Chapter 277 Meeting Ethan's Parents
That night, Matthew just chilled in Lauren's arms, way too calm for a kid his age.
Most kids would be bawling and throwing fits when they didn't get their way, but not Matthew. He just laid out what he wanted and went along with everything else, even heading to the White Villa with Lauren.
Next day, Lauren got all dolled up. She wasn't over the top, though. She pulled her hair back, showing off her pretty face and those bright, expressive eyes. Whether she was frowning or smiling, she looked stunning. She rocked a green long dress, and with her tall, slender figure, she looked like a total goddess.
Lauren had known Ethan's parents since forever. She used to hang out with Ethan at the White Villa, but his parents were always super busy, so she didn't see them much.
Ten years flew by, and she wondered if Ethan's parents would even remember her.
Ethan was stoked to see Lauren looking like that. He ran up, grabbed her hand, and said, "Lauren, you look amazing today!"
Matthew stood next to Lauren, feeling a bit down, but he still did what Lauren asked and put on his best outfit to go to the White Villa.
Out of nowhere, as Matthew and Lauren arrived, Ethan smoothly edged past Matthew. Matthew glared at Ethan, certain he wasn't good enough for his gorgeous mom.Even though Matthew wasn't thrilled, Lauren still took him along and hopped into Ethan's car.
Ethan was pumped and tried to reassure her, "Lauren, don't stress. My folks are gonna be so surprised to see you!"
Lauren smiled, hoping it wouldn't be too much of a shock. Bringing a kid along wasn't always a hit with some families.
No matter how it went down, Lauren was ready. She'd stay cool no matter how awkward things got.
Lauren smiled at Ethan and said, "Ethan, I'm good. Thanks for getting the gifts for your family, but I should've done it myself. You doing this makes me feel kinda guilty."
"Why feel guilty? We're about to be family anyway," Ethan said, all excited.
He thought, 'Finally, all the love and care I've given Lauren is paying off. I'm excited to share this happiness with my family. After all these years of looking out for Lauren, she's finally agreed to marry me. I'll always be there for her.'
Lauren could feel Ethan's excitement, but her heart was heavy, hoping that things could go as smoothly as he promised.
The car finally pulled into the villa's parking lot. After getting out, Ethan opened the car door for Lauren and Matthew, then happily grabbed the gifts and led Lauren toward the hall.
Even though it was her first time meeting Ethan's parents, Lauren wasn't nervous at all, like she was just meeting some regular clients.
Lauren looked at the villa's familiar yard and the tree she and Ethan used to climb as kids, feeling all sorts of emotions.
She thought, 'The place looks the same, but we've changed. These scenes have lasted longer than the feelings between people.'
Ethan glanced back at Lauren, who seemed lost in her thoughts. Following her gaze, he spotted the tree and grinned. "Lauren, remember when we used to race to see who could climb faster? One time, I fell and you freaked out, crying your eyes out. My dad was so mad he wanted to chop the tree down, but I begged him not to and promised I'd never climb it again."
Lauren chuckled softly, "Yeah, if you had told your dad the truth back then, maybe you wouldn't have been punished alone. At least I would've been there with you."
They reminisced, and it felt like they were back in those days, their hearts gradually drawing closer.
Ethan's warm smile widened. "How could I let you get punished too? You might not know, but I liked you even back then. I wanted to win to impress you."
Lauren laughed, "I had no idea you felt that way. I always thought you didn't like me and that's why you wanted to beat me at everything."
"So, that's how you saw me. I'm heartbroken," Ethan teased.
As they chatted, Ryan walked over from the hall. Seeing Lauren with Matthew, his eyes flickered before he greeted her.
"Ms. Walker, welcome. This must be your kid. Hello," Ryan said.
Matthew looked up at Lauren, waiting for her to introduce him.
Lauren smiled and hugged Matthew. "Ryan, hello. Matthew, this is Ethan's brother."
"Hello," Matthew said politely.
Ryan nodded with a smile, but after looking closely at Matthew's face, his heart became uneasy. Matthew looked a lot like Quentin.
"Mom and Dad are waiting for you. We should head over," Ryan suggested.
Ethan smiled at Lauren, and they all continued towards the hall.
In the hall, Ethan's parents, Kevin White and Esme White, sat on the sofa with indifferent expressions, not looking like they were waiting to meet Ethan's future wife.
In fact, they weren't in the mood to welcome Lauren as Ethan's fiancée. A few days ago, Ryan had told them that Ethan was bringing his girlfriend home, and they were thrilled. They thought that Ethan, who had been single for so long, had finally matured and was ready to get married.
However, when Ryan told them that the person was Lauren, whom they also knew, they were almost furious. The whole city knew about Lauren's messy divorce with Quentin. How could a divorced Lauren with a kid marry Ethan?
The White family, although not as powerful as the Robinson Family in the city, was still a respectable one. While society might be more open-minded now, they couldn't accept Lauren as Ethan's fiancée.
Moreover, Ethan was a young and talented man who had established his company at a young age and managed it well. With such excellence, he could find any woman to be his wife, but he chose Lauren, who Quentin had abandoned!
They were angry, but Ryan had told them all about Ethan's feelings for Lauren. Despite their reluctance, they had to meet Lauren because of Ethan's love for her.
