Do You Still Love Me When We Meet Again? (Aubrey and Damon) novel Chapter 125

Chapter125

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“Thank you for your concern, Hannah.” Victoria remained poised and refined, though her fists under the table were clenched right. “I’ve always taught my children that when choosing a partner, they shouldn’t prioritize social standing. They should strive for success on their own merit, not try to elevate themselves through someone else’s status.”

“Damon is marrying a woman whose parents are divorced, and Damon is marrying a woman whose father is in jail–oh wait, Damon can’t even marry.” Hannah’s smile was tinged with contempt, her eyes unable to conceal her disdain. “It’s just not a good look for the Blackwood name.”

“Who are we even telling this to? It’s not like we’re broadcasting it,” Victoria asked, her brow furrowed with feigned curiosity. I heard Chase’s girlfriend is some actress. What was that show she was in? Oh, right, that raunchy thing that got banned. Have you seen it, Hannah?” Hannah’s face darkened.

“Haven’t seen it, huh? Well, that’s not exactly something you brag about either!”

Their exchange, coated in politeness, was laced with venom.

When the older generation sparred, the younger ones dared not utter a word. The food grew cold, as everyone waited for Old Man Blackwood to begin, and no one else felt they could start without him.

The atmosphere in the dining room plummeted, thick with tension. Charles and Chase didn’t dare make a peep.

Just then, Aubrey hurried into the dining room, breathless from running. She looked self–conscious and awkward as she stood in the doorway, offering a quick apology, “I’m so sorry, I overslept.”

Everyone turned to look.

Under the scrutiny of so many eyes, Aubrey felt a shiver crawl across her scalp.

Old Man Blackwood smiled warmly and said, “You’re not late at all, just in time. We haven’t started eating yet. Come in and sit down.”

Damon reached for his cane, ready to get up and greet Aubrey, but Tracy placed a hand on his arm and rose to her feet. “Don’t get up, Damon. I’ll go.”

“I’m so sorry…” Aubrey murmured, bowing her head to the other elders as she made her way into the dining room.

Tracy rushed forward, taking Aubrey’s hand in hers.“No worries, there’s plenty of time. Let’s sit down.”

Aubrey’s heart settled a little at the warmth of Tracy’s touch. She allowed herself to be led to Damon’s side.

No sooner had she settled into her chair than Damon’s hand snaked beneath the table, clasping hers.

Saying nothing, Aubrey stared straight ahead. The moment Damon’s fingers intertwined with hers, she dug her nails into the back of his hand.

Damon winced, sucking in a sharp breath, but he didn’t pull away. Instead, he turned to her, a question etched on his face.

Aubrey met his gaze, plastering a polite smile on her face, her eyes narrowed as they locked.

Their eyes met, and without a word, they understood each other’s stance.

-You turned off my alarm?

-I wanted you to sleep in.

-You made me look like such a fool!

-You’re hurting me.

-You deserve it!

Damon gave a helpless smile, gritting his teeth against the pain, letting her continue the assault.

Aubrey, having vented her initial anger, couldn’t bring herself to inflict more pain. She immediately released his hand, gently stroking the marks her nails had left on his palm.

Damon lowered his gaze, focusing on her hands.

She rubbed both of her hands over his palm, stealing a glance at him before rolling her eyes playfully and huffing.

Damon’s eyes were deep as he gazed at her pouting face, unable to stop the slight curve of his lips, his eyes filled with adoration.

To the rest of the family, they were completely engrossed in each other.

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Even during meals, they were all about exchanging glances and flirting. After all these years, they we still very much in the honeymoon phase, their eyes and hearts solely focused on one another.

Even when Old Man Blackwood picked up his fork to serve food, urging everyone to eat, they didn’t seem to notice.

It wasn’t until Tracy reminded her, “Aubrey, dinner’s here.”

“Okay,” Aubrey said, immediately pulling her hands away from Damon’s, and picking up her fork to get some food.

