Chapter 175 The Uninvited Guest\u00a0<\/p>\n
82\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
As the family meal progressed, Scarlett suddenly heard a voice from behind that sent an involuntary shiver through her. \u201cScarlett?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was Damian\u2019s voice, but lacking its usual suggestive undertone. He hadn\u2019t used his typical flirtatious term of endearment for her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett turned her head, her brow furrowing slightly. \u201cDamian?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Damian\u2019s gaze swept over Scarlett before shifting respectfully to Henry and Diana. \u201cMr. Theron, Mrs. Theron,\u201d he greeted politely.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then, he looked toward Nathan, whose expression had turned stony. \u201cMr. Nathan Theron.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finally, his eyes settled on Violet. \u201cMrs. Violet Theron.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His social graces were thorough; he even remembered to acknowledge Clara with a warm, \u201cWell, hello there.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett was completely baffled by his intentions, her frown deepening.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Damian finally returned his attention to her, a glint of amusement in his eyes. \u201cFancy running into\u00a0<\/p>\n
you all here. I hope you don\u2019t mind if I join your family dinner?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett couldn\u2019t decipher his game. Before she could formulate a response, Nathan slowly turned his head to fix Damian with a cool stare. His tone was icy. \u201cMr. Langley, you\u2019re accustomed to the finest dining. I fear our casual family meal might be beneath your usual standards.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Though Nathan didn\u2019t explicitly say \u201cno,\u201d his meaning was abundantly clear.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Damian, however, feigned ignorance. Without a hint of ceremony, he pulled out the empty chair beside Scarlett and sat down, offering Nathan a charming smile. \u201cYou flatter me, Mr. Nathan Theron. We all put our pants on one leg at a time. There\u2019s no such thing as being \u2018above\u2019 a good meal with good company.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Seeing Damian settle in, Scarlett quickly glanced at Nathan. Nathan had explicitly warned her to keep her distance from Damian.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Damian was proving as persistent as gum on a shoe.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nathan didn\u2019t lose his composure, but his demeanor remained decidedly unfriendly. \u201cOur family can be rather\u2026 unrefined. I\u2019m concerned we might not be compatible company for someone of your social standing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
14:58 Sat, Jan 10\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 175 The Uninvited Guest\u00a0<\/p>\n
82\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
The subtext was heavy. Even Diana, who wasn\u2019t fully aware of the background, caught the implication. But Damian simply shrugged it off with an casygoing air. \u201cMr. Nathan Theron, if\u00a0<\/p>\n
you\u00a0<\/p>\n
call yourselves unrefined, then I\u2019m downright feral. If it\u2019s alright, I\u2019ll follow Scarlett\u2019s lead and call you \u2018Nathan.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
With that, Damian unceremoniously reached for the wine bottle and poured himself a generous glass. He raised it and, completely disregarding Nathan\u2019s willingness, clinked it against the glass in front of Nathan. \u201cNathan, this one\u2019s for you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He downed the entire contents in one go.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Since Damian had offered the toast, no matter how much Nathan disliked him, social decorum forced him to temporarily restrain his displeasure.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett, seated between Nathan and Damian, felt a cold sweat break out.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Given Nathan\u2019s temperament, he held no respect for people he disliked. But she never expected Damian to preemptively offer a toast.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This move effectively stripped Nathan of any valid reason to refuse Damian\u2019s presence at the table.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Though Damian often seemed to lack principles, he was, after all, a seasoned player in the business world. He knew precisely which approach to take with different people.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Once seated, Damian picked up his glass and made a round, toasting everyone starting with Henry. He didn\u2019t exclude even Clara.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Only after completing this social ritual did he begin to eat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
People from old-money families like the Langleys weren\u2019t typically seen in casual eateries like this.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Damian was the exception. He showed no trace of condescension toward the Theron family\u2019s choice of restaurant, enthusiastically serving himself from the shared platters.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When he found a particularly delicious morsel, he would thoughtfully serve some to Scarlett and Clara.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Damian\u2019s behavior was impeccable. Clara took an instant liking to him and kept asking, \u201cSir, are you my aunt\u2019s friend?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHmm, we\u2019re friends,\u201d Damian replied, a sly grin playing on his lips. \u201cBut we won\u2019t stay just friends forever.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Clara didn\u2019t grasp his meaning. She wrinkled her little nose. \u201cWhy can\u2019t you be friends forever?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
14:58 Sat, Jan 10\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 175 The Uninvited Guest\u00a0<\/p>\n
Damian smiled and ruffled her hair affectionately. \u201cYou\u2019ll understand when you\u2019re older.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
82\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hearing Damian speak this way to his daughter, Nathan felt a surge of instinctive anger, but under the table, Violet gently patted the back of his hand and shook her head almost imperceptibly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The inexplicable fury subsided, banked for the moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett didn\u2019t know Damian well, but during this meal, she witnessed a different facet of him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In front of her family, he didn\u2019t use inappropriate pet names or try any physical advances. Instead, he was considerate and attentive, looking out for her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He served her food, refilled her water glass, and even gently reminded her to wipe a smudge from the corner of her mouth.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even with Damian, an uninvited outsider, present, the atmosphere never grew stiff, as he proactively kept the conversation flowing and engaging.\u00a0<\/p>\n
All in all, the meal was surprisingly pleasant.\u00a0<\/p>\n
*******\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent had just returned from his business trip and pulled up to the driveway of Ravenshade Villa. Before he could even get out of the car, a notification chimed on his phone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Glancing down, he saw it was a message from Daniel-containing a single photo.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the picture, Scarlett and Damian were seated side-by-side. Damian was in the act of serving her food from a shared plate, and the Therons surrounding them appeared engaged in the conversation, the overall atmosphere seeming warm and harmonious.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent stared at the photo for a long moment, an inexplicable feeling settling in his chest-it looked unsettlingly like a family giving their approval to a suitor.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t reply to Daniel, silently locking his phone and slipping it back into his pocket.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Entering the villa, Vanessa spotted him immediately and came running. \u201cDaddy! You\u2019re finally back!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent scooped Vanessa up into his arms. His eyes scanned the living room, but he didn\u2019t see Sabrina or Maria. A flicker of curiosity crossed his face. \u201cWhere are Sabrina and Maria?\u201d he asked Vanessa.\u00a0<\/p>\n
3\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
14:58 Sat, Jan 10\u00a0<\/p>\n
Awakened Housewife. Ignore Betrayer\u2019s Begs\u00a0<\/p>\n
Editorial Board: Our editorial team works behind the scenes to refine each chapter, maintain consistency, and deliver the best reading experience.<\/p>\n
Silent Dreams Never Die \u2014 Author: John Miller 175 Chapter 175 The Uninvited Guest\u00a0 82\u00a0 Finished\u00a0 As the family meal […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[81],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27539","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-impossible-condition-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27539","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27539"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27539\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27539"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27539"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27539"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}