Chapter 134
When Sean returned home, his grandmother had immediately sent him to the study for a talk with his father.
He had just stepped out of the elevator when he heard Mrs. Jasper Sr.’s sharp voice ordering Charlotte to go set the table.
He walked over casually, his tone cool.
“Grandma, are we that tight on money now? Since when do guests have to help with the table?”
Mrs. Jasper Sr., seeing Sean walk in, couldn’t keep pressing. She set down her teacup and forced a smile.
“I was just testing whether Charlotte’s an obedient girl, that’s all.”
Sean didn’t buy it. His tone dropped slightly, firm and unamused.
“My Lottie doesn’t need to be ‘obedient.‘ She just needs to be happy.”
Mrs. Jasper Sr.’s expression stiffened.
“Sean, are you blaming your grandmother?”
“So Vivian was right after all. That Charlotte girl really had cast a spell on him. He was actually talking back to his own grandmother all because of her,” Mrs. Jasper Sr. thought bitterly.
Sean’s lips pressed into a hard line. His sharp, chiseled features turned cold, and the air around him seemed to drop a few degrees.
“Blame you? I wouldn’t dare.” His voice was flat, emotionless.
“But Grandma, I waited years for Lottie. Please don’t come between us. If she ends up unhappy and decides not to marry me, I’ll drop everything and disappear into the mountains.”
Charlotte blinked in surprise. She hadn’t expected Sean to defend her like this so openly, so clearly in front of his whole family. And then to admit he had been waiting for her all these years, even putting himself in such a vulnerable position.
Her heart fluttered. The sting of being picked at earlier completely vanished, replaced by a warm rush of sweetness. It felt like her whole chest had been dipped in honey.
Mrs. Jasper Sr., on the other hand, was furious.
“Enough with the nonsense! What kind of ridiculous talk is that?”
The outburst made her chest tighten. She clutched it in discomfort.
Vivian immediately rushed to her side, gently rubbing her back, “Don’t get worked up, Grandma.”
Her lashes lowered, carefully hiding the jealousy in her eyes.
Sean’s gaze darkened as he looked at her.
“You said something to Grandma about Lottie, didn’t you?”
Vivian stiffened, swallowing hard. Panic flickered across her face.
“I… I didn’t…”
Sean’s eyes narrowed, his voice like a cold snap in early spring–icy and deliberate.
“You’d better not have.”
Vivian broke into a cold sweat.
Lilian quickly stepped in with a smile to break the tension.
“Alright, alright, let’s eat.”
The first–floor dining room alone covered over a thousand square feet. It was elegant and understated, radiating old–money sophistication. The dining table and chairs were crafted from rare hardwood, and the floral centerpieces featured crystal orchids worth a fortune and collectible peonies valued in the six figures.
Earlier, Mrs. Jasper Sr. had deliberately told the staff not to set the table–planning to make Charlotte do it herself.
But now that Sean had intervened, that plan was out the window, with no other choice, she reluctantly told the staff to serve.
Mr. Jasper Sr. was away in the capital, so at the long rectangular table, Mrs. Jasper Sr. sat at the head, with Lilian and James seated across from each other just beside her. Sean sat with Charlotte on one side while Vivian took the seat directly across from Charlotte.
Once the staff finished serving, everyone had a bowl of soup placed in front of them–everyone except Charlotte.
Charlotte immediately noticed and frowned.
Chapter 134
+25 Bonus
She didn’t believe for a second that the staff had simply forgotten. The Jasper household ran like clockwork. This had to be deliberate. It was clearly done under Mrs. Jasper Sr.’s orders as yet another passive–aggressive jab.
No matter how much she respected elders, there was a limit. After being humiliated again and again, even Charlotte was running out of patience.
She was just about to speak up when Sean beat her to it. His voice cut through the air, laced with mockery.
“Grandma, has our family fallen on hard times? We can’t afford one more bowl of soup?”
Mrs. Jasper Sr.’s expression froze. She glanced at Charlotte, her smile tight and forced.
“Maybe the staff forgot. Bring her a bowl.”
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