Marry My Billionaire Second Husband - Chapter 92

Chapter 92: Hawthorne Family Dinner II
“Annalise!” Horace immediately said in distaste, but it wasn’t before Amelia shot Annalise a scathing look. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Dad, Emmeline has always been on your left,” Annalise argued, and as she spoke, she reached down, ready to pry Amelia off the chair if she didn’t move. “I am just making sure that the newcomers are aware of the lessons you’ve drilled into us from day one.”

Before Annalise could even touch Amelia, her hand was swatted off by Horace’s walking stick. He glared sternly at Annalise just as Matteo placed a hand on Amelia’s, glowering in the same manner. With both men staring her down, Annalise felt the hairs at the back of her neck stand.

However, she had no choice but to stand her ground. Her daughter… her poor daughter…

Annalise turned to look at Emmeline, whose eyes were already watering. She then looked at her mother and grandfather, before her gaze finally landed on Matteo. Slowly, she shook her head. Teardrops fell from her eyes, glistening like the diamonds that hung on her ears as they slid down her cheeks.

“It’s alright, Mama,” Emmeline said, her voice quivering a little as she tried to put on a strong, brave front. “If Amelia wishes to sit there, then she can. I don’t mind sacrificing the seat and making do with the other end of the table if that’s what she wants.”

“Of course not!” Annalise snapped. “No daughter of mine will be expelled to the end of the table―”

“Sacrifice?” Matteo echoed with a scoff. “Expelled? Those are rather big words, don’t you think?”

He got up and helped to push Amelia’s seat back in again before sitting back down, raising a hand to tenderly neaten Amelia’s hair. He looked dotingly at her, and just as intensely, glared at Emmeline and Annalise as though he wanted nothing more than to send them into the pits of Tartarus.

“It’s just a seat,” Matteo said. “I’ve heard of people who can only defecate on a specific toilet bowl, but I’ve never heard of anyone who could only eat on a particular seat. If you’re not hungry enough for dinner, then kindly leave the dining hall. There are some of us who are waiting for a nice meal with our family.”

Family? Emmeline gritted her teeth in jealousy. How often she had begged and groveled for Matteo to come have dinner with them just so that he could familiarize himself with the Hawthornes. They would become family after their marriage, and Emmeline had always thought it was perfectly reasonable.

However, what was it that Matteo had told her back then?

‘Just because you think we have an engagement doesn’t mean we will become family.’

And yet, now that he was engaged to Amelia, the word ‘family’ could so effortlessly roll off his tongue.

The outrage that bled through Emmeline’s body was enough to send her erupting like a volcano that had been dormant for eons. However, she suppressed every bit of it, simply raising her hands to dab at the corners of her eyes.

“Matteo,” she started, her voice whiny, “I just―”

“Have a seat by your mother and father, Emmeline,” Horace said with a sigh, his eyebrows furrowed.

With all things considered, he had still watched this granddaughter of his grow up from a mere baby to the grown woman she was. He understood her pain but that wasn’t something she could scheme for. If Emmeline knew any better, she would stop now.

“This is meant to be a nice family dinner, not a soap opera,” he continued. “We’re not Hollywood.”

“Yes, Grandpa,” Emmeline said reluctantly.

In the end, she sat down next to her mother, while her mother sat next to Benjamin Hawthorne. Their family was all seated on Horace’s right while Amelia and Matteo were on Horace’s left. That placed them in an awkward situation― Amelia and Emmeline’s line of sights kept clashing all throughout.

Amelia tried to keep her gaze down on her plate as much as possible. However, she should’ve guessed that it was impossible, considering how she was the star of the show tonight.

“Now that you’re a Hawthorne heiress, do you have any plans?” Horace asked as he sliced into the steak.

“Plans?” Amelia echoed. “For?”

She looked left and right only to see a ghost of a smile on Emmeline’s lips as she ate a small cube of meat. Watching her delight in Amelia’s confusion caused the latter’s eye to tick in anger.

“If it’s career-wise, I am currently employed at X’el International,” Amelia said. She then made sure to stare dead in Emmeline’s direction. Sensing her burning gaze, Emmeline raised her gaze, and the second they locked, Amelia continued, “I’m working as Matteo’s personal assistant.”

The sight of Emmeline’s grip tightening on her fork made Amelia cheer inwardly. One point for her.

“Having a career is a good thing,” Horace said, nodding. “But since you bear the Hawthorne family name and reputation on your shoulders, that can’t be everything you’re dedicated to anymore.”

“Grandpa, Amelia just returned to the Hawthorne home,” Emmeline suddenly piped up. “Of course she wouldn’t know such things. She has been living in the slums for most of her life, and when she was married to Caleb Walton, he pretended to be broke as well.”

Emmeline then smiled at Amelia, but even a blind man would be able to tell how cold and frosty that smile was.

“How would the poor know about the charities we’re supposed to host?”

“That’s right,” Annalise said, her lips curling into a smile. “You aren’t aware, but you should be organizing your own charity event soon. While the men are busy with expanding the business empire, we women will have to help them from the shadows by pulling connections. Surely you’ll be able to handle something as simple as a charity event?”

“A charity event?” Amelia echoed. She then turned to Matteo, and he nodded.

Patiently, he explained, “Remember the auction we went to the last time?” Amelia nodded. “That is an example of a charity event that was organized by an aristocratic family. Every once in a while, someone will organize something like this to pull funds for whichever organization they’re supporting.”

“You’ve just joined the wealthy circle, and I doubt you will be informed enough to know all the organizations we have,” Emmeline immediately piped up before Horace, Amelia, or Matteo could say another word.

She excitedly clapped her hands, and Amelia immediately felt her gut churn.

“I have a few under my belt that you could help out with,” Emmeline said. “How about the Hope for Scholars Foundation?”