Chapter 76: Do You Like the Style
Thea’s face flushed with embarrassment as she hastily brought her hand to her lips to wipe away the cream. "Okay?" she asked Ryder, her voice laced with mortification.
He extended his hand, and Thea’s eyes widened in surprise.
Without a word, Ryder gently wiped the remaining cream from her lips.His caress awakened a fluttering in her stomach.
Her heart paused for a moment as their eyes clashed, the silence between them vibrant.
Ryder’s smile softened, and he whispered, "You had a little something on your lips."
Her face grew even hotter, but she couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face.
Her skin glowed with increased warmth, as a smile involuntarily lit up her face.
Elizabeth’s eyes shone with pleasure as she witnessed the exchange between them. A warm smile spread across her face, reflecting her pleasure at the scene unfolding before her.
"Madam, the young master really cares about her." Mrs. Jane whispered to her.
Elizabeth’s smile grew wider, her eyes never leaving the pair. "Indeed, he does." She murmured in agreement, her voice warm with satisfaction and consent.
"Here is your meal." Elizabeth said, emerging from the kitchen with a sweet smile. She carefully placed the dish in front of Ryder on the table, the aroma of the food filling the air. Then, she walked over to the seat beside Thea and sat down, her gaze filled with gentle affection as she joined the two.
Thea looked at Ryder, who was dining with polished sophistication, his behavior gracious.
"Wait here." Elizabeth said, rising from her seat and heading to the living room. She returned to find that Ryder had finished his meal. With a gentle smile, Elizabeth handed Thea a small box.
The box was wrapped in an elegant paper and tied with a delicate ribbon, making it a lovely presentation.
"Open it." Elizabeth encouraged.She gently nudged Thea’s hands to unwrap the beautifully wrapped box.
As Thea unwrapped and opened the box, a captivating bracelet appeared before her.
"This gift is from me." Elizabeth said with a smile. "Do you like the style?" she asked, her eyes eager for approval.
Elizabeth had spotted the bracelet yesterday while wandering through the jewelry section at ’Blue Island Mall’. She had been immediately drawn to this design and knew it would be perfect for Thea. On a whim, she had purchased it as a gift, hoping she would be equally delighted with it.
"This is my gift to celebrate your win in the competition. Take it." she said,her tone full of praise. Thea was rendered mute, overcome with feeling and appreciation, struggling to articulate her appreciation.
Ryder stood silently, observing the scene before him. Just then, a teasing voice broke the silence. "My grandson, are you feeling jealous?" The three of them turned to face the speaker.
"Grandfather, Grandmother, Good evening." Thea said, rising to greet them.
"Your aunt told us you’d be visiting, so we couldn’t wait to meet you in person." Elder Edward said with a warm smile.
"Congratulations, dear. We’re happy to hear about your win in the competition." Rosie added, standing beside Elder Edward Edward.
"You didn’t answer my question, my grandson." Elder Edward looked at Ryder with a teasing gaze. "My mother likes her more than me. I know that." Ryder spoke.
One corner of Elder Edward’s mouth curled up in amusement. "Ah, I see. So, you think your mother prefers Thea to you, huh?" He raised an eyebrow, his teasing gaze still fixed on Ryder.
Elizabeth opened her mouth to speak, but Elder Edward continued, "Looks like your son is getting jealous because you’re giving more attention to his childhood friend than him." His gaze shifted to Elizabeth, his daughter in law.
"Don’t annoy him." Rosie said, smacking her husband on the shoulder.
"Ouch, wife! I am not annoying him. Have you seen his face when he saw his mother gave a gift to her?" Elder Edward laughed, unable to contain his laughter.
"Is it true, Ryder? Are you jealous?" Elizabeth asked, looking at her son flashing a lighthearted smile, she teamed up with her father-in-law to poke fun at him.
"Don’t believe his words, Mother." Ryder responded, trying to defend himself.
Thea looked at him and whispered softly, "Are you jealous? Then you can have the gift?" she teased him. "You too... joining him...?" Ryder looked at her, a small smile spreading across his face.
