Chapter 579 David Provokes James
The moment Violet stepped into view, James and Lisa's expressions transformed into a tableau of disbelief. They exchanged stunned glances, eyes widening as they struggled to process the scene unfolding before them.
James's mouth opened and closed wordlessly, while Lisa remained frozen, instinctively looking to her husband for his reaction.
After what felt like an eternity, James found his voice. "What is the meaning of this?"
The atmosphere in the living room instantly grew heavy, as if all oxygen had been sucked from the air.
David remained impassive, his face betraying nothing.
Violet straightened her posture, a provocative smile playing at the corners of her lips.
"Mr. and Mrs. Valdemar," she said, glancing between them, "this time I'm here as David's new girlfriend." She set down the modest gift bags she'd been carrying with an air of confident defiance, as if declaring victory.
Ignoring their shocked expressions, she continued, "You always liked me, didn't you? Well, I'll still be your daughter-in-law."
The unspoken implication hung in the air—just with a different son.
James and Lisa were rendered speechless. Dealing with Yvette stirring up trouble between David and Albert had been challenging enough; now Violet was inserting herself into the equation.
James slammed his hand against the armrest of the sofa. "What the hell do you think you're doing? This isn't some game!" His voice reverberated through the room.
"I know this seems sudden," Violet replied with a light laugh, "but we're all adults with the right to choose our own partners. David and I made this decision after careful consideration."
Lisa sighed. "Ms. Swift, we did like you—in the past, as Albert's girlfriend."
James was far less diplomatic. "Ms. Swift," he said coldly, his eyes narrowing, "you lost a child and were thrown out by the Morgan family. Do you honestly think you're suitable for David?"
The mention of her lost child sent a pang through Violet's heart. The pain was still raw, but survival demanded she look forward rather than dwell in grief.
She adopted a wounded expression. "I understand your concerns, but David says he doesn't mind my past. Isn't true love about accepting each other completely? Doesn't that prove we're serious?"
"Bullshit!" James exploded, pointing an accusatory finger at David. "I've given you so much freedom! I've always sent Albert to those blind dates, not you. I just introduced you to Calliope Bennett, heiress to the Bennett Group, and this is how you repay me? Are you deliberately trying to drive me to an early grave?"
He glared at his son. "You reject the Bennett heiress for... this? You're just being contrarian! What happened to you?"
David, who had remained silent throughout the exchange, finally gestured toward the stairs.
"Go upstairs," he told Violet. "I'll handle this."
Violet's lips curled into a smirk as she turned to James and Lisa. "Don't be so shocked. Nothing in this world stays the same forever. David has chosen me now. That's his decision. If you can't accept it... well, you'll have to find a way."
As she ascended the stairs, she called back to David, "Which room is yours? I wouldn't want to accidentally wander into Albert's."
"His room is off-limits," David replied, pointing to a room at the far end of the second floor.
Violet raised an eyebrow, cast a final glance at James and Lisa, and gracefully disappeared upstairs.
The moment she vanished, James rose from the sofa and stormed over to David, shoving him in a fit of rage. David, already unsteady on one leg, nearly toppled over, barely managing to catch himself on the sofa armrest.
Half-kneeling on the floor, David looked up at his father with a cold smile. "You'd only dare push me. Would you ever try that with Albert?"
A flicker of discomfort crossed James's face before morphing into contempt. "Albert earned his position as the controlling shareholder of the Valdemar Group through his own merit. Of course I wouldn't. But you? You have nothing, and you refuse to follow the one path that could change that—marrying into the Bennett family! This was your last chance at redemption!"
James towered over him. "And you had Violet go upstairs first? What was that—playing the protector to win her affection? Is that your little lovers' game?"
"Whether I need to win her affection is none of your business," David replied through gritted teeth, struggling to his feet to meet his father's gaze. "Who I'm with is none of your business either. Calliope can't give me what I want."
"Calliope can't give you what you want?" James's voice rose. "And Violet can? What could she possibly offer you? A cast-off from the Morgan family who lost a child and might not even be able to have another? This will only make your grandmother despise you more! You'll be cut off without a penny!"
"I don't need to report my actions to you," David replied, his eyes cold.
"If that's how you feel, why have us wait here at all? You could have simply followed your own desires without regard for our opinions!" James took a deep breath, remembering that he had only one son to rely on, and forced himself to calm down. "Fine, let's talk this through. Don't make things worse."
"I brought her here because I wanted you to know I intend to marry her," David stated.
His words landed like a bomb in still water, sending shockwaves through the room. The air instantly crackled with tension.
"What?" James was utterly dumbfounded. "You're not just fooling around with her—you're planning to get married?"
"Yes." David met his father's gaze with unwavering determination. "I'm going to marry her."
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