Few minutes later, Raymond was driving to the old mansion with Lina seated in the passenger seat. Raymond was surprised when Lina had asked if she could follow him to his family’s house. His anger from earlier immediately dissipated.
Though he found the old man’s sudden sickness suspicious, he was still concerned about him. Having Lina concerned about his family shows that she had accepted him with his family also.
She just knew how to cheer him up without even doing anything serious. Raymond was focused on driving while Lina was busy admiring his side profile. She didn’t even hide that she was checking him out. She turned her body to face him a little. Her cheek was resting on her palm as she kept staring with her big doe eyes.
“Have you seen enough?” Raymond could feel Lina’s intense gaze on him even when his eyes were focused on the road. Her gaze was almost pulling off his clothes.
“No,” Lina blurted out without thinking.
Raymond burst into a peal of laughter at Lina’s response. His laughter filled the car. Lina could feel her heart beating fast listening to Raymond’s happy laughter. Lina would say this was the first time she would be listening to Raymond’s laughter.
It had been either chuckling or smiling since they have known each other. His smile alone was a lady killer, while his laughter would make any sane woman immediately fall in love with him.
After driving for about two hours, they reached the old mansion. By then, Manhattan had already welcomed nighttime. All the streets were lit up in a way that one wouldn’t be able to differentiate daytime from nighttime.
As Raymond drove into the mansion gate, he didn’t bother driving to the parking lot. His car was stopped at the entrance of the mansion.
He came down after putting off the car engine. He circled the car to go and open the door for Lina just like a gentleman. Lina’s lips had a hint of a smile in them as Raymond stretched out his hand to her. Lina didn’t waste any time placing her small hand in his big hand, which immediately swallowed hers as he wrapped his hand on hers.
Lina carefully came down from the car. Looking at her outfit, she was slightly satisfied. This was the first time she would be meeting her in-laws. First impressions matter. She was glad that she had at least dressed up this evening trying to go and get her sulking husband home.
“Welcome young master,” One of the drivers in the mansion hurriedly rushed to Raymond. His eyes couldn’t help widening, seeing Lina by Raymond’s side.
This was the first time he would be seeing a woman by his side, so being surprised was natural. It was not any woman, but a beautiful, cheerful and elegant woman, who can compliment Raymond’s cold and unfeeling personality.
Raymond threw his car key at the driver, who immediately caught it. “Let’s go, shall we?” Raymond whispered to Lina, who still had a tiny smile on her lips.
“Yes, baby.” Lina tiptoed and placed a kiss on Raymond’s cheek, teasing him. Raymond was stunned as he wasn’t expecting Lina’s public display of affection. The driver was watching with his eyes wide open.
As Lina pulled Raymond towards the entrance, he snapped out of his daze. He couldn’t help giving Lina that his lady killer smile as they made their way into the mansion.
“Welcome young master, welcome young mistress.” An old butler opened the door the moment their legs reached the doorstep. His face was filled with smiles.
Lina was slightly shy being addressed as a young mistress. She didn’t expect the people at the mansion to be friendly. She nodded at the butler giving him a polite smile, while Raymond had returned back to his cold self. He didn’t even acknowledge the butler as he pulled Lina into the mansion.
As they entered the mansion, they were greeted by a peal of laughter. Lina and Raymond exchange a look. Wasn’t the old man sick? Why were people laughing in the living room? As they walked further into the living room, the voices became clear. Lina found one of the voices familiar, but she wasn’t able to remember who it was.
“Grandpa, are you sure your plan will work? My brother might find out that you are faking your illness. He might not come.” Annabelle said, her voice filled with uncertainty.
She and grandpa Walton had planned earlier for the old man to pretend that he was sick, after getting the news from the spy the old man placed in the company that a woman was in the office with Raymond for the first time in five years.
After the spy had described how the woman looked, Annabelle had confirmed that it was her brother’s wife whom she had met once at the hospital. She and Lina weren’t opportuned to talk since her brother had come back immediately when she woke up that day.
Raymond immediately understood the game his sister and grandfather were playing. However, he wasn’t angry, instead he felt guilty. He hadn’t brought Lina to the old mansion since their marriage. So, their eagerness to meet Lina was justified.
Raymond gently squeezed Lina’s hand that was in his. “Are you sure you want to do this?” Raymond asked with concern. He doesn’t want Lina to feel pressured to meet his family.
Lina gave him a small smile while she nodded her head. “I’m sure, and I’m glad to be here and do this with you.” Lina honestly responded, not wanting Raymond to have the impression that she was just forcing herself.
Raymond nodded and pulled Lina forward, continuing their journey to meet with the lying grandfather and the manipulative granddaughter.
“Don’t you trust me pumpkin?” Old man Walton beat his chest with confidence as he refuted Annabelle. “My skills in pretending to be sick are top-notch. Do you remember that day you were forced to come back from school after the butler called you that I’m sick. It was a lie I was just pretending.
I was all alone in this big house, and I felt bored. To make you come back and at least spend a week with me, I have to pretend and you didn’t even see through my pretense. Tell me, aren’t I a good actor? Grandpa Walton blurted out his secret as he laughed mischievously, why Annabell’s eyes were wide open in shock.
