abcnovels
Chatper 154
Chatper 154
Chatper 154
Chapter 154
After stepping out of the car, Seth casually tossed the car keys to a
bodyguard as he confidently strode into the main building. Seated in the
middle of the room, Spencer squinted his eyes, observing the young man
who had just entered.
Seth exuded a cold aura; his eyes were aloof, and every step he took was
firm. With a nonchalant attitude, he plopped into a seat next to Spencer,
unfazed by the scrutiny. “Is there something wrong, Grandpa?”
Spencer’s scrutinizing gaze didn’t bother Seth, and he didn’t even spare a
glance at Christina and Lara. He hit his walking stick on the ground with a
disgruntled look. “It’s so late. What were you doing outside?” Sniffing the air,
he sensed something amiss. “You smell like cigarettes. Have you been
somewhere you shouldn’t have?”
Without flinching, Seth covered his mouth with his fist and coughed tiredly.
“Our family runs a large business, and it’s not surprising that I have to work
overtime occasionally. It’s already late, and it’s too much trouble to drag
Jordan out of the house to be my chauffeur. There’s no need for that.”
Although Seth’s words seemed considerate of his employee, upon closer
inspection, it sounded more like he was complaining about being called over
by Spencer in the middle of the night. When Lara and Christina deciphered
the meaning behind his words, they felt delighted and straightened their
backs simultaneously.
With a snort, Spencer said, “You are so considerate of your subordinate, huh?”
Unfazed, Seth swept his gaze past the mother and daughter who were about
to cause trouble and said, “With money, I can pay my employees to work for
me, unlike some others who don’t appreciate what they have even after I
give them enough money.” He made it clear that he was referring to Lara and
Christina without directly pointing at them.
Spencer understood Seth’s implication but chose not to expose them. “Stop
being clever. Although Lara is young, she’s still your aunt, and you failed to
protect her. Am I not allowed to call you back for a few questions?”
A cold sneer appeared on Seth’s lips. Narrowing his eyes at Lara, he said
lightly, “Sure, you can. Not only can you call me back for questioning, but you
can even disown me if you think I set up Aunt Lara behind her back.”
His words sounded like a joke, but there was an underlying innuendo.
Spencer remained expressionless and pursed his lips, appearing deep in
thought.
Meanwhile, Lara knelt on the floor in a pathetic state. As Seth looked at her
from across the room with eyes filled with mockery and menace, inexplicable
guilt bubbled in her chest, and she couldn’t help but grip the chair handle
next to her.
Observing the situation, Christina realized that Lara was unable to speak and
spoke on her behalf. “Don’t say things like that, Seth. Spencer doesn’t suspect
you. He called you home because he’s worried about Lara. The entire Shaffer
Family relies on you now. Who else can we depend on if not you?” she said,
tears streaming down her face, looking as sad as if Spencer had passed
away.
This wasn’t the first time Spencer had witnessed her acting this way, and he
was already accustomed to it. Annoyed that she was embarrassing him in
front of his grandson, he knocked the floor hard with his walking stick. “Why
are you crying? Am I dying or something?”
Christina was scared into silence. The way her tears clung to her eyes, on the
verge of falling, looked both amusing and pitiful.
Spencer snorted heavily and turned to Seth. “Tell me, what exactly
happened?”
Leaning sideways, Seth looked away from Lara and met Spencer’s gaze. “Your
precious daughter rejected Louis six months ago in front of hundreds of
people. He’s a regional executive director, after all. Isn’t it expected that he
would hold a grudge?”
Biting her lip, Lara wanted to argue, but Spencer had already become
suspicious of her. “Is that all it is?”
“Is that all?” Seth chortled and glowered at Lara. “Ask her what she said at
that time.”
Knowing Lara’s temper, Spencer fell silent and gave her a hard stare. “Did you
humiliate him?”
Lara’s eyes flashed with anxiety, and she gulped hard. “I just called him a
“That’s absurd!” Before Lara could finish speaking, Spencer cut her off,
berating, “Have you forgotten all the etiquette I taught you? If you’re not
interested in him, you can reject him, and if he persists, your brother and I are
here for you. There was absolutely no need for you to humiliate him.”
Even a hillbilly knows not to embarrass others in public, and this rule applies
in the business world as well. It wasn’t a problem that Lara rejected Louis, but
she should never have humiliated him in public.
Aware that she was in the wrong, Lara bit her lip without saying a word as she
forced out another tear. “Even if Louis holds a grudge against me, the one
who invited me to the hotel was-
In her haste, she wanted to mention Isabella and involve her as well, but right
before her name slipped out, she stopped herself. Jerking her head up, she
met Seth’s eyes, which held a touch of amusement, and a shiver ran down
her spine. I can’t reveal this, or too many things will be exposed. Then Dad
won’t even pity me anymore.
Seeing that she was holding back, Spencer became disgruntled. “Go on!”
After a few seconds of silence, she locked eyes with Seth, gritted her teeth,
and hissed, “It’s my fault.”