Just then, Old Man Blackwood suddenly added, “Zachary, when that girl graduates and needs a place, she can just move into your place.”

Zachary put down his fork, his tone extremely serious.“Grandpa, I’m serious. I’ll say it again, I’m not getting married.”

Old Man Blackwood completely ignored him and continued, “She’s quite young, just graduated from university, seems like 22 years old, ten years younger than you. You need to take good care of her, and it would be best if you could help her find a good job.”

Damon’s older brother, Zachary, was speechless, propping his forehead with one hand on the table, his appetite completely gone.

Aubrey picked up a piece of meat, put it in her mouth, chewed slowly, leaned towards Damon, and whispered, “What’s going on?”

“Grandpa’s arranged a marriage for my brother.”

“Oh?” Aubrey looked at Damon in surprise.

Damon put some food in her bowl, brought his face close to hers, whispering intimately, “My brother’s thirty–two. My grandpa and parents may say they’re okay with him not marrying or having kids, but they’re actually really worried.”

Aubrey nodded, her heart heavy.

Actually, when it came down to it, wasn’t it because of her and Damon?

She remembered Chase talking to her once, hoping the family would have a house full of children and grandchildren. Damon was the only hope, so Chase had advised her to marry as soon as possible or leave New Haven City, not giving Damon any chance, cutting off his thoughts.

Now, no one could shake her determination to be with Damon, so the elders had naturally shifted their hopes onto Zachary.

She felt a little sorry for Zachary.

Evening.

Everyone packed up their things, ready to go home.

Damon was asked to stay behind by his grandfather, summoned to the study for a private word.

Aubrey loitered outside in the garden, waiting for him.

Wandering along the garden path, the cloying scent of over–bloomed roses hung in the air. Aubrey loved the tranquility of the old house’s backyard garden.

Her cousin–in–law, Evan, hadn’t left yet, and was walking toward her.

“The flowers are really thriving this year,” Evan commented, his voice as even as if he were remarking on the weather.“There must be plenty of good stuff buried underneath. Dead cats and dogs, chickens and ducks that died of illness–rotting at the roots makes the best fertilizer.”

Aubrey stopped. Evan came to a halt in front of her, a faint, enigmatic smile playing on his lips. His unfathomable dark eyes seemed veiled in a thin mist, giving him an air of cultured affability.

Aubrey gave a polite nod, greeting him, “Evan.”

Evan’s voice was steady and unhurried.“Aubrey, I heard you’ve taken on a rather thorny environmental pollution case lately?”

“That’s right.”

“Some cases, like the soil in this garden, look clean on the surface, but there’s a lot buried underneath. Dig too deep, and you’ll get covered in dirt you can’t wash off.” He plucked a leaf from a bush, slowly turning it over in his fingers as he watched her.“Sometimes, even the roots rot.”

Aubrey understood the veiled threat and met his gaze calmly.

“When a plant’s roots rot, it dies,” Evan stepped closer, his voice lowered, laced with an unsettling, almost paternal concern. “If a person stands in the wrong place, unable to see what’s truly beneath them, they might…fall very hard. Maybe even…” He paused, placing the leaf he held onto her shoulder, “never get back up.”

Aubrey stepped back, brushing the leaf off her shoulder.

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“Thank you for the warning. Evan,” she said, her voice even but firm. “But I’m a litigator, not a gardener. My job is precisely to dig op what’s buried and bring it to light.”

Evan’s smile faded.

He brushed off imaginary dust from his hands. “Then I wish you the best of luck.” As he turned to leave, he added, Damon loves you so much. You should cherish your life. It would be a shame for him to become a widower so young.”

Watching Evan walk away, Aubrey stood frozen, a wave of fear washing over her, raising goosebumps on her skin.

Was that a death threat?

When Mariela Logan went to pick up Jaime Herman from a drinking gathering, she overheard a conversation coming from inside the private room, and she paused at the door….

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