Serenity hung up and said to Zachary, “Let’s order when Ms. Doyle gets here.”“Sure, honey.” Zachary was indifferent.Ms. Doyle was Grandma May’s bride candidate for Dylan. If nothing unexpected happened, she would be his sister-in-law in the future. It was not a big deal for them to meet in advance.The only thing was they had no clue who Dylan would choose in the end.That was his business, though. Dylan could worry about it all by himself. Zachary could not be bothered.Serenity took Sonny to wash his hands while Zachary sat on the sofa. Dylan stood waiting at the entrance, not knowing who Serenity had invited for dinner.He texted Peter, but Peter had stopped replying to him.“That damned Peter stopped replying after hearing I got into trouble. Are you scared I’ll drag you down with me or implicate you too?” Dylan cursed Peter softly.Soon, he heard the sound of high heels. It sounded a little familiar, like…After some thought, Dylan remembered now. It sounded like Imogen
Imogen looked steadily at Dylan, trying to find any sign of a guilty conscience on his face.Dylan remained calm, not a hint of guilt to be seen.After a moment, Imogen said, “Is that so? No wonder you didn’t pick up or reply to my texts. You didn’t bring your phone with you, right? It’s been over ten days and your phone still has enough battery to ring though. What brand are you using? The battery’s so durable.”Dylan’s expression remained unchanged as he answered, “It’s not that durable. I plugged it in to charge before I left, so it stays fully charged.”Imogen knew Dylan was making excuses but did not press further. If he were hellbent on lying, he would have an excuse for every doubt she had.“You can’t be the esteemed guest my sister-in-law asked me to receive, can you?” Dylan asked with a smile. “When did you get to know her?”Imogen asked in return, “Why can’t it be me? That’s between me and Ms. Hunt. What does it have to do with you?”“Your tongue has gotten sharper in
“I’ve heard a lot about you, Mr. York.” Imogen greeted Zachary politely and offered her right hand to shake.Zachary shook her hand out of politeness and consideration for Dylan.The husband-and-wife pair led Imogen over to the sofa to sit down.Dylan sat to one side. To hide his inner thoughts, he sat Sonny on his lap, teasing him occasionally and glancing at the rest out of the corner of his eyes.After a few moments, Zachary asked the hotel butler to come in and they moved over to the dining table. Serenity took the menu from the butler and handed it to Imogen as she said warmly, “Please have your pick, Ms. Doyle. The food here is highly ranked in Wiltspoon.”Imogen did not take it, smiling in return. “You can order whatever you like to share. I’m not picky and since I’m staying here right now, I’ve eaten at the restaurant too, and the food is truly good. All the different cuisines taste authentic.”Wiltspoon Hotel saw guests from all over the world every day, which was why
Serenity pretended she could not see the battle between the two happening in front of her.She smiled. “If that’s the case, I’ll order a bottle of whiskey then. I can’t drink right now for the sake of my baby and Zachary doesn’t drink much in the first place, so I can only get Dylan to drink with you.“Dylan, be a good sport. You guys can drink however much you like. You don’t have to worry if you get drunk, Zachary and I are around.” She even winked at Imogen.Imogen secretly gave her an ‘OK’ gesture in return. Serenity was relieved. Imogen’s tolerance would not be bad. She recalled Imogen wanting to ask Dylan what he really wanted, and worried that Imogen would get drunk. Since her guest said it would be fine, Serenity was not going to supervise them.Once the dishes and the bottle of whiskey were served, Imogen poured Dylan a glass of whiskey.“Here, Mr. Dylan. Let’s toast.”Instead of clinking glasses with her, he took her glass and placed it on the table before saying, “Ms.
“You finished eating so quickly, Serenity.”Serenity smiled and said, “The both of us are fast eaters because we’re normally really busy with work, and every second counts.”Imogen smiled in understanding.Serenity took Sonny’s hand and signaled for her husband to follow. The trio slipped out of the presidential suite and closed the door behind them considerately.Zachary informed their bodyguards that they could take their dinner break instead of keeping watch.Dylan and Imogen both understood that Serenity was purposely giving them space.Once the two were alone in the room, Imogen picked up her glass of whiskey and elegantly sipped at it, though her gaze was fixed on Dylan.Dylan inwardly sighed. What was meant to come would come. He asked, “Is there something you’d like to say to me, Ms. Doyle?”Imogen silently drank her whiskey as she looked at him. Dylan was very good-looking. She had heard that the Yorks were all handsome, and now that she had met Zachary, she concurred;
Dylan did not run. It was too late anyway. He had no choice but to sit and stay calm. He turned to look at Imogen with an intense gaze. She could not guess what he was thinking through his eyes. Imogen leaned toward Dylan. They were so close that he could smell her faint fragrance. He wondered what perfume she used. It was not overpowering and had a light and pleasant smell. “Dylan,” Imogen uttered softly. “I’m listening,” he replied. “I have one question. What do you feel for me now? Are you pursuing me? If you are, why are you ignoring me?”After pressing his lips, Dylan answered, “That was more than one question.”He paused before adding, “Will you scold me if I tell you I don’t know? Will you think I’m a jerk?”Dylan did want to pursue Imogen. He thought she was great and Grandma May’s choice was never wrong. If it had not been for that girl, he could have accepted spending the rest of his life with Imogen, even if he did not love her. However, that girl was bo
It was Imogen’s first time hearing an elder doing that for their grandchildren. It was already an era where people could date and marry anyone they wished to. Why were there still elders who interfered with the marriages of the young ones?Imogen thought of her parents at that moment and took back her words. Parents and elders were behind most political marriages between wealthy families. Children of those families did not have much freedom to choose their significant others. Benefits were of utmost priority. It depended on how much of an advantage the marriage would provide to the companies of both families. “Why did your nana choose me? I’ve never met her before,” Imogen asked, puzzled. She had not met Grandma May and even if she did, she had no recollection.However, Grandma May must have observed and investigated her before choosing her as Dylan’s future wife. The old lady had passed a picture of Imogen to Dylan and told him to pursue her. “I don’t know. Although Nana
Dylan was silent. Imogen raised her eyebrow. “What? Are you so protective of her that you won’t even let me know who she is?“Don’t worry. I’ll fight it out with her fair and square. No dirty tricks, and there’s no need just for a man. I’m only willing to compete because this is my first time liking someone this much. If it were any other man, I would’ve just given my blessings to my love rival.”Imogen did not simply have her eyes on Dylan but also his family. The Yorks were famous for their harmony. The elders were open-minded and fully supportive of whatever their young ones wanted to do. Even when they were not fully agreeable, they would object strongly unlike other parents. More importantly, the men of the York family were especially loving toward their wives. They were loyal to marriage as well. Good men were difficult to come by. Any woman would wish to marry a kind man who loved her with all his heart.Therefore, Imogen decided to fight for herself. If she l