Chapter 113: Will you be coming for dinner
I woke up with a burning hunger gnawing at my stomach, sharp and impossible to ignore. It wasn’t surprising, I hadn’t eaten the night before. Still, this felt excessive, like my body was trying to make up for everything I had denied it.
After a quick wash in the bathroom, I made my way downstairs. My steps were slow at first, still heavy with sleep, but the thought of food pushed me forward. Normally, I would have stayed in my room until Bertha brought something up, or at least waited until I was sure Raymond had left the house. But today was different. Today, I would do anything for fresh bacon and a strong cup of coffee.
As I stepped into the dining area, I froze.
Raymond was already there.
He sat confidently at the table, his attention fixed on the laptop in front of him, a cup of coffee resting within easy reach. His hair fell slightly over his face, unstyled in a way that somehow made him look even better. He wore a black shirt, the top buttons undone, exposing his toned chest.
The sleeves were rolled up, revealing strong, defined arms. A pair of golden glasses rested on his nose, giving him a sharp yet boyish edge.
He looked... unfairly handsome.
He lifted his cup and took a slow sip, completely at ease.
My mouth watered, and not just because of the bacon I could smell faintly from the kitchen. Before I could stop myself, my gaze lingered a little too long, taking him in, leaking my lips on the process.
"You know, kitten," he said suddenly, without looking up at first, "you could just take a picture. It would last longer."
His eyes shifted toward me, catching me completely off guard. I stumbled slightly, losing my balance for a second as I tried to pretend I hadn’t been staring.
"I wasn’t staring," I snapped quickly. "And who would even need a picture of you anyway?"
"Apparently you do," Raymond replied smoothly, a smirk forming on his lips. "Since you can’t seem to stop looking at me."
"You wish," I muttered, brushing past him and heading straight for the kitchen before he could say anything else. If there was anything I wanted in that moment, it was to wipe that smug expression off his face.
Behind me, I heard his quiet chuckle.
Minutes later, I returned with a plate stacked with fresh bacon and a steaming cup of coffee. The rich aroma immediately dulled every other thought in my head. Sitting down at the table, I didn’t even acknowledge Raymond’s presence anymore. All that mattered was the food in front of me.
I took a bite, then another. And another.
"At least one thing hasn’t changed," Raymond said, his voice amused as he watched me. "You were a foodie before... and you still are."
His words barely registered at first. But then I glanced down at my plate, and realized I had almost finished everything without even noticing.
My eyes widened in shock.
Before I could react properly, I started coughing violently as the food went down the wrong way.
"Sorry, kitten," Raymond said immediately, rising from his seat. He moved to my side, steadying me as he handed me a glass of water.
"The food isn’t going anywhere," he added, his tone softer now. "No one’s going to take it from you. Try to eat a little slower."
I took the water, sipping carefully until the coughing subsided. Tears had gathered in my eyes from the intensity of it, and I wiped them quickly, avoiding his gaze.
"Finish your food," he said after a moment, returning to his seat as though nothing had happened.
I watched his back for a second before looking down again.
Silence settled between us briefly.
Then....
"My grandfather has invited us for dinner tonight."
The words hit me like a shock.
I looked up immediately. "What?"
Raymond didn’t react to my surprise. He simply picked up his coffee and took a calm sip before setting it back down.
"I’m not attending," I said firmly. "I don’t want to go. Your grandfather already made it clear he doesn’t want to see me. I won’t put myself through that kind of humiliation again."
"Well," Raymond said casually, leaning back slightly, "what if I told you he approves of you now? That’s why he wants you there."
"I don’t care," I shot back, my irritation rising. "Tell him we’ve broken up. There’s no reason for me to be at a family dinner. Our relationship was never real anyway, it was built on a lie."
His expression darkened slightly.
"That’s not what your body said last night," he replied quietly. "When I touched you."
My breath hitched, but I said nothing.
"You know you can’t do without me," he continued.
"And you can’t run away. So why fight it?" He leaned forward slightly, his gaze steady. "And for the record, our relationship has always been real. Yes, it started as a contract, but what is marriage, if not a contract between two people? Ours just had clearer terms."
I clenched my jaw.
"Say whatever you want," I replied. "It doesn’t change anything. I’m not going."
Raymond studied me for a moment before speaking again.
"What if your father will be there?"
The question sent a chill down my spine.
"What did you just say?" I asked slowly.
He didn’t repeat himself. He simply raised a brow, watching me carefully.
Realization dawned on me
"You invited them?" I demanded.
His silence confirmed it.
"I invited them for you," he said eventually. "For us. I want to shake things up, put fear into everyone involved until the person responsible is exposed." His gaze hardened slightly. "So I’ll ask you again... will you be attending dinner tonight?"
A slow smile spread across my lips, though there was no warmth in it.
"Why not?" I said softly. "I wouldn’t want to miss the chance to confront the man who cheated on my mother, fathered a bastard, brought Ashley into my life to destroy me... and then sent people to have me killed."
A quiet, bitter laugh escaped me.
"Why wouldn’t I want to see him?" I added, my eyes blazing now. "Raymond, I hope you won’t find me embarrassing... because I fully intend to ask some very uncomfortable questions at that dinner table."
"That’s my girl," Raymond said, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Do whatever you want. I’ll support you."
I held his gaze for a moment before looking away.
"What time is the dinner?"
"Seven p.m.," he replied. "And don’t worry, I already had a dress prepared for you."
Of course he did.
Our eyes met again, and for a brief moment, the air between us felt heavy, charged with unspoken thoughts and expectations about what the night would bring.
Raymond leaned back slightly, clearly pleased with himself.
In his mind, this was already a perfect setup. Without me, the evening would have been dull, just another gathering where he would throw threats around and dominate the room. But with me there? It would turn into something else entirely.
A confrontation and a spectacle.
His brother would panic the moment he saw us. Ashley would lose her composure when she realized how much my life had changed.
And Raymond... would enjoy every second of it.
"What a great plan," he muttered under his breath, a satisfied smile forming on his face.
After breakfast with Raymond, the rest of the day passed in a blur, I sat on my bed, replaying over and over what I would say to my father when I finally saw him, and how I would say it. Every word, every expression, I rehearsed it all in my head. I still couldn’t believe my father was capable of what he did to my mother, and to me. In a way, he had a hand in my mother’s death, and I was determined to uncover the truth.
I had always known there was something off about her death, something that never quite added up. Back then, I forced myself to let it go, burying the suspicion deep inside. But not anymore. This time, I wouldn’t ignore it. I would find out what really happened to her, why she made the choices she did before she died, and who pushed her to that point.
My thoughts spiraled out of control, each darker than the last. My hands instinctively moved to my stomach as I stood up and began to pace the room. I pressed my fingers to my lips, biting down on one of them in anxiety. If not for his cruelty, I wouldn’t have lost my child, his own grandchild. The realization hit me like a blow to the chest, knocking the breath out of me.
I had already sworn never to forgive him, and I meant every word. As for Ashley and him, I hoped they would rot in jail together. I wouldn’t rest until I found solid evidence against them, enough to put them away for good. I had to avenge my mother... and my child.
