing that her prayers had changed his nature and caused her to melt.
Noelle and Amanda were deceived. By the time they realized it, it was too late.
Bryan would never leave Lydia and Jonas. Everything he did was only to make them happy. It did not matter if he was called a disobedient son or a wicked husband, as long as the women and his beloved son could live happily.
So, it’s not surprising that Bryan couldn’t respond to Noelle’s words. He had no room to defend himself.
“Is it your affair that keeps you from seeing me?”
Lydia had heard words like “affair” or “mistress” too often. But it was different when she heard it from Noelle.
Jonas felt the same way. His face flushed and he couldn’t accept his mother being called that way. If Bryan couldn’t talk, he would.
“I thought my mother did it with good intentions. Mom didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings any more. Getting fake affection and attention…”
Without hesitation, Jonas looked alternately at Noelle and Asmita. He smiled faintly.
“… is a pitiful thing, isn’t it?”
Noelle’s eyes narrowed. Without being cornered, she replied, “Is that what you think?”
“Of course. Everyone here clearly knows who is more appreciated.”
Andreas chuckled quietly. He knew that Jonas’ words had touched Bryan’s confidence in him.
“It’s because I allow Dad to appreciate you, Jonas,” Andreas remarked, shaking his head. “You see, right? Dad chose to sit next to Nana instead of being with all of you. Do you know what that means?”
Jonas opened his mouth. Unfortunately, Andreas didn’t give Jonas a chance to speak.
“If dad wanted to, he could sit with all of you. I can’t control dad, he makes his own decisions. So what do you think?”
Now Jonas turned to Bryan. He waited to see if Bryan would do something. Because, oh my! Andreas’ words had some truth to them.
“You should realize, Jonas, that you are not appreciated, but pitied. You can see it yourself. Right now, dad hasn’t moved from his place.”
Bryan found himself backed into a corner by the undeniable facts Andreas presented.
Embarrassed? You can’t even imagine. Bryan never thought that Andreas would humiliate him like that.
Oh, this was not just about seating arrangements. It was far from that. Instead, Bryan’s choice proved an undeniable point.
“No matter how long it takes, Dad will never be able to leave Nana and Mom. Never hope to be recognized as a family. Why? Because dad can’t stand without the help of grandma and mom.”
Jonas’ patience had run out. “Is that what you want, Reas? To humiliate us?” he asked, slamming his spoon down on his plate. “You’re being childish, Reas. Oh, why don’t you throw a tantrum right now? Ask me for Progun, and I might give it to you.”
Childish? Andreas had often heard Bryan say that to him. Now Jonas did it too.
Andreas smiled. It didn’t matter if he was called childish. He had to be the perfect distraction and of course he was happy to wear that label.
“Can I have a tantrum, Dad?”
“So, is that your purpose in inviting us all? Just to feed your childish ego? You’re really embarrassing and immature, Reas. If you hadn’t married that woman…” Bryan looked at Vlora condescendingly. He sighed. “… you could be running Elysian Twill Mills, but you’re ungrateful.”
Andreas rolled his eyes. “As if you know the meaning of grateful.”
Once again, Andreas’ words left Bryan speechless. He grew more and more frustrated while the others, surprisingly, seemed to hold back their frustration with him. How could he corner Vlora so openly?
Not only Noelle, even Amanda and Vian, who had chosen to remain passive until now, finally turned away. They looked at Vlora with concern. Vlora, however, seemed calm and unperturbed.
Vlora looked at them one by one with a thin smile. She conveyed the attitude that there was nothing to worry about. Everything was fine.
A mere statement wouldn’t mean anything to Vlora. Andreas knew that. But he felt the need to say something here.
“Besides, I hope dad can see where he stands now. Vlora is the lady of this house, so please mind your manners, dad. Don’t let Vlora know that the family etiquette is really deplorable. Besides…”
There seemed to be something else that Andreas had to emphasize. He couldn’t understand why Bryan kept bringing up this topic when what he wanted was already quite clear.
“… Elysian Twill Mills can stand on its own without help from anyone. I’ll take care of it as soon as I get everything settled.”
There was a moment of silence when Andreas finished speaking. He deliberately created a pause to gauge Bryan and Jonas’ reactions.
“Are you threatening me, Reas?”
Jonas’ answer was met with a grin from Andreas. “I’m not threatening, I’m reminding. Regardless of the greed inherent in human nature, you should at least be self-aware. So be careful.”
“It’s not that simple, Reas,” Jonas replied with a grin. “You think I’ll just keep quiet?”
“No, you won’t. You’re going to take action, but just think. What will people say when the bastard child shows up? The family’s reputation could be ruined. Aren’t you ashamed? You’re not worthy, Jonas.”
Jonas clenched his fist. His jaw hardened and the veins in his face stood out.
Again and again, Andreas said something that Jonas could never challenge.
“You’re a coward, Reas.”
Andreas chuckled quietly. “I’m not a coward, Jonas. I can make sure that I embarrass you in other ways. Do you want to see?”
Jonas remained silent, but his expression was more than enough of an answer.
“Don’t push me into any real action. I’m afraid you and your mother will lose a lot,” Andreas continued casually, looking alternately at Jonas and Lydia. “Give up everything that isn’t rightfully yours. I want you to return everything that belongs to me, and if you don’t, I’ll make sure that everything goes down with you.”
A stern warning. Andreas no longer used signals or veiled words. It was clear to Bryan and Jonas that Andreas was now deadly serious.
But what could Andreas do? Wasn’t he just an immature man with a penchant for stirring people’s emotions?
In the eyes of Bryan and Jonas, Andreas couldn’t do anything. His life was spent almost entirely on useless things.
“I’m looking forward to it, Reas.”
When they exchanged glances, Vlora knew that the conversation between Andreas and Jonas was over. She used the opportunity to speak.
“I hope everyone isn’t too full yet, considering how delicious tonight’s dessert is.”
*