Ditched Cheating Alpha, I Led My Daughter to Life's Peak novel Chapter 325

"So how's school?" Mom looks around the table.

Michael and I glance at each other from the corner of our eyes. When's the last time any of us went to school?

"Great." Carson smiles. "How's work?"

Mom touches her heart, moved. Aiden gives an 'oh, brother' look. Dad does the same. They catch each other in the act, eyes connecting. They give each other sympathetic looks.

"What about that project you were talking about?" Dad asks Michael.

Michael shrugs. "You know, it... went."

"Went well, I hope?" Dad eats a spoonful of fish, sauce, and white rice.

Michael gives Dad a look. "Come on. It's me we're talking about. Not Mia."

I elbow Michael. He chuckles, elbowing me back.

The room falls silent again. Our laughter quiets.

"Well, this is extremely awkward," Megan says.

I glare at her.

"What?" she asks. "It was just an observation."

"If you must know," I start. "There is something."

Carson gives me a reassuring nod. Michael's head whips towards me. Aiden eyes me warily. Axel's amber orbs beg me not to say another word. Onai winces as he takes another bite, chewing on his good side.

"What is it?" Mom asks tentatively.

I push my food around my plate. "It's about..." I look at Carson again. Axel is outrightly shaking his head this time. Even Aiden is gesturing for me to kill the conversation. I falter. "Well..."

"Wait," Dad says.

All eyes turn to him.

"There's actually something I need to say." He glances to his left at Carson. "To you."

Carson pauses from shoveling down more food. He clears his throat, sitting up fully. "Er, yeah?"

"When I first met you, I think a part of me died a little inside."

"Dad-" I say.

"Pops-" Carson says.

He puts his hand up. "Let me finish." He looks at me as he says the next part. "I thought Carson was everything wrong for you in the world, Mia. I thought he was the shallowest, most ignorant, epitome of a jock stereotype harvested straight from grade school..." He cringes at the thought.

"Um, did this have a point?" Carson chuckles, but there's a hint of pain to it.

Dad pauses, as if thinking for a long time. "No, I think that was the point."

"Hugh," Mom says exasperatedly.

"Okay, okay." Dad sits up straighter. "The point is, I'm discovering that I was, at least partially, just a little tiny bit, wrong about you... for now." Dad pats Carson on the back.

Carson smirks at Dad. "You're not too bad yourself, Pops."

"I take everything I just said back," Dad mutters before his next bite. Then, his eyes turn to me. "So, what were you going to say?"