Ice and Fire novel Chapter 940

As if reading Lawrence's mind, Greg decided not to say a word about Aria. He could tell that it was what Lawrence wanted for the meantime and he had plans on his own.

Alice sensed the uncharacteristic silence between Lawrence and Greg. She saw their exchanged glances and immediately realized what was happening. She knew all along what Lawrence's relationship status was but pretended as if she knew nothing about it out of respect for the young men.

"Oh, Mom, where is Dad and Uncle Derek?" Violet asked Cherry curiously. She was scanning the living room as soon as she arrived but didn't see Jackson and Derek.

"They are in the study room upstairs, I think," Cherry replied, shrugging her shoulders.

When he heard this, Lawrence folded the newspaper and set it aside. He stood up and walked over to his mother and said, "Mom, may I steal Greg from you for a few minutes? We'll go and check Dad in the study room."

"That's a good idea! Greg can now finally meet your Dad," Cherry cheerfully exclaimed. She looked back at Greg with a comforting smile and said, "Don't be nervous, my child. Just be yourself and you'll be fine."

"I won't. Thank you," Greg obediently replied though he was starting to get anxious at the thought of meeting Violet's father.

Then the two young men left the living room and headed upstairs.

No one said a word as they walked their way to the study room. As they reached the study room, they found the door ajar.

Lawrence knocked twice but didn't wait for a response and helped himself inside the room. He found his Dad and Uncle chatting freely. When he got their attention, he smiled and said, "Dad, Uncle, I have Greg here."

After being introduced, Greg came inside the room feeling less nervous than he had been downstairs. When he saw Jackson, he was relieved to see that he was not as terrifying as he was told. Instead, he felt that Jackson was a little welcoming. He had met Violet's father when he was a boy. 'I might be feeling this way because we're now related. Violet is my wife and Lawrence is my friend, ' he thought.

"Dad," Greg greeted respectfully.

Jackson acknowledged Greg and nodded his head and then smiled.

Greg then looked at Derek and addressed him politely, "Uncle Derek."

"Greg, tell me. This is your first time meeting Jackson, isn't it?" Derek teased Greg and then he laughed like it was an inside joke.

"I believe this isn't the first time. I saw him before but I don't think he remembered it because he was too young back then," Jackson corrected.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot that time. So, now that he's a grown man, what do you think of him? Does he live up to your expectation?" Derek asked, laughing hysterically.

Jackson smirked at Derek, and said, "Of course, he does. He is Fred's son after all. Besides, I trust that Violet is a good judge of character. If she chose Greg as her husband, then I have no doubt that he's the best husband to my precious daughter." He obviously had high opinion about Greg even before he met him.

Lawrence and Greg sat down on the couch next to Jackson. The study was the perfect room for a good chat because of its peaceful ambiance.

Jackson considered Greg's advice. "You're right. It's best to let everybody know so they won't be surprised once we break the news to the press," he mused.

"All right. Then, we'll talk about this again later," Derek agreed.

Lawrence and Greg heaved a deep sigh of relief. They exchanged discreet glances to express their thoughts.

"Hey Jackson, have you heard anything from Stephen?" Derek asked abruptly.

This question left Lawrence stunned. He couldn't remember when he last heard this name spoken within the family. Lawrence quietly sat there and waited for his father's response for he was also curious as to what happened to Stephen.

For Greg, Stephen was a stranger. He had never heard this name before, so he didn't give much interest to the topic as much as Lawrence.

"Unfortunately, no. The guy only calls Cherry," Jackson replied.

"So, all this time he keeps in touch with your wife?" Derek exclaimed in disbelief. He couldn't believe what he just heard. 'How can Jackson just allow him to contact Cherry at his convenience?' he wondered.

"Yes, they still keep in touch," Jackson nodded in confirmation.