Chapter 180 Don't You Want to Get Some Air?
"It's your turn to move," Charles said, his lips barely parting, his voice a tad lower than usual.
Marcus glared at him. Clueless! An opportunity was knocking at his door, and he was letting it slip through his fingers. Served him right for being single.
Charles got the hint; he didn't linger there. Noticing the butler wanted to say something but was hesitant to interrupt the chess game, Charles stood up and walked over.
Learning that the juice was ready, he headed to the kitchen to fetch it. Before long, he returned with several glasses of juice, placing them on the table without much fanfare, "Juice."
"Thank you," Daphne said as if Charles were a stranger to her.
Marcus made his chess move and seeing the atmosphere between the two, he decided to lecture Charles a bit, "Juice? Is that all you can say? Can't you make more conversation?"
Charles remained silent.
"This is specially made for you. Charles asked the kitchen to prepare it, knowing that you were coming," Marcus assisted openly, hoping their relationship could ease up a bit. "Try them and see which one you like, so he can make more for you later."
Daphne paused. She glanced at the variety of inviting juices but eventually said simply, "There's no need to go to all that trouble, tap water is fine."
"How can I let you just have tap water?" Marcus bluntly brought things into the open, knowing that Charles had wronged her in the past. "Now you can put him to work. Don't you want to vent a little?"
For the first time, Daphne felt the next game of chess required all her wits.
She was aware of Marcus's intentions and precisely because of that clarity, she couldn't just chime in carelessly.
"That's not important," Daphne shifted her approach with a serious look in her eyes, "Today is your birthday, and the most important thing is your happiness."
Hearing this, Marcus grew even more disappointed with Charles. Before, he was just upset, thinking Charles wasn't good enough for Daphne. Now, he was convinced Charles didn't deserve her.
What use was a pretty face if it wasn't matched with the ability to care for and show concern for people? He might as well remain single for life and not bother his Daphne!
After that, Marcus didn't try to push Daphne and Charles together anymore.
Daphne had come specifically for his birthday, and he didn't want to sour her day.
And so, it continued, Charles found himself thoroughly and utterly neglected. While Marcus and Daphne were deeply engrossed in conversation and playing chess, treating Charles as if he were invisible.
The game came to an end, and Marcus was visibly pleased with the outcome. He didn't plan to continue playing. Together with Daphne, they carefully put away the chess pieces, and it was clear that he truly cherished the set Daphne had given him. He handled each piece with great care and attention.
When Charles tried to help him with the pieces, Marcus gently tapped his hand away, fearful that Charles might inadvertently mar the gift from Daphne. "Scram, go do whatever you need to," Marcus said, shooing him away, "Don't get in the way of me and Daphne."
Charles parted his lips slightly, trying to offer a helpful reminder, "I need to drive you to the hotel later on."
Marcus wanted to object but, in the end, said nothing.
"Daphne," Marcus asked after putting away the chess set, "did your father also come?"
Daphne hesitated for a moment before admitting, "Yes."
"How about we get lunch together?" Marcus asked tentatively. "We didn't get to show proper hospitality when you got married. Now that your dad is here, we ought to extend our hospitality."
"He will come this evening," Daphne declined smoothly, "I should go meet my friends from Ivrea City now."
Marcus didn't insist when she declined. His gaze drifted over to Charles, and an idea quickly sparked, "Then let me introduce you to some folks. You're all young, you should have things to talk about."
Normally, Daphne would have declined. She wasn't particularly interested in making friends. But today was Marcus's birthday, and she had already declined other things for various reasons; refusing again seemed a bit much. So, she agreed, "Okay."
"Let's go then!" Marcus was immediately reinvigorated as if being in Daphne's company could keep him endlessly happy. She seemed to have a gift for brightening his mood effortlessly.
Charles was surprised by her agreement; he had expected Daphne to refuse, knowing she wasn't fond of matchmaking scenarios.
What he didn't realize was that Daphne had no idea Marcus was suggesting a sort of matchmaking encounter. In her view, Marcus was always trying to set her up with Charles, and she didn't think he would try to pair her with anyone else, so she didn't consider it might be akin to a blind date.
Charles was in charge of driving. Daphne initially planned to ride shotgun because sitting in the back wouldn't have been appropriate under the circumstances. However, Marcus called her to sit in the back instead.
Half an hour later, they arrived at the hotel. Charles was dressed casually, which was fortunate since the hotel wasn’t crowded. Otherwise, his appearance might have drawn a lot of attention.
Marcus and Daphne stepped out of the car. He led the way with Daphne by his side while Charles followed dutifully behind them. Upon entering the hotel, Marcus introduced Daphne to a few of his old friends, whose curiosity was piqued by her presence.
"Marcus, who is this?" someone inquired.
Marcus deadpanned, "My granddaughter, Daphne."
The crowd was baffled.
Charles raised an eyebrow.
Daphne paused, completely caught off guard by Marcus's introduction.
"Come on, you're joking. We've met your granddaughter before," one person protested.
"Yeah, really."
"Could she be your granddaughter-in-law?"
The group speculated among themselves.
Charles and Daphne's relationship was not something Marcus broadcasted, knowing Daphne preferred not to attract too much attention. But at that moment, Marcus was suddenly very tempted to blurt out, “Yes, she is my granddaughter-in-law!”
"My grandson doesn't even begin to deserve Daphne," Marcus stated, firmly supporting Daphne.
Upon hearing this, everyone's gaze shifted to Charles.
Damian Wolfe chimed in with a comment, "Charles doesn't deserve her either?"
They all knew how impressive Charles was. At a young age, he was managing the vast Lancelot Group, and ever since he became the CEO, he had not only kept the company free from blunders but had grown it even bigger and better. Many daughters of high society yearned to be associated with Charles, yet he never gave them the slightest chance.
"Him?" Marcus said with disdain, not giving an inch, "He's the least deserving of them all. Any of you want him, I'll give him away for nothing."
With those words, everyone realized Marcus was just bantering with his grandson again. They all felt a hint of envy. If only their grandsons were as understanding.
"Where is Zhou and the rest of those old geezers' grandsons?" Marcus had been looking for a while and couldn't spot them, so he asked.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
