“Wouldn't it be better to ask me directly if you want to know about these things?” Old Master Crawford's voice echoed from the staircase.
Allison froze for a moment. Her face turned pale before she quickly turned around and forced a smile. “Father.”
“What are you doing here?” asked Old Master Crawford as he walked over, leaning on his cane with Mr. Griffin supporting him.
“I came to visit you,” Allison replied sweetly, stepping forward to help support his arm.
Old Master Crawford shook his head, signaling her to stop. “Let Mr. Griffin handle that.”
Left with no choice, Allison could only follow beside him, still wearing her forced smile.
Mr. Griffin helped Old Master Crawford settle onto the couch.
His sharp gaze flicked between Allison and Sophian. He had already heard from Luke that this woman had returned with Allison, and now, seeing her in person...
Old Master Crawford studied Sophian carefully. They said a person’s face reflected their inner self, and he had taken a keen interest in such things since retiring. To him, Sophian's face had changed, and not for the better.
Even as an old man, he could not help but dislike the look of her.
Her demeanor and appearance screamed of someone calculating…
While calculating could sometimes describe someone thrifty and practical, in Old Master Crawford's eyes, Sophian’s calculation was pure scheming.
Having spent decades reading people, he trusted his instincts. His instincts told him she was not someone he could like.
Under Old Master Crawford's sharp gaze, Sophian straightened her posture as much as she could.
She knew the old master disliked timid and hesitant youngsters. Even though his piercing eyes made her uneasy, she forced herself to maintain a proper stance, hoping not to displease him further.
“Lanie.” Old Master Crawford suddenly called out.
“Yes, Great-Grandpa?” Lanie looked up at him, puzzled.
“We need to have a talk. Go upstairs for now,” Old Master Crawford said firmly.
“Okay, Great-Grandpa.” Lanie had been wanting to leave anyway. If it were not for keeping his younger siblings company, he would not have stayed in the room, letting Allison’s presence interrupt his reading.
He quickly headed upstairs.
Once Lanie was out of sight, Old Master Crawford’s expression darkened. His voice was stern as he scolded, “If you have something to ask, ask me directly! Why bring it up in front of the children?”
Allison flinched at his sudden anger, caught off guard. It was just a simple question. Did he really need to react so harshly?
She forced another smile. “Father, I was just curious. I didn’t mean any harm.”
“Lanie takes after Luke. Even though he’s young, he’s steady and mature for his age. Do you know how it looks when you start asking questions about my opinions of others in front of him? What do you think he’ll make of that?” This was one of the things Old Master Crawford despised most about Allison.
If she had a question, she could just ask it directly.
Instead, she would involve the kids.
She would probe the kids for information and stir unnecessary drama.
She had done the same when Luke was young. She was always fishing for information from him.
Now that Luke was all grown up and refused to answer her questions, she stooped to interrogating his kids instead?
How shameless!
Allison felt indignant at his harsh words, but she forced herself to stay calm. “I didn’t mean anything by it. The kids just happened to mention that Luca wasn’t treating them well, so I wanted to ask your opinion about her.”
Old Master Crawford raised an eyebrow, silently urging her to continue.
Taking it as permission, Allison pressed on, “You know, Bianca is still abroad and doesn’t care about the Crawford family anymore. Given the situation, no matter how deep Luke’s feelings for her once were, they’re bound to fade over time. Eventually, he’ll divorce her.
"When that happens, what then? He’s still young, and the family needs a proper lady. I was just wondering about your opinion on Luca.
“She’s not treating the kids right, and if you’re not happy with her either, maybe we should start looking for someone new for Luke.”
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