Wrong Love, Final Goodbye: She'll Never Look Back

Chapter 427: Chapter 427: Competing for Favor

Vincent Hawthorne met Felix Kendall’s provocative gaze and silently ground his back teeth.

Fate, my ass!

It was obviously this shameless Felix Kendall who’d tailed their family of three all the way here!

But with the two kids and Tanya Sinclair present, Vincent had no choice but to swallow his temper.

Tanya squatted down and steadily caught Margaret in her arms.

She stared at Margaret’s childish, adorable little face and couldn’t help but smile.

"Margaret, long time no see."

Maybe because she was a mother herself, and because she had watched Margaret change from the despised "Abby" into the darling of the entire Kendall Family, Tanya both ached for and adored Margaret.

Watching Tanya’s eyes brim with tenderness for Margaret, Vincent almost ground his molars to dust.

That bastard Felix Kendall was actually using a kid as an excuse too!

Vincent’s expression was sour, his tone cool. "Mr. Kendall, you’re quite free today? If I remember right, it’s not the weekend."

Felix, however, was perfectly at ease.

"I’m on vacation. For quite a long stretch..." He lowered his head to glance at Margaret. "Margaret said she wanted to eat here, so I brought her. Didn’t expect to run into you all. Looks like my luck’s not bad today."

Vincent’s face darkened. Just as he was about to speak, Felix turned to Tanya first.

"Since we ran into each other, why not eat together?" Felix asked for her opinion. "We won’t be intruding, will we?"

Before Tanya could answer, Joy bounced up excitedly. "Yes, yes! Margaret, let’s sit together!"

The two little girls were already holding hands, happily spinning in circles.

Joy looked up at Tanya. "Mommy, can we eat together, please?"

Tanya hadn’t planned on refusing anyway.

"Of course we can."

Felix’s lips curled. "Mr. Hawthorne, no objections, I hope?"

Vincent: "..."

He drew in a deep breath, tamped down his irritation, and kept up a façade of manners. "Then let’s eat together."

The group walked into the restaurant, and Vincent gave the server his reservation number.

"Sir, your suite is on the third floor." Led by the server, they headed toward the elevator.

"Aunt Sinclair, are you feeling better?" Margaret gently tugged Tanya’s hand. She tilted her face up, round eyes full of worry.

"Uncle Kendall said you were hurt and spent this whole time in the hospital. I wanted to visit you, but Uncle Kendall said you hadn’t recovered yet. So Aunt Sinclair, are you all better now? Does it still hurt?"

Tanya was moved by Margaret’s thoughtfulness and sensitivity, but before she could answer, Felix, walking beside them, lightly rested a hand on Margaret’s shoulder.

He gave Tanya a meaningful look. "Your Aunt Sinclair isn’t hurting on the outside, she’s hurting on the inside."

Margaret and Joy, being just kids, didn’t understand the meaning beneath his words, but Vincent’s expression shifted subtly.

His gaze stabbed coldly toward Felix.

Way to bring up exactly what shouldn’t be mentioned!

Declan Pierce was just a dead man—what was there to talk about?

"Hurting on the inside?" Margaret grew anxious. "Then Aunt Sinclair, I’ll rub it for you! I’ll be really gentle!"

Joy chimed in to join the fun. "Mommy, I’ll rub it too! I’ll be gentle too, I’m gentler than her!"

Tanya was torn between laughter and tears.

How did this turn into two little ones fighting for her favor?

"I’m fine, okay? Don’t listen to your Uncle Kendall’s nonsense. Let’s go eat."

Tanya shot Felix a glare.

Felix clearly enjoyed it and accepted the look with a smile. Only Vincent watched with a cold eye.

When they reached the suite and pushed the door open, because it was a well-known family restaurant, the room was much larger than a normal private dining room, divided into two sections: one play area for kids, with soft carpets on the floor and lots of toys, and the other the dining area.

As soon as the two little ones came in, they were attracted by the trampoline in the play area and quickly darted over, playing together in high spirits.

Tanya stayed with them, a rare smile softening her face.

Between Vincent and Felix, though, the atmosphere was icy enough to freeze someone solid.

"Hah, interesting." Vincent let out a cold laugh. "Tagging along with another man’s kid while eyeing another man’s wife..."

He took a sip of tea, his gaze stabbing toward Felix with undisguised hostility and mockery. "Mr. Kendall, if you’re that lonely, Veridia isn’t short on single socialites."

Felix actually laughed.

"Wife? This is the first time I’ve seen a cheating man call the ex-wife who dumped him his ’wife.’" He folded his arms and arched a brow toward Tanya’s direction. "How about you call her ’wife’ right now. If Tanya answers you, I’ll take Margaret and walk out immediately."

"You..." Vincent was choked speechless for a moment. He drew in a deep breath and said in a low voice, "You think just because Declan Pierce is dead, you’ve got a shot? Tanya and I were childhood sweethearts—over ten years of feelings!"

"And so?" Felix’s eyes were full of mockery. "You still managed to hurt her so badly you lost her. If you’d cherished her, would Declan ever have entered the picture?"

Vincent snapped, "Felix Kendall!"

Felix met his glare coolly; their eyes clashed midair, sparks practically flying.

At that moment the server knocked and entered with the menus, cutting them off.

Vincent took one first, flipped two pages, and casually listed a few dishes. "Two kids’ meals, and add a steamed sea bass, sweet-and-sour ribs, baby bok choy in broth, and a yam and pork rib soup."

These were all things Tanya used to love.

Felix refused to be outdone. He said evenly, "Add a matsutake chicken soup, a plate of stir‑fried seasonal greens, and the osmanthus sticky‑rice lotus root. The osmanthus lotus root here is pretty good. Ms. Sinclair should like it."

Tanya, who had just walked over: "..."

Felix and Vincent stood up at the same time, each pulling out the chair beside him to invite her over.

"Ms. Sinclair, come sit."

"Tanya, sit here."