Married at First Sight (Serenity and Zachary) novel Chapter 4527

Married at First Sight [On-Going] 
     
Chapter 4527 
“Grandpa Lacroix, Grandpa Lafond.” 
Romina and Maddox walked over, and she greeted them sweetly. 
Old Mr. Lacroix smiled warmly in response. 
Old Mr. Lafond looked at Romina holding Maddox’s arm and beamed with satisfaction. “You and Maddox came together? Very nice.” 
“You young folks go mingle. No need to sit with us old men.” He waved them off with a smile. 
“Old Mr. Lacroix, Grandpa.” 
River appeared right then. 
As soon as Romina heard his voice, she tensed up instinctively, worried he might say something inappropriate in front of everyone. 
Old Mr. Lafond’s expression shifted when he saw River—his eyes lit up momentarily before dimming. As impressive as this young man was, he could never be used by their family. In fact, he had become their biggest threat. 
Among all the competitors in the field, River’s company, Yantail, was the only one bold enough to challenge the Lafond Group head-on—and it had risen precisely under the pressure exerted by the Lafonds. 
That reality made Old Mr. Lafond wary. He feared Yantail might someday overtake or even devour their family business. 
But it wouldn’t happen. He wouldn’t allow it. 
Romina and Donovan were both exceptional in their own right. Romina, in particular, had been locking horns with River for years—and neither had managed to gain the upper hand. 
That thought gave Old Mr. Lafond some peace of mind. 
“River, have a seat,” Old Mr. Lacroix said warmly. 
He had no feud with either side and treated River and the Lafond family equally. If anything, he seemed even friendlier toward River. 
In Eaglioncile, many elders respected River. Some admired him. Others envied and hated him. 
“I wouldn’t dare miss your invitation, Old Mr. Lacroix,” River said, taking a seat between the two elders like it was second nature. 
Romina’s brow twitched. 
She couldn’t shake the feeling he was up to no good. 
Old Mr. Lacroix smiled. “River, you flatter me.” 
“No, it’s the opposite—you honor me by inviting me.” River smiled, then turned to Old Mr. Lafond and added, “Grandpa, I heard you arrived a while ago.” 
Romina’s stomach tightened. 
It’s happening. 
That jerk’s going to stir the pot. 
Maddox gently took her hand and whispered, “Romina, let’s sit down too. We should say hello to your grandfather.” 
“Okay.” 
They sat down nearby—not far from the two elders. 
“River, just call me Old Mr. Lafond,” the old man said. “When you call me ‘grandpa,’ it feels off. I’m not your grandfather, and I envy the one you had.” 
River smirked, trying not to laugh. “My grandfather passed away many years ago. Seeing you, I feel a sense of closeness. You’re younger than he was, but still—you remind me of him. That’s why I feel like calling you Grandpa.” 
River was two years older than Romina, two years younger than Donovan. It wasn’t inappropriate for him to call Old Mr. Lafond “Grandpa” out of respect. 
“Grandpa, there’s something I should tell you.” River leaned over and whispered near the elder’s ear. “A few days ago, Romina called me ‘husband’ in front of a crowd, including my sister-in-law. She’d never met my sister-in-law and misunderstood our relationship. She got jealous and slapped me. I explained it to her, and we made up. Since Romina called me her husband, I should naturally call you Grandpa.” 
Old Mr. Lafond’s eyes widened in disbelief. 
Romina? Calling River “husband”? 
Even if she did, wasn’t River supposed to be furious? Shouldn’t he be retaliating instead of… whatever this is?