Chapter 212 An Awkward Dinner
Lauren found the lunch tasteless. Quentin and Sophia's presence made her feel nothing but disgust.
Quentin had said he wouldn't rekindle old flames, but now that Sophia was here, didn't he feel awkward? Lauren glared at him, wishing she could just punch him. She hated people who didn't keep their word.
Sophia sensed Lauren's agitation, confirming that coming to the Robinson Estate was the right move.
Knowing Lauren had returned, Sophia kept tabs on her, waiting for the right moment. She smugly glanced at Lauren before turning to Matthew.
"Matthew, you're three and a half, right? Starting preschool soon?" Sophia asked sweetly.
Matthew ignored her, focused on his food. Sophia didn't seem to mind and kept talking.
"Matthew, you're so well-behaved! I wish I had a good baby like you," she said, smiling at Quentin with a knowing look.
Lauren despised Sophia for trying to please Quentin. Sophia reminded her of herself from six years ago, with Quentin as her whole world. It was pathetic.
Lauren smirked. She almost felt sorry for Quentin. She hadn't married him willingly, and now Sophia, who had betrayed him, was back.
She imagined Quentin's feelings must be complicated. Otherwise, why hadn't he and Sophia gotten married yet?
Thinking of this, Lauren's gaze turned cold. She forced a smile and continued helping Matthew with his meal.
Kimberly had been watching Sophia, finding her attempts to please Matthew disgusting.
"Miss Hall, you're rich, powerful, and have a great figure. Finding a man to have a child with should be easy. Matthew catching your eye is his good fortune," Kimberly said sarcastically.
Lauren quickly tugged at Kimberly's clothes under the table, signaling her to stop. She knew Kimberly was speaking up for her, but this wasn't the right place. Her issues with Quentin had nothing to do with Sophia.
Kimberly grimaced and refused Lauren's hand. Lauren worried about everything and yet tried to appear carefree to Quentin.
Kimberly didn't care. She followed them to the Robinson family, knowing Sophia had no good intentions. Kimberly clearly understood Sophia's thoughts.
Sophia didn't expect Kimberly to be so blunt. She had seen all kinds of situations, so she didn't take Kimberly seriously. She teased, "You're joking. Quentin and I haven't thought that far ahead."
As she spoke, a blush crept up her face, making her look extremely shy. Any man would find it hard to resist such a tender and affectionate Sophia.
Lauren shrugged helplessly. Any woman involved with Quentin was not simple. She felt much more at ease, grateful that she no longer had anything to do with Quentin and was living a peaceful and happy life.
Quentin understood that the three women at the table were putting on a show. He pretended not to notice, wanting to see Lauren's reaction, so he continued eating as if nothing was happening.
Matthew blinked, looking at Lauren and then at Sophia. His spoon never stopped moving as he wanted to finish quickly and have Quentin play with him.
Matthew scarfed down his food like he hadn't eaten in days. Quentin watched him with a smile, wondering where he got that appetite from.
"I'm done! I wanna play! Quentin, come play with me," Matthew said, dropping his plate and jumping up.
Lauren quickly grabbed him. She scolded gently, "Matthew, you can't be so rude. Wait until everyone finishes eating."
"It's fine. If Matthew wants to play, I'll join him," Quentin said, smiling at Ethan before standing up and walking over to Matthew.
Matthew beamed. He said excitedly, "Awesome, let's go!"
He wriggled free from Lauren's grip and dragged Quentin outside.
Lauren felt torn, unsure whether to follow them or not.
"Matthew is getting more and more unruly!" Kimberly fumed, standing up to go after him, but Lauren stopped her.
"Let it go, Mom. Let's just finish eating and head home," Lauren said, her face pale. She'd definitely give Matthew a talking-to later.
Sophia laughed, clearly enjoying the scene. She remarked snidely, "Miss Walker, don't be mad. Kids love to play. Besides, they are father and son. You can't deny Matthew his father's love."
"Don't worry, Miss Hall. Matthew has thrived under my care for three years. We don't need his fatherly love. You should focus on marrying Quentin," Lauren replied coldly.
Sophia shrugged off Lauren's coldness. She retorted, "But Matthew seems to really like Quentin! It's funny, even though they're father and son, Matthew calls Quentin by his name. If it were anyone else, Quentin would be mad."
"It's just a child's joke. I'll teach him to recognize people properly later," Lauren said icily.
Lauren and Sophia were at odds, neither willing to back down. Ethan watched, feeling conflicted. Lauren only got this fired up when it came to Quentin.
Ethan knew this wasn't a good sign. It meant Lauren still couldn't let go of Quentin. Whether it was love or hate, it wasn't what he wanted.
Adding to his sadness was Matthew's behavior. From the moment Matthew was born, Ethan had treated him like his own child. But a substitute can't replace a biological father.
Even though Quentin had never held Matthew, their bond was undeniable. Matthew's attachment to Quentin was clear.
Ethan felt a pang of bitterness. He knew he shouldn't take Matthew's words to heart, but he feared Matthew's heart would soon lean more towards Quentin.
Meanwhile, Matthew's cheers and laughter echoed from outside.
"Quentin, I wanna play like we did yesterday!" Matthew shouted excitedly.
Quentin frowned. Matthew was a handful.
Matthew wanted Quentin to lift him up, let him hover in the air, and skim his hands and feet over the water like a seagull.
Though Matthew was just a kid, he weighed about forty-five pounds. Playing like this for a few minutes made Quentin's arms feel like they were going to break.
Quentin truly understood what it meant to be tired but happy. Holding Matthew tightly and letting him play in the water, seeing his joyful laughter, Quentin's mood lifted too.
