Love at First Sight? Mr. Harrison Has Been Scheming All Along-Chapter 91: "Mom, When Have You Ever Cared About What I Like.
The intention behind the empty seat was obvious.
Sean’s words also made his stance clear.
He would rather stand behind Rory than be forced to sit next to Nadia.
He hadn’t been invited to this family dinner.
Yet they had specifically told the driver he’d arranged to come pick Rory up.
Their objective was just as obvious.
Charlotte Rhodes looked at Sean and said, "You call the shots in this family. How could there not be a seat for you?"
"I wasn’t invited to the family dinner, so naturally there’s no seat for me."
Sean remained standing behind Rory, unmoving.
Their back-and-forth exchange was nothing like a conversation between mother and son.
Tense and hostile, it was more like they were opponents at a negotiation table.
"I knew you’d come even if I didn’t invite you, so I saved a seat for you."
Charlotte’s gaze fell upon the only empty seat at the table.
Sean glanced at Rory, who was sitting in front of him. "My girlfriend is here. I’d rather stand than sit next to someone else."
That empty seat was right next to Nadia.
Miles was on the other side.
For him to sit there would be to make a choice.
At the table, nearly every eye was on Rory.
Feeling as if she were sitting on pins and needles, Rory stood up abruptly.
The moment she rose, Charlotte spoke up. "Miss Linden, are you not going to eat? Are you leaving with my son?"
Charlotte was over sixty, and despite having just had a heart stent procedure, she was in high spirits.
Her voice was firm and resonant.
Rory quickly explained, "No, I was just... going to try and persuade him."
"Oh, there’s no need for that. We can’t have family getting upset over such a small thing. I’ll just move, that’s all."
It was Nadia who spoke.
She stood up, moved to a different seat, and then retrieved the water glass she had been using.
She had effortlessly defused the conflict between mother and son.
’This whole situation was a trap set for me, wasn’t it?’ Rory finally realized.
’My sitting here would only escalate the conflict between mother and son.’
’The simplest solution was in Nadia’s hands all along.’
Only then did Sean sit down.
They were in the main dining room of the old residence, seated at a round table.
The table was large, so with only six people, there was a fair amount of space between the chairs.
After Sean sat down, he nudged his chair a little closer to Rory’s, then raised his arm and casually draped it over the back of her chair.
A simple gesture, but one that clearly placed them in the same camp.
Charlotte saw it all, and her expression darkened.
Rory felt extremely uncomfortable.
Once Sean was seated, several housekeepers began bringing out the hot dishes one by one.
Two of the dishes were clearly made with chili peppers.
One was a steamed fish, the other was twice-cooked pork.
Charlotte frowned at the two dishes. "What are these?"
"I had the housekeepers prepare them in advance," Sean said. "I like spicy food. Is there a problem?"
Charlotte’s expression grew even more unpleasant. "Since when do you like this kind of food?"
"Mom, since when have you ever cared what I like?"
Sean spoke very slowly.
His tone seemed to hold a hint of mockery, yet every word felt like an interrogation.
An eerie silence fell over the table.
Rory sat directly across from Charlotte, and she could clearly see Charlotte’s knuckles turning white as she gripped her chopsticks.
She was clearly struggling to contain her anger.
Just as an argument seemed imminent, Charlotte set down her chopsticks. "Enough. The family hasn’t been together in a long time. Let’s just eat peacefully."
Only then did the tension at the table ease.
To avoid further conflict, Evelyn Irving directed a relatively safe topic of conversation toward Nadia:
"Miss Willow, you haven’t been back to Celestria in so many years. Do you find it has changed a great deal?"
"Yes, I’m truly surprised at how quickly the country has developed."
"It was the right decision to return. The country is thriving now, with plenty of opportunities."
"Yes. In a way, I have my ex-husband to thank. If he hadn’t crossed my boundaries time and time again, I never would have found the resolve to divorce him."
Hearing this, Evelyn asked casually, "What did your ex-husband do?"
"Oh, him... He was an expert at putting on a facade. When I first met him, I thought he was the most perfect man in the world—gentle, considerate, and thoughtful about everything. It wasn’t until right before our wedding that I discovered he had a gambling problem."
Nadia sighed. "I actually knew he was millions in debt before the wedding. I was just so blinded by love back then. I begged Sean to help sort out the debt. He managed to get a lot of the interest waived and even paid it off for him. Only then were we able to get married."
"That happened?" 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚
Evelyn looked at Sean.
Then, she couldn’t resist glancing at Rory out of the corner of her eye.
’If their relationship was just ordinary, who would spend millions helping someone else pay off their debt?’
’Doesn’t that prove their relationship was anything but simple?’
"Yes, I never dared tell my parents about any of it. I was afraid they’d worry." Nadia sighed. "I thought that once the gambling debt was paid off, things would slowly get better. But after we married, I discovered he was emotionally unstable. He was abusive, he cheated... and when we were divorcing, I found out he was in massive debt again. If it weren’t for Sean, I truly wouldn’t have been able to come back to Celestria."
Miles was the first to speak up. "My uncle helped you with your divorce, too?!"
His gaze drifted involuntarily toward Rory.
Rory kept her head down, focusing on her food, and didn’t look at Sean.
’I trust him,’ she thought. ’I do.’
’But...’
’Nadia has her own family.’
’Wasn’t he...’
’...being too good to her?’
"Yes, I’m a bit absentminded and careless. I only realized during the divorce that my ex-husband had schemed against me, leaving me to shoulder a mountain of debt." Nadia’s gaze shifted to Sean beside her. "If it weren’t for Sean, I’m afraid I still wouldn’t be divorced."
Sean finally spoke. "I just helped her find an international lawyer. He handled the entire case. I didn’t do anything else."
Miles asked pointedly, "But you must have been the one who paid off that money, right? And we’re talking about several million in the local currency, aren’t we?"
The atmosphere at the table grew strange.
Almost everyone’s eyes were involuntarily drawn to Rory.
Not only was she Sean’s girlfriend, but she also bore a striking resemblance to Nadia.
The implications were unspoken but clear.
"Miss Willow helped me out a great deal when I was a student. By helping her twice with this matter, I consider us even." Sean glanced at Rory as he explained, then looked at Nadia. "Miss Willow and I are not close. There’s no need to keep bringing me up when you talk about your personal affairs. It might cause a misunderstanding."
As he finished speaking, Sean used the serving chopsticks to place a piece of fish into Rory’s bowl.
His every word and action made his stance perfectly clear.
No one else dared to ask any more questions about their relationship.
Evelyn sighed. "They say a leopard can’t change its spots. You really have to be careful before getting married."
Nadia agreed, "That’s right. If a man has a history of fighting, abuse, or even homicidal tendencies, he’s definitely not someone you should marry."
"Who would marry a guy like that? They’d have to be crazy!" Miles scoffed.
Nadia completely ignored him.
Her gaze was fixed on Rory. "Miss Linden," she asked, "what do you think?"
