I Walked Away And He Lost His Mind (Zephyra and Steven) novel Chapter 402

I lowered my head, the corners of my lips twitching upwards.

My brother certainly has a way with words.

Steven shot Ryan a cold look, his expression dark. "If you don't know how to talk, then shut up. No one will mistake you for a mute."

Ryan sneered. "At least I'm honest. When I call you a cheater, you're a cheater, no 'buts' about it. If you like that awful woman, just admit it. It's not like we care. Why pretend?"

"You did something wrong, and you have the nerve to be aggressive?!" Mr. Lancaster Sr. raged. "Did she save your life or someone else's? How could she be so important that you'd shield her like this, without any regard for your own wife's dignity?"

Gordon quickly interjected, "Chairman, it's not that Mr. Lancaster doesn't want to say more, it's that this is all he can say."

Steven's jaw tightened. "I can't say."

I raised an eyebrow, finding it hard to understand.

Why wouldn't Steven just admit he liked Verna?

It didn't seem like such a difficult thing to say. He was already protecting her, so why was he afraid to admit it?

Mr. Lancaster Sr. let out a humorless laugh. "I've lived a long life, and I've never seen a predicament that couldn't be explained! Steven, I thought you were just awkward around women because you have a handsome face and they're always chasing you. I thought you were just clueless about charming a girl, that the only way you knew how to get her attention was to pick fights, like some kind of idiot. I had to reassure Zephyra over and over, worried she'd misunderstand your intentions."

"But now I see you know exactly what you're doing. You even know how to help another woman bully your own wife! The Lancaster family has never produced a dishonest man, let alone a scumbag who cheats. Are you trying to kill me with anger?!"

Steven, having been thoroughly berated, pressed his lips into a thin line. "I did not cheat."

Suddenly, a sharp smack!

The crisp, loud sound of a slap landed right after Steven's denial, and the pale-faced man's cheek instantly stung.

Steven looked at Mr. Lancaster Sr., his handsome face turning ashen.

Gordon was too scared to speak.

Ryan just raised an eyebrow.

"Let's not talk about this anymore. I was actually hoping to visit you early for your birthday, but now you've come all this way... I haven't even prepared a gift..."

Mr. Lancaster Sr. said, "The Lopez boy gave me a gift, so I've received both of your good wishes. The reason I wanted you at my birthday celebration is because I want to adopt you as my granddaughter. I wanted to announce it publicly at the party. What do you think? Would you be willing to be my granddaughter?"

Gordon immediately glanced at Steven, whose expression was now ten times worse than when he'd been slapped.

I froze, staring at Mr. Lancaster Sr.'s sincere eyes and earnest words as waves of emotion washed over me.

"Grandpa, whether you officially adopt me or not, I'll always be your granddaughter."

Mr. Lancaster Sr. said seriously, "I mean legally. I've been thinking about this for a while. Your own family doesn't care for you, and your mother is gone. I worry about you being all alone. Why not join my family and become my real granddaughter?"

Ryan and I both had shifting expressions. My heart felt as if it had been touched by a gentle, warm sun, and my eyes welled up with emotion. Before I could speak, the man on the bed abruptly snapped the pen in his hand, his handsome face contorted with a dark scowl.

"Old man, if you want Zephyra as your granddaughter, then I'm done with the Lancaster family."