"Good evening. We’re sorry we are late."
Never in Finn’s life had he thought he would be relieved to hear his father’s voice at an important event. He never expected them to come. But tonight, he needed them. Hence, he briefly closed his eyes and heaved a sigh of relief.
Meanwhile, everyone at the table turned their heads toward the entrance.
Standing there were two tall figures, both slim—the man in a full suit and the woman in smart formal attire. It was as though they had come straight from work. Behind them were middle-aged secretaries, lowering their heads upon seeing the other parties staring.
"I have no excuse," said Finn’s father, his voice filled with remorse. "I apologize."
His wife didn’t say anything and simply lowered her head slightly.
Charles and Jessa, who were clearly pissed, just huffed sharply.
"Please, sit down," Allison rose from her seat to welcome them warmly. "It’s not that late, and we’re just about to start."
"Thank you," said the Davis couple, following Allison before taking the vacant seats in Finn and Nina’s row. They offered everyone an awkward smile as they settled in.
"Charles," Allison called, giving him a warning look before facing her future in-laws. "I hope you didn’t have a hard time finding the restaurant."
"It was easy to find, but the traffic was horrible," Mr. Davis replied politely. "Had we known we’d get stuck, we would’ve left earlier."
"We truly apologize," Mrs. Davis added, her eyes veering to Finn and Nina. "Finn, Nina."
Nina smiled back, while Finn responded with only a slight nod.
"Ahem!" Charles cleared his throat loudly. "Since dinner has been delayed, it’s best if we eat first before discussing the important matters of this engagement."
"I agree," Mr. Davis nodded.
And just like that, dinner began in silence.
"Is it just me, or is this kind of awkward?" Penny murmured as she served herself. "I feel like Dad doesn’t really approve of this marriage."
She then cast a look at Hugo, only to see him forking a piece of meat into his mouth, chewing without interest. She pursed her lips, catching his complete lack of concern for the situation. Scanning the rest of the table, she noticed Atlas barely keeping his mouth shut, while Slater was visibly annoyed.
’How come it’s so different from when they met Grandma and Renren?’ she wondered, peeking at Nina and Finn, who ate in silence. ’Even Mom, who has been keeping this dinner alive, just went quiet. Now, this is more like a dinner after a burial—yikes!’
Penny shook her head, trying to think positively. She had warned Finn, but she hadn’t expected it to be this bad.
It was clear Charles was in a foul mood. Jessa was just as pissed. Lester and Allison seemed like they had given up, while the rest were treating this like any other dinner.
’I’m starting to get worried about Nina...’
"About the engagement..." After a long and stifling silence, Charles finally spoke. "Since Nina is a woman and is inevitably going to marry into the Davis family, I have only one request."
He snapped his gaze to Mr. and Mrs. Davis, watching as they met his stern expression. "My daughter is precious—to both her family and her siblings. Please, treat her well."
"Of course," Mr. Davis nodded. "You don’t have to worry about that, Mr. Bennet. We understand your concerns, but we believe Finn will treat her right. Moreover, we are glad this union is finally happening, considering how long the engagement has been."
Charles nodded but couldn’t help glancing at Mrs. Davis. Her assistant stood closely behind her, whispering something in her ear. He chose to ignore it.
"How your son treats her isn’t what concerns me—it’s the in-laws," Charles remarked. "My words are for you and your wife, Mr. Davis."
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The readers' comments on the novel: Pampered by my three brothers: the return of the neglected heiress
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