The Husband I Loved for Eight Years Never Loved Me-Chapter 78: No Reason to Be the Bad Guy

Chapter 78: No Reason to Be the Bad Guy

A helpless look flashed in Tristan Sterling’s eyes. He pinched the bridge of his nose and said, "Since you’ve already agreed, there’s nothing more for me to say."

Sylvia Shannon said, "Fine. I’d also like to see just who this Evelyn is. Melissa has only met her once and already likes her so much. That girl, Claire, is so good to her, yet I’ve never heard Melissa ask to invite her over for dinner."

Tristan Sterling said, "You two can arrange it."

「The next day.」

Rachel Royce received a call from an unknown number. She answered with a hint of confusion, "Hello? Who is this?"

As soon as she spoke, she heard Melissa’s happy voice from the other end of the line. "Aunt Evelynn."

Rachel Royce was surprised. "Melissa!"

Melissa Sterling asked, full of hope yet hesitant, "Aunt Evelynn, are you free tonight? Can I have dinner with you?"

Rachel Royce froze. She remembered Tristan Sterling asking for her contact information yesterday. ’It would be incredibly easy for him to get my number anyway.’ Although she didn’t want to see Tristan, she couldn’t bear to refuse her daughter’s request, not after hearing the happy anticipation in her voice.

In the end, she agreed.

Melissa happily hung up the phone.

A moment later, she received a text message with a designated location and instructions that someone would pick her up.

Rachel Royce had to cancel the dinner party Joanna Sutton had organized for that evening.

「Around 5:30 PM that day.」

Rachel Royce arrived at the designated location.

Soon, a discreet, low-profile Hongqi sedan slowly pulled up in front of her. The driver got out and opened the car door.

Rachel Royce got into the car.

「Half an hour later.」

The car stopped in the underground parking garage of a private restaurant.

As she rode the elevator up, Rachel Royce felt a mix of anticipation and nervousness.

Until a waiter opened the door to the private room. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"Aunt Evelynn!"

Melissa’s cheerful voice called out.

The moment she saw her daughter, her tense nerves began to relax.

Melissa ran up to Rachel Royce and took her hand. "I asked Grandma to invite you to dinner, Aunt Evelynn. Are you mad at me?"

Rachel Royce suppressed her emotions, curving her lips into a smile. "Of course not."

Tristan Sterling and Sylvia Shannon were also sitting in the private room.

Feeling their gazes on her, Rachel Royce felt a wave of discomfort wash over her.

"Alright, Melissa, come and sit down properly," Sylvia Shannon said in a gentle voice.

Melissa pulled Rachel Royce to the dining table to sit, even trying to pull out a chair for her. Rachel quickly moved to stop her.

Tristan Sterling pulled out the chair for her instead.

Rachel Royce froze and pulled her hand back.

"Aunt Evelynn, you sit here."

The seat was right next to Tristan Sterling. Even though he said nothing and did nothing, just sitting there quietly, his presence gave Rachel Royce a sense of invisible pressure.

She desperately wanted to sit somewhere else—or not sit here at all—but for now, she had no choice.

Sylvia Shannon placed Melissa in a child’s high chair.

It was clear that Sylvia Shannon doted on Melissa. When she looked at her granddaughter, her eyes were full of gentle affection. But the moment her gaze shifted to Rachel Royce, the warmth vanished, replaced by a scrutinizing look.

Sylvia Shannon called a waiter in. "Miss Evelynn, please order whatever you’d like."

Rachel Royce simply ordered two dishes, and the waiter filled her teacup.

Melissa looked at Rachel Royce and asked, "Are you busy with work every day, Aunt Evelynn?"

Rachel Royce controlled her emotions and replied in a warm voice, "I’ve been quite busy lately."

Sylvia Shannon asked, "Miss Evelynn, do you primarily work at a television station now?"

She went on to ask about the specifics of her job and her educational background.

Perhaps because Melissa was present, Sylvia Shannon’s tone was relatively mild, but her words carried the weight of an interrogation.

"Are you married, Miss Evelynn?" Sylvia Shannon asked.

’She really is determined to dig up every detail about me.’ But Rachel could understand. Melissa had taken a liking to her and invited her to dinner; any parent would be wary.

Rachel Royce hummed softly in affirmation.

Hearing that she was married, Sylvia Shannon’s expression relaxed slightly.

Melissa chattered on with Rachel Royce, her eyes sparkling with a bright smile.

Melissa had already saved her phone number in her smartwatch. She asked politely, "Can I call you when you’re not busy with work, Aunt Evelynn?"

Rachel Royce smiled, a warm feeling spreading through her heart. "Of course, you can."

Just then, Tristan Sterling received a call. He said a word to Sylvia Shannon, then got up and left the room.

A moment later, Tristan Sterling returned to the room, and with him was Claire Ainsworth.

The moment Claire Ainsworth saw Rachel Royce, a grim look flashed in her eyes.

"Claire, you’re here. Come, sit," Sylvia Shannon greeted her warmly.

Claire Ainsworth walked over and sat down next to Sylvia Shannon. Tristan Sterling naturally took the seat beside her.

With the seat next to her now empty, Rachel Royce’s tense nerves relaxed a little.

"Daddy, why didn’t you say Miss Claire was coming?" Melissa suddenly piped up, clearly displeased.

Claire Ainsworth gently explained, "Miss Claire called your daddy at the last minute, so he probably didn’t have time to tell you. The custom doll I had made for you is ready. How about I give it to you in a bit, okay?"

Melissa said thank you. "Thank you, Miss Claire."

But she didn’t sound very enthusiastic.

A faint smile touched Claire Ainsworth’s lips. "You’re welcome."

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Rachel Royce sneered inwardly. ’Claire Ainsworth really puts on a good act.’

Judging by Sylvia Shannon’s attitude toward Claire Ainsworth, she had probably already accepted her as a daughter-in-law.

The waiters began to serve the dishes one by one.

During the meal, Melissa placed some food on Rachel Royce’s plate. "This is my favorite. What do you like to eat, Aunt Evelynn?"

But whenever Rachel Royce spoke with Melissa, Claire Ainsworth would casually interject, and Sylvia Shannon would then chime in to agree with her.

Tristan Sterling, however, remained quiet the entire time, only responding gently when Claire Ainsworth spoke to him.

It made Rachel Royce feel completely superfluous at the dinner.

During this time, Rachel Royce received a call.

She stepped out to answer it.

It was from Julian Jennings.

Since she hadn’t made it to the dinner party, Julian Jennings was calling to ask if something had happened.

"I’m fine. My daughter called me, so I came to have dinner with her."

Julian Jennings didn’t press further.

After hanging up, as she was about to head back, she saw Sylvia Shannon stepping out of the private room. It was obvious she had something to say to her.

"Mrs. Sterling."

Sylvia Shannon looked at her, her attitude no longer as gentle as it was inside the room. The facade was gone, replaced by the imperious air of a Spencer family matriarch.

"My granddaughter wanted to have dinner with you today, Miss Evelynn, so I granted her wish. I can see that Melissa truly likes you. However, I do not wish for you to have too much contact with my granddaughter. If she contacts you in the future, I hope you will keep your distance and not get too close to her."

A faint smile touched her lips as she said, "Mrs. Sterling, if you don’t want your granddaughter to have too much contact with me, you can tell her that directly. I see no reason to be the bad guy for you."

Sylvia Shannon’s face instantly turned cold.

Just as she was about to say something, the door to the private room opened again, and Tristan Sterling walked out.