In the winter, Tissote’s skies grew dark rather early. By 6.00 PM, the lights in the living room had to be
turned on.
For tonight’s dinner, Elise had prepared some food to be shared with the others at the dinner table.
Even though the dishes were nothing but ordinary home-cooked food, they were fragrant and colorful.
As Jeanie sat down at the dinner table, she nearly drooled. “Looks like I’ll be having more servings than
usual tonight.”
Robin chuckled warmly in response.
“Good, good. Don’t be a stranger. Make yourself at home.”
“Of course I will. I haven’t experienced such a homey atmosphere in a long time.” All of a sudden,
Jeanies throat itched. When she recalled Bertha staying all alone at the Anderson Residence, she
couldn’t help sniffling with her head lowered.
Since the rest of them knew what Jeanie had been through, they could only watch on sympathetically
without saying anything.
Realizing that she had brought the mood down, Jeanie hurried to tuck her feelings away and
commented, “Ah-look at me misspeaking again.
Let’s drop the issue and start eating. We can’t let Elise down!”
“Indeed! One can’t function on an empty stomach. Once you’ve eaten, you’ll find the strength to go up
against anything!” Laura hurried to add.
And so, the atmosphere dissolved into harmony once more, with both food and laughter being shared
around the dinner table.
It wasn’t until the sound of high heels clicking against the ground that the sound of laughter abruptly
stopped.
Standing on the stone step of the open doorway was Madeline, staring at the full dinner table in
confusion and feeling an indescribable sense of pressure.
Although Elise had long stopped feeling any goodwill toward Madeline, she was ultimately Alexander’s
mother, and it didn’t seem appropriate to send her away when she had come all the way there. So, left
with no other choice, Elise could only stand up and welcome her in. After a round of introductions and
an extra place setting, everyone at the table considered themselves acquainted. Despite not being very
approving of Elise and Alexander’s relationship, Robin treated Madeline as courteously and
thoughtfully as he would any other guest.
Knowing that Elise’s parents had both passed away and that Laura and Robin had only each other to
rely on, Madeline imagined the elderly couple was eager to facilitate Elise and Alexander’s marriage.
Thus, using that as leverage, she began to approach the topic in a roundabout way. **Truthfully, I quite
like Elise, but she’s still young enough to be impulsive and incapable of looking at the broader picture. I
think she still needs to be disciplined by her elders.” Having no appetite for the home-cooked food,
Madeline spooned herself a perfunctory few spoons of food.
Laura and Robin’s expressions sank when they heard that. Surely Madeline hadn’t come to them so
that she could criticize their precious granddaughter? Even Jeanie found the woman’s remarks to be
amiss, so she commented blindly, “Ah -children have their own opinions these days. The times are
different now. There’s nothing we as elders can do but put up with it. Now, Mrs. Griffith, try some of
these prawns. Elise made them herself. They’re quite good!” With that, Jeanie placed a prawn on
Madeline’s plate using her own fork.
Eyeing the fork that had previously been in Jeanie’s mouth with distaste, Madeline frowned and shoved
the plate away. This is what the lower classes are like-even with so many people crammed around a
tiny, rickety dining table for dinner, they fail to consider the virtues of a serving utensil.
Naturally, everyone at the dining table took Madeline’s naked disdain to heart. Even the usually good-
tempered Jeanie couldn’t help showing a sliver of unhappiness.
Is this Elise’s future mother-in-law’Surely she’s too difficult to get along with. Won’t Elise suffer if she
marries into that family in the future? This won’t do! And so, Jeanic made up her mind to talk Elise into
reconsidering the marriage. After all, it involved not only Elise but two families as well. A wrongful
marriage would very well be cause for lifelong regret!
On the other hand, Robin did not have as much patience and only slapped his fork down onto the table
with a clink before growling, “I suggest you be blunt, Mrs. Griffith. I’m sure us country folk lack the
social finesse that you possess and would fait to grasp what you were getting at. I would hate for you to
have wasted all this effort in coming here.” Any discerning person would be able to tell that he was livid.
However, always having considered herself to be above others, Madeline didn’t take his reaction to
heart and only fixed her expression before starting haughtily, as if he genuinely hadn’t understood,
“Allow me to be clearer, then.” She paused and glanced at Elise, “The person you got into a dispute
with today is a member of one of heir family has always Tissote’s most powerful clans-the Olson Family
Clan. Now, their family been on good terms with the Griffiths and our two families have many involved
interests. A fall out would bring about unimaginable consequences. What I mean to say is that you
should be the bigger person and let the two Olson kids go so that you can save both our families a
great deal of embarrassment. What do you think?”
**Kids?” Elise mocked with a smirk. “Are you sure a kid would do what they did?” Startled by the
coldness in her gaze, Madeline was momentarily cowed before she could resume her overbearing
demeanor. “At any rate, since you’re to become the Griffith Family’s daughter-in-law, you’ll have to put
the interests of the Griffiths first. Don’t forget-you’re Alexander’s fiancée. Everyone will remember your
impulsive actions as the actions of the Griffith Family. Surely you don’t need the entire family to clean
up after you?” Smash!
As soon as she finished speaking, Robin swept his hand out, knocking his glass to the ground and
causing his drink to spill in a puddle. “Forget about the marriage, then!” he shouted From the very
beginning, the Sinclairs had found the Griffith Family’s relationships to be too complicated, anyway.
They never wanted Elise to be in too much contact with Alexander, especially not after what happened
with Matthew.
Yet, Elise always talked about how good Alexander was and how unique the Griffith Family had to be to
get to the point that they were at today. It was only for that reason that Robin and his wife hadn’t forced
the two to separate.
Based on Madeline’s attitude today, however, he made up his mind that no matter what they were
talking about or whether Elise was in the wrong or right, the engagement between the Sinclair Family
and Griffith Family would never continue. The apple of their eye was not to be subjected to humiliation
by the Griffiths just like that! On the other end, Alexander reached his workplace and was about to get
out of his car when he suddenly noticed through his rearview mirror a very suspicious figure lurking
around the corner of an alleyway. Acting like he hadn’t noticed it, he got out of the car and went into the
café across the street.
Using the wall and the waitstaff as his cover, he hid himself behind a glass wall where he could observe
the other party. Sure enough, the other party followed him inside very quickly and stood at the door,
searching furtively for him. Averting his gaze, Alexander left his hiding place and boldly walked through
the crowd in the direction of the shop’s back door.
Finally, around the bend of the alleyway where the coffee shop’s back door led, he shoved his pursuer
up against the wall. “Tell me who sent you.” “No one. I’m a reporter. I have the right to take pictures and
access public places. Surely you’re being over-sensitive, President Griffith!” “Oh?”
A rising tone was the only warning the man received before Alexander exerted pressure and caused
the reporter’s left wrist to dislocate. “Ow!” the man shouted in pain. Calmly, Alexander reached for the
man’s uninjured hand. “Now for this side…” “I’ll talk! I’ll talk!” The man whimpered before admitting in a
quavering voice, “Mrs. Griffith sent me. She wanted me to keep tabs on you at all times. I’m only doing
this for the money. If you’re going to blame anyone, blame your mother!”
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