Chapter 743

I lowered my eyes, refusing to meet his gaze.

Vivian instructed the kitchen to prepare dinner, while Jeffrey sat in the side hall. Edward was making tea, and Ryan and Fiona sat there like two strangers, with nothing to say to each other.

I could tell that even though Fiona had married the guy she liked, she still seemed trapped–the light in her eyes was gone compared to last time. She looked down at her phone, her expression forlorn.

Ryan was unusually quiet, too; he tilted his head back, eyes closed, looking like he was trying to rest.

Edward was reporting some business matters to Jeffrey, and the old man’s demeanor showed he had full confidence in him.

Vivian walked in, and Jeffrey immediately stood up. “I picked up two calligraphy scrolls last time. Come upstairs with me and take a look.”

“Sure!” Vivian nodded.

And just like that, they headed upstairs, leaving the four of us in the side hall, staring at each other awkwardly.

I was about to go crazy from the stifling atmosphere. ‘Guess I’m just not built for this kind of misery,’ I thought to myself.

“Uncle Edward, are you really going to marry her?” Ryan suddenly opened his eyes and looked straight at Edward. “Did Victoria agree to this, too?”

My eyes stiffened as I glanced at Edward. I distinctly remembered telling him we shouldn’t think about marriage for now, and he’d agreed.

With Ryan suddenly bringing it up, I couldn’t help but wonder how Edward would answer.

Edward stared at me without blinking and said, “I respect her wishes. Honestly, whether we get married or not, as long as we’re happy, that’s what matters.”

I stared at him in shock. ‘Is Edward really not hung up on getting married anymore?’ I thought.

Ryan’s lips curled into a smirk. “Guess we really do have the same taste, growing up together.”

Edward’s face went a little rigid.

Ryan went on, “I remember, it was always about the thrill of the hunt for us. Once it’s ours, it’s just not exciting anymore.”

“Ryan,” Edward said, his face serious. “That’s enough.”

I’d already taken Ryan’s words to heart. ‘Isn’t that just human nature?’ I thought. Guys and girls are the same–if you get something without effort, you just don’t treasure it. Once the novelty fades, you just get tired of it.

Who can really say they’ve never thought about splitting up, even if they’ve been in love their whole life?

“She’s clever as they come. Even if I kept my mouth shut, she’d still figure it out,” Ryan said, glancing over at me.

I could tell Ryan wasn’t holding back anymore–he was straight-up trying to play the anti-ship card and break up our couple.

Fiona looked more and more upset, but for some reason, it was like her voice didn’t really matter in the Jennings family.

“Ryan, this is something Uncle Edward and Ms. Murphy need to figure out themselves. Why don’t you just stay out of it?” Fiona said.

Ryan replied coolly, “This is Jennings family business.”

Fiona’s face went pale, and she fell silent immediately.

Watching Ryan’s every word and action, the way he dominated the room, I knew their marriage was nothing but a facade.

Fiona wasn’t about to just sit there and take it. She stood up and said, “I’m leaving. You stay for dinner.”

Ryan got up and went after her. He came back a few minutes later.

Looking out the window, I saw Fiona–it looked like she was wiping away a tear before climbing into the car.

When Ryan came back, he looked seriously pissed. He didn’t bother coming back to the side hall–just stormed straight upstairs, and we all heard the door slam hard from above.

My heart gave a jolt, and I glanced over at Edward.

Edward remained unfazed, cool as ever. “When’s he ever gonna get over that spoiled rich kid attitude?”

“Edward, I wanna head back to Hachester after dinner,” I said, feeling like I’d really stirred up a storm in this family.

“Why the rush to leave? You just got here–stay a couple more days,” Edward said.

“No way, I’ve got work to do,” I insisted.

Edward just stared at me for a moment. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

Dinner had already started by the time Ryan finally made his way downstairs, taking his sweet time as if nothing could rush him. He’d just taken a shower and changed into a black T-shirt, looking sharp and refreshed, but those dark, intense eyes of his gave off the vibe of a tiger lying in wait–putting everyone on edge.