“Ahh, grandpa, you are a liar. How foolish of me not to see through you.” She immediately pounced on him, shaking the old man’s arms trying to get revenge for being deceived.
The room was filled with both the grandfather and granddaughter’s laughter. This was the scene Lina and Raymond were greeted with the moment they entered the room.
Annabelle was the first to notice their arrival. She immediately gets off her grandfather, who was still oblivious of Raymond and his wife’s arrival. “Grandfather, are you still feeling pain in your waist after collapsing earlier?”
Grandpa Walton was confused. “What did you mean… Ahhh,” Grandpa Walton asked in confusion, but his painful scream immediately filled the room as Annabelle mercilessly pinched his waist, trying to make Lina and Raymond believe that the old man was actually in pain. What she didn’t know was that all their earlier conversations had been heard by them.
“Brother, sister-in-law, you guys are finally here.” With Annabelle calling out to them, grandpa Walton immediately understood why his granddaughter had pinched him earlier.
“Ahh, Pumpkin, my waist hurts. Let me rest a little bit. I will be fine.” Grandpa Walton continued pretending, doing as if he didn’t hear Annabelle’s words.
Lina’s lips curled upward, her eyes filled with amusement on how good the relationship between grandpa Walton and Annabelle was.
“Lina!” Annabelle immediately rushed towards Lina, forgetting about her partner in crime. “You look even more beautiful than the last time I saw you. How are you doing?” Annabelle immediately snatched Lina away from Raymond, leading her away to take a seat on a sofa beside grandpa Walton, who couldn’t help taking a peek at Lina.
“Grandpa, if you want to take a look at her, sit properly. Stop pretending to be sick. I heard all your earlier conversations with Anna.” Raymond didn’t give the old man face as he spilled out his secret.
With no choice, grandpa Walton sat right, no longer pretending. He glared at Raymond as he said, “wasn’t all this your fault? Had you brought my granddaughter-in-law to meet me earlier, would I have pulled this stunt, humph,” Grandpa Walton tsked, his arms crossed above his chest, sulking.
“Hi, Grandpa, I’m Lina, Raymond’s wife.” Lina introduces herself, trying to break the tension between the grandson and grandfather that was caused because of her.
Old Walton’s face immediately lit up. “You are Lina right? My granddaughter-in-law.” He immediately turned to face Lina, who was seated beside him.
Lina’s face turned red at the old man’s eagerness. She gave him a small nod as her lips parted. “Yes, grandpa, I’m Lina, your daughter-in-law.” Her face reddened even more.
Hitting his thigh happily, the old man grinned. “Yes, finally, I have a granddaughter. I can finally hold my great-grandson before I die.”
Lina immediately hung her head low, not daring to look into the old man’s face. She and Raymond hadn’t even had sex yet. How would she be pregnant?”
“Grandfather, that’s enough. Don’t pressure Lina. We are not ready to have a baby yet.” Raymond bluntly shunned the old man.
“Which part of your eyes saw me pressuring her? you brat.” Old Walton scoffed, his gaze turning back to Lina.
“Lina, darling, don’t mind Raymond. He is just spouting nonsense. You can have a baby anytime you like as long as I can see my grandson before I die, no problem.”
Just as Lina wanted to say something, she heard Annabelle’s happy scream as she hurriedly stood up and rushed forward. “Mom, Lina is finally here. She is even more beautiful than the last time I saw her.” Annabelle cheerfully filled her mother in.
Raymond’s mother was as elegant as always. She looked so young in her silky red gown, which complimented her fair white skin. Lina raised her head to look at their mother-in-law. Though she hadn’t seen her face since her focus was on Annabelle, she could still tell how beautiful she was from her side profile. She would pass for a woman in her early thirties.
As the woman made her way to where Lina was seated, Lina immediately lowered her gaze, not wanting to be caught checking out her mother-in-law.
“Mom.” Raymond greeted, his expression filled with smiles at his mother. His coldness was immediately replaced with warmth. He hugged his mother happily. Lina was surprised to see Raymond’s attitude towards his mom was better than the way he treated others.
“How are you, my son? I’ve missed you.” Raymond’s mom hugged him tightly. It had been more than two months since she last saw him.
“Meet my wife, Lina Robert.” Raymond left his mother’s embrace and introduced Lina to her.
“Lina, meet my mom.” Lina finally raised her head to look into her mother-in-law’s eyes. She stood up as a sign of respect. “Good day, Mrs Walton. I’m Lina, Raymond’s wife.” She was slightly nervous as she introduced herself. She stretched out her hand for a handshake.
Catherine, Raymond’s mother’s eyes widened the moment Lina raised her head. Her body was trembling. The phone that was in her hand immediately slipped to the floor.
“Laura, is that you?” Catherine took a shaky step forward, trying to confirm her claim.
Laura? Who was that? Grandpa Walton, Annabelle, and Raymond were confused, not knowing who Catherine was referring to as Laura.
Lina froze in place. Her stretched out hand immediately went limp at Catherine’s question. Did she know my mother? The only person Lina knew with that name was her deceased mom.
With a trembling voice, Lina uttered. “Did you know my mother?”
Everyone was shocked at Lina’s question, their eyes widening in confusion. All gaze immediately shifted to Catherine waiting for her reply.