Chapter 107: Chapter 107: Spousal Resemblance
The other elders quickly skipped over the topic of Ian Preston, and began inquiring about Thea Lynch’s work.
The old men were particularly interested in artificial intelligence, but since they were getting on in age, it was indeed quite difficult for them to grasp these concepts.
Thea Lynch was extremely patient as she earnestly explained these concepts to them.
Around ten o’clock, everyone started to head towards the hotel.
Thea Lynch got into Sean Bell’s car, which also had Sean’s mother in it.
After getting into the car, the second aunt looked at her and smiled apologetically. "Thea..."
She seemed like she wanted to say something.
Sean Bell glanced back through the rearview mirror, coughed, and interrupted his mother’s words.
Upon hearing him, the second aunt obediently shut her mouth and didn’t bring up the previous incident.
She actually wanted to apologize to Thea Lynch.
Thea Lynch smiled slightly, patted the second aunt’s hand, and changed the subject, "You look much better than you did last time we met, second aunt."
There was really no need to bring up the matter from last time, but the second aunt clearly didn’t understand this. Luckily, Sean Bell did.
Whether it was because Sean Bell was driving too slowly or due to traffic congestion, they fell behind the cars in front. By the time they arrived, everyone else had already gone inside.
After getting out of the car, the second aunt went in first.
Thea Lynch was about to follow when Sean Bell called out to her, so she turned back to wait for him to catch up.
The waiter pressed the elevator button for the two of them.
"Has Nina Sinclair contacted you?" Sean Bell asked.
"..." Thea Lynch frowned, "Did you tamper with my phone?"
"Do you think that’s possible?"
Sean Bell wasn’t foolish enough to do something like that, "That’s like trying to show off fancy knife tricks in front of Guan Yu."
He was honest, "Of course, I did think about doing it."
Soon, she pinched Sean Bell’s arm.
A smile spread across Sean Bell’s eyes, "Don’t worry, I wouldn’t do that. If I did, you’d be the first to find out."
"Then how do you know? I only received a missed call this morning."
Sean Bell: "Intuition."
Unimpressed by his answer, Thea Lynch rolled her eyes at him, speechless.
"Maybe it was her. You can call back and ask."
"Am I crazy?" Thea Lynch wasn’t about to bother herself with trivial matters.
"How about you give it to me, and I’ll call back for you."
Thea Lynch gestured for him to get lost as far as possible.
The two stepped out of the elevator together and entered the banquet hall. As soon as they walked in, they received quite a few glances.
Especially the Bell Family elder, who looked at them with a smile full of satisfaction.
Thea Lynch pretended not to understand, walked up to the elders, and naturally separated from Sean Bell.
The eldest aunt glanced around and realized everyone was there except Ian Preston.
She looked at Ian’s father and asked, "Isn’t young Preston here yet?"
"Probably on the way." Only Preston’s grandfather and father from the Preston Family had arrived.
Grandpa Preston explained, "We called him yesterday. The kid went on a business trip yesterday, and only caught a flight back this morning."
"Alright, let’s start eating, no need to wait for him."
"No, no, no, let’s wait a little longer."
The eldest aunt poked Thea Lynch beside her, and the latter reacted, nodding in agreement, "Yeah, let’s wait a bit. It won’t hurt to wait a few minutes."
Grandpa Preston smiled at her, "Why don’t you give your third brother a call and ask where he is?"
"...Okay." Thea Lynch silently let out a breath, pulled out her phone in front of the elders, and dialed Ian Preston.
The phone rang over and over, but no one answered.
"Let me try." Sean Bell took over and dialed.
Whether it was a coincidence or not, this time the call was answered after only a few rings.
Thea Lynch stood to the side, watching this, and discreetly adjusted the cuff of her sleeve.
Soon, Sean Bell hung up, "Third brother said he’s almost here, just one more traffic light."
"Then hurry down to pick him up." The elder Bell tapped his cane on Sean’s leg, urging him to move quickly.
Sean Bell glanced at Thea Lynch standing across him like a background prop, and named her, "I’m suddenly having some stomachache and need to use the restroom, Thea should go."
"..."
——
In front of the hotel.
Thea Lynch stood before the waiter, her gaze occasionally darting to the opposite side of the street.
Soon, the familiar Rolls Royce turned in and parked steadily at the entrance. The waiter promptly approached.
Thea Lynch stepped forward, "Third brother."
Ian Preston had already seen her before getting out of the car.
Today she wore a dress that reached her calves, and Coronet had already entered autumn; she wore little and stood at the entrance for ten minutes, her legs trembling in the wind.
Ian Preston frowned deeply at the sight, "Wearing so little, aren’t you cold?"
Thea Lynch turned her body to make room for him, "My coat is upstairs, I forgot to bring it down."
Ian Preston said no more and went in first. Thea Lynch hurried to follow.
It wasn’t until they got into the elevator that Thea Lynch’s body began to warm up.
The atmosphere was heavy, and for some reason the elevator ascended slowly, so Thea Lynch had to find a topic to liven things up, "Did you go on a business trip, third brother?"
"Mm." Ian Preston didn’t even look at her, his hands in his pockets, staring ahead.
Thea Lynch did the same.
The assistant on the side kept his head down, daring not to breathe loudly.
Seeing that he was unwilling to say more, Thea Lynch swallowed her words and didn’t continue to ask.
She wasn’t one for flattery, and if the other party didn’t engage, she wouldn’t persist.
The two exited the elevator one after the other, with Thea Lynch following by his side, the two have no interaction, appearing as strangers.
Sean Bell was waiting at the entrance of the banquet hall, taking in the scene. He raised an eyebrow, not surprised.
Looks like third brother is serious this time.
His gaze shifted to Thea Lynch, focusing for a few seconds on her eyes.
One had to admit, these two rival each other in coolness, their ice-cold expressions seeming to be cast from the same mold.
At first glance, the two indeed looked like they had a bit of a couple’s resemblance.
Tsk.
If he said that out loud, Thea Lynch would probably slap him.
As the two walked over, Sean Bell straightened up, "Third brother."
Ian Preston passed him by and entered.
Sean Bell chuckled and followed along with Thea Lynch.
"Third brother doesn’t seem to be in a good mood." Sean Bell whispered to her.
Upon hearing this, Thea Lynch glanced at him indifferently, perhaps speaking her mind or joking, "When’s he in a good mood anyway?"
Sean Bell was truly taken aback by her response.
"Impressive."
Once everyone was assembled, they took their seats, and the waiter began serving the dishes.
The elders sat at the main table, while Thea Lynch and the younger ones sat at a separate table.
During the meal, Thea Lynch used a napkin to wipe off cream from her sleeve cuffs, while Sean Bell glanced at the phone she had placed on the table, and announced, "Thea, your phone."
"It’s that unknown number again, who keeps calling you?"
Thea Lynch paused her actions, frowned, and hung up the phone.
After that, she turned her head and warned him with a glance.
Sean Bell raised his eyebrows, supporting his face with one hand, and smiled mischievously.
In the past, whenever he smiled like this, it meant trouble. Thea Lynch’s heart sank as expected when he opened his mouth and said, "It’s Nina Sinclair, isn’t it?"