"What are you two whispering?" Elder Edward spoke."Grandpa...I was saying him that if he likes the gift, then....." Thea started to explain, but before she could finish, Ryder placed his hand over her mouth to quiet her.
"Why are you interrupting her from speaking?"
Ryder’s eyes narrowed slightly, his expression a mix of surprise and annoyance. "You’re all ganging up on me, aren’t you?" he accused, his voice laced with a hint of playful defensiveness, as he dropped his hand from her mouth.
After saying that, he left the room to go to his room.
"Why do you always like to tease him? Now he is angry." Rosie spoke, a hint of scolding in her voice as she looked at her husband.
"Mother, he is not angry." Elizabeth smiled reassuringly as she replied, her lips twitching with restrained laughter.
"Eli, the bracelet you chose for her is beautiful." Rosie said, admiring the gift.
"Thank you, Aunty, for your lovely gift." Thea replied, hugging her tightly as she thanked her from the heart.
"You go and see what he’s doing in his room. Sulking? I don’t think so." Elder Edward instructed her with a knowing glint in his eye.
She nodded before pulling away from Elizabeth’s warm embrace and heading upstairs to Ryder’s room to check on him.
Standing infront of his room..she hesitated for a moment before knocking gently on the door. Not getting any answer, she knocked once more, a bit louder this time. Still, there was no response. "I’m coming in..." she announced, her voice soft , before turning the knob and slowly pushing the door open.
Ryder sat on the sofa, his eyes fixed on his laptop screen as he worked. Thea sat down beside him, but he didn’t acknowledge her presence. "I knocked, but you didn’t respond." she said, noticing his silence.
Not answering he stood up and moved to a chair farther away. "Are you still angry?" she asked, her voice soft and contrite. She got up and followed him, sitting down beside him again. "I’m sorry, I won’t tease you anymore. Please, don’t be angry... okay?" she pleaded, looking up at him with apologetic eyes.
Ryder continued typing away on his laptop, his features expressionless, leaving her questioning if he was still upset with her.
Her irritation grew as Ryder continued to ignore her. "Fine, keep working. I won’t bother speaking to you anymore.." she thought, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back against the sofa.
Her gaze wandered around the room, and her eyes landed on a mysterious box. Curiosity piqued, she got up to see it. Just as she reached for the box, Ryder snapped out of his trance-like focus on his laptop.
He shot her a sideways glance, his eyes narrowing as he swiftly snatched the box away from her grasp. "Don’t you know not to touch someone else’s belongings without permission?" he reprimanded, his voice stern.
"Who gave you permission to touch my things? You’re not a child anymore, Thea. Stop acting like one."
Thea’s eyes welled up with hurt, Ryder’s harsh words striking a tender spot and leaving a lingering ache.
She fought to composed herself, but tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. Suddenly, Elizabeth entered into the room, her face a picture of concern. "Ryder, what’s going on? Why are you yelling at her like that?" she asked,her tone stern yet anxious. She had been standing outside, about to call him, when the sound of his loud, angry words pierced the door and prompted her to intervene.
He remained silent, ignoring his mother’s concerned gaze. Instead, he placed the box on the table and turned away. Thea, too, didn’t utter a word to Elizabeth. She composed herself, then turned to her and said, "Aunty, I’ll leave now. Thank you for the treat."
Her voice trembling, she rose from her seat, her eyes overflowing with tears as she turned to leave, trying to escape the pain.
"Okay...he will drop you off." Elizabeth replied. But Thea shook her head, "No, Aunty, I’ll take the bus." With that, she bid Elizabeth goodbye and exited the room.
"Ryder, what’s wrong with you?" Elizabeth asked.
"Mother, don’t you think you are doing excessive for her sake?" Ryder replied.
"Excessive for?" Elizabeth questioned.
"She is not a kid anymore, and you don’t have to worry about her who is an adult." Ryder said.
"Ryder, asking you to drop her home...is it excessive?" Elizabeth asked.
"Yes, it is...and moreover..." Ryder began, but before he could continue he stopped.
Elizabeth followed Ryder’s gaze and turned to see Thea standing in the doorway, her head hung low.
