I Fell for the Man Who Ruined Me, Then He Forgot He Ever Loved Me Back novel Chapter 144

"Hey, watch it! What's wrong with you? What if you broke it? Do you have any idea how much this is worth?" George scrambled to catch it, scolding his daughter for her clumsiness while cradling the gourd defensively.

Sienna had already sunk back onto the sofa, crossing her arms. "If it breaks, it breaks. It's Jorrod's anyway. Consider it karma for whatever it cost him."

Though her words were harsh, Sienna instinctively glanced up at Jorrod.

The man was already looking down at her. In the brief intersection of their gazes, his dark, predatory eyes softened, shimmering with a tender, reassuring warmth.

Seeing that he wasn't offended, she finally relaxed, a small smile touching her lips as she shifted an inch closer to him.

George was still turning the gourd over in his hands, muttering to himself, "I mean, you have a point, but you can't take your anger out on the antiques."

Sienna didn't bother replying.

George finally fell silent.

After a long pause, George asked again, "Jorrod, how much did you pay for this?"

George estimated that given the quality and the rich luster of the wood, it had to be worth at least a few thousand dollars.

"Thirty bucks."

"What?!" George shot up from the sofa.

Lillian jumped, lightly smacking her husband's arm in annoyance. "What are you shouting for? You scared me half to death."

George hastily apologized to his wife, then practically sprinted over to Jorrod's side. He mercilessly bumped his daughter out of the way, wedging himself right between the two of them to interrogate the younger man.

Sienna slowly tilted her head, her eyes narrowing in disbelief.

She stared at this bizarre scene unfolding in her living room.

Like a spectator at a play, she listened to Jorrod explain how he had stumbled across the piece. It had been covered in a thick layer of grease and grime, and the vendor had mistaken it for cheap junk, selling it off for pennies.

Then she listened to George eagerly ask how he knew so much about antiques—had he studied them? Had he researched this?

When Jorrod nodded, Sienna shot him a look of utter bewilderment.

Studied?

For as long as she could remember, her mother was a woman of few words. When she was with her father, he usually did all the talking while she listened.

It seemed like her father held all the power in the household, but in reality, if her mother so much as furrowed her brow, her father's opinions wouldn't mean a thing.

Yet, the entire afternoon had passed, and Lillian hadn't offered a single opinion.

Sienna couldn't read her at all.

She sneaked a covert glance at Lillian.

Just as before, Lillian's eyes were fixed intently on the television, occasionally smiling at the plot. She seemed completely disinterested in the dynamic between the men.

The screen faded to black, the ending theme song played, and a long list of credits began rolling.

Only then did Lillian finally speak.

"Jorrod certainly knows how to put in the effort."