Awakened Housewife Ignore Betrayer's Begs (Scarlett) novel Chapter 175

Chapter 175 The Uninvited Guest

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As the family meal progressed, Scarlett suddenly heard a voice from behind that sent an involuntary shiver through her. “Scarlett?”

It was Damian’s voice, but lacking its usual suggestive undertone. He hadn’t used his typical flirtatious term of endearment for her.

Scarlett turned her head, her brow furrowing slightly. “Damian?”

Damian’s gaze swept over Scarlett before shifting respectfully to Henry and Diana. “Mr. Theron, Mrs. Theron,” he greeted politely.

Then, he looked toward Nathan, whose expression had turned stony. “Mr. Nathan Theron.”

Finally, his eyes settled on Violet. “Mrs. Violet Theron.”

His social graces were thorough; he even remembered to acknowledge Clara with a warm, “Well, hello there.”

Scarlett was completely baffled by his intentions, her frown deepening.

Damian finally returned his attention to her, a glint of amusement in his eyes. “Fancy running into

you all here. I hope you don’t mind if I join your family dinner?”

Scarlett couldn’t decipher his game. Before she could formulate a response, Nathan slowly turned his head to fix Damian with a cool stare. His tone was icy. “Mr. Langley, you’re accustomed to the finest dining. I fear our casual family meal might be beneath your usual standards.”

Though Nathan didn’t explicitly say “no,” his meaning was abundantly clear.

Damian, however, feigned ignorance. Without a hint of ceremony, he pulled out the empty chair beside Scarlett and sat down, offering Nathan a charming smile. “You flatter me, Mr. Nathan Theron. We all put our pants on one leg at a time. There’s no such thing as being ‘above’ a good meal with good company.”

Seeing Damian settle in, Scarlett quickly glanced at Nathan. Nathan had explicitly warned her to keep her distance from Damian.

But Damian was proving as persistent as gum on a shoe.

Nathan didn’t lose his composure, but his demeanor remained decidedly unfriendly. “Our family can be rather… unrefined. I’m concerned we might not be compatible company for someone of your social standing.”

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Chapter 175 The Uninvited Guest

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The subtext was heavy. Even Diana, who wasn’t fully aware of the background, caught the implication. But Damian simply shrugged it off with an casygoing air. “Mr. Nathan Theron, if

you

call yourselves unrefined, then I’m downright feral. If it’s alright, I’ll follow Scarlett’s lead and call you ‘Nathan.”

With that, Damian unceremoniously reached for the wine bottle and poured himself a generous glass. He raised it and, completely disregarding Nathan’s willingness, clinked it against the glass in front of Nathan. “Nathan, this one’s for you.”

He downed the entire contents in one go.

Since Damian had offered the toast, no matter how much Nathan disliked him, social decorum forced him to temporarily restrain his displeasure.

Scarlett, seated between Nathan and Damian, felt a cold sweat break out.

Given Nathan’s temperament, he held no respect for people he disliked. But she never expected Damian to preemptively offer a toast.

This move effectively stripped Nathan of any valid reason to refuse Damian’s presence at the table.

Though Damian often seemed to lack principles, he was, after all, a seasoned player in the business world. He knew precisely which approach to take with different people.

Once seated, Damian picked up his glass and made a round, toasting everyone starting with Henry. He didn’t exclude even Clara.

Only after completing this social ritual did he begin to eat.

People from old-money families like the Langleys weren’t typically seen in casual eateries like this.

But Damian was the exception. He showed no trace of condescension toward the Theron family’s choice of restaurant, enthusiastically serving himself from the shared platters.

When he found a particularly delicious morsel, he would thoughtfully serve some to Scarlett and Clara.

Damian’s behavior was impeccable. Clara took an instant liking to him and kept asking, “Sir, are you my aunt’s friend?”

“Hmm, we’re friends,” Damian replied, a sly grin playing on his lips. “But we won’t stay just friends forever.”

Clara didn’t grasp his meaning. She wrinkled her little nose. “Why can’t you be friends forever?”

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Chapter 175 The Uninvited Guest

Damian smiled and ruffled her hair affectionately. “You’ll understand when you’re older.”

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Hearing Damian speak this way to his daughter, Nathan felt a surge of instinctive anger, but under the table, Violet gently patted the back of his hand and shook her head almost imperceptibly.

The inexplicable fury subsided, banked for the moment.

Scarlett didn’t know Damian well, but during this meal, she witnessed a different facet of him.

In front of her family, he didn’t use inappropriate pet names or try any physical advances. Instead, he was considerate and attentive, looking out for her.

He served her food, refilled her water glass, and even gently reminded her to wipe a smudge from the corner of her mouth.

Even with Damian, an uninvited outsider, present, the atmosphere never grew stiff, as he proactively kept the conversation flowing and engaging.

All in all, the meal was surprisingly pleasant.

*******

Vincent had just returned from his business trip and pulled up to the driveway of Ravenshade Villa. Before he could even get out of the car, a notification chimed on his phone.

Glancing down, he saw it was a message from Daniel-containing a single photo.

In the picture, Scarlett and Damian were seated side-by-side. Damian was in the act of serving her food from a shared plate, and the Therons surrounding them appeared engaged in the conversation, the overall atmosphere seeming warm and harmonious.

Vincent stared at the photo for a long moment, an inexplicable feeling settling in his chest-it looked unsettlingly like a family giving their approval to a suitor.

He didn’t reply to Daniel, silently locking his phone and slipping it back into his pocket.

Entering the villa, Vanessa spotted him immediately and came running. “Daddy! You’re finally back!”

Vincent scooped Vanessa up into his arms. His eyes scanned the living room, but he didn’t see Sabrina or Maria. A flicker of curiosity crossed his face. “Where are Sabrina and Maria?” he asked Vanessa.

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Awakened Housewife. Ignore Betrayer’s Begs