The Love I Begged For Was Never Real novel Chapter 276

"She likes fish," Gideon stated evenly. He even turned his head, pulling a tissue to place beside Nora's hand, perfectly playing the role of a considerate, doting husband. "Eat up."

Nora looked at the tender piece of fish on her plate, picked up her fork, and expressionlessly put it in her mouth.

After serving her, Gideon sat back up straight.

On the surface, he looked completely normal, still the composed, ruthless head of the Hayes Group. But Mr. and Mrs. Xavier, sitting across from them, quickly realized something was off.

Gideon's attention wasn't on the dinner table at all.

Holding his plate, he poked idly at his rice, his gaze frequently drifting toward the floor-to-ceiling windows, or he would stare blankly at a random point near the edge of the table.

His brows would furrow slightly, and then his lips would press into a hard line. He radiated an obvious aura of impatience and distraction.

He instinctively reached his left hand into the inner pocket of his suit jacket. Only then did he hazily recall that the private phone he used to contact Giselle had already been shattered against his study wall days ago.

Fighting the urge to pull out his new phone to check, his fingers clenched and unclenched inside his pocket.

Sitting across from him, Mr. Xavier watched Gideon's distracted state, a thin layer of cold sweat forming on his forehead.

He picked up his teacup, using the motion of drinking to mask his internal panic.

From the corner of his eye, he shot Mrs. Xavier a covert glance, his eyes brimming with inquiry and unease.

Was Gideon's heavy-hearted, almost restrained demeanor a sign that he had already caught onto their scheme?

Had Liam York noticed some flaw outside and secretly tipped him off?

The atmosphere in the dining room grew increasingly awkward due to Gideon's distraction. Aside from the faint clinking of silverware, no one dared initiate a conversation.

In the shadowy corner of the staircase landing on the second floor, Nathan Xavier stood with his hands in his pockets, leaning against the cold wall. With his head bowed, he peered through the gaps in the solid wood railing, quietly observing the picture-perfect family dinner unfolding below.

He watched his own parents treating Gideon like a god of wealth, hovering around him and catering to his every whim.

He watched Nora sit beside Gideon, quietly basking in this fake glory.

A flash of intense disgust crossed Nathan's eyes.

Without an ounce of hesitation, he turned around, walked down the hallway back to his room, and locked the door with a loud click.