Twins in Her Womb (Bianca and Luke Crawford novel) novel Chapter 2919

Nina had the urge to turn around and ask Karen, but she held back.

The sensation in the palm of her hand kept reminding her to stay calm and not argue with Karen.

If she could not suppress her emotions and let her pride be torn apart now, there would be no need to have this meal.

Even though Old Master Mallory did not give Nina a friendly look, he could be trying to improve his relationship with Percy through this meal. She could not ruin that.

Nina took a deep breath and pretended not to hear what Karen said.

Percy gave Karen a warning look.

Karen was startled for a moment. In the past few days whenever she intentionally caused trouble for Nina, Percy would glare at her that way.

However, her mind was occupied with Pierre’s matter. Thus, she did not pay close attention to the meaning behind Percy's looks.

This marked the first moment Karen locked eyes with Percy’s caution-laden gaze. She felt a mixture of fear and annoyance. What did he mean?

She was his mother!

Yet, he was warning her for the sake of another woman?

Karen was displeased. She was on the verge of exploding.

Percy walked over to the dining table, pulled out a chair for Nina, and gestured for her to sit.

Nina nodded. After she sat down, she kept her eyes on him.

Percy sat beside her. Old Master Mallory took the seat of honor.

Karen sat opposite Percy. She felt uncomfortable seeing how attentive Percy was to Nina.

It was not jealousy she felt, but rather a feeling that Nina did not match up to Percy at all. Hence, she found it glaring when she saw them getting along well.

Karen was about to say something, but she noticed Old Master Mallory was giving her a warning look when he grew aware of her actions.

Karen had no choice but to awkwardly close her mouth.

Mr. Bennet and the chef served the prepared dishes on the table, all of which were what they would have daily. They did not prepare anything particularly extravagant just because Percy had brought Nina back.

Old Master Mallory did not give any special instructions. The chef thought it would be better not to take matters into her own hands.

Still, the food the Mallory family usually ate was much more lavish than the meals of an ordinary household.

Nina, however, was not one to be easily deceived. She noticed the dishes on the table and understood that she was not receiving any special treatment from the Mallory family. This meant that Old Master Mallory asking Percy to bring her back for this meal did not necessarily mean he had approved of her as his granddaughter-in-law.

Nina did not have much appetite for this meal.

Even though Percy constantly offered her more food, Nina felt the food was flavorless.

After dinner, Percy noticed Old Master Mallory had not said anything yet. He said, "Grandpa, I’m going back if there’s nothing else."

"Where are you going?" Old Master Mallory finally spoke, having been silent throughout the meal.

"Back home." Percy's hand reached under the table, where it tightly intertwined with Nina's hand. Wherever she was, that would be his home.

Old Master Mallory's weathered eyes looked up. They were still sharp despite his age, and his gaze swept across Nina’s face.

Nina did not flinch while the old master sized her up. She returned the gaze and seemed to understand what Old Master Mallory was thinking—'What an ordinary woman.'

She was ordinary, but Percy loved her…

Nina's heart tightened. Before she could even gather her thoughts, Old Master Mallory spoke, "This is your home."

It was a matter of preserving the family's reputation.

Percy finally understood what Old Master Mallory had in mind. He did not want them to have a wedding. Even if they were legally married, without a grand wedding, it would signify that Nina was not valued by the Mallory family.

Percy did not really care whether outsiders perceive Nina as being valued by the Mallory family.

He wanted to give Nina a grand wedding to show the world that she was cherished and adored by him.

The woman he loved deserved the best in the world.

"The wedding won't be canceled," Percy did not even pretend to agree. He expressed his determination to proceed with the wedding.

Old Master Mallory's face turned unpleasantly red with anger.

"Percy, will you only be at ease when you make me mad?" Old Master Mallory slammed the table with his large palm, causing the marble dining table to tremble slightly.

The old master was seething with anger.

Mr. Bennet immediately came forward and said in a low voice, "Old Master Mallory, please don't get upset."

Old Master Mallory paid a lot of attention to his health and took care of himself well. He had a much better physical condition than other men of his age. Still, he did have some age-related health issues.

Getting angry was the greatest taboo for elders. Mr. Bennet was afraid Old Master Mallory would be driven to such fury by Percy that his blood vessels would burst.

As Karen watched Old Master Mallory's face turning red, she enigmatically said, "Father, your threats won't work. Percy has already been lured by a seductress. He won't listen to anyone. The more you try to stop him, the more rebellious he'll become."

Mr. Bennet was exasperated. Old Master Mallory was already upset, yet Karen was adding fuel to the fire.

Before Old Master Mallory could say anything, Percy said, "Grandpa, it doesn't matter if you don't acknowledge Nina. She’s my wife, the person I love the most in my entire life. So, I won't give her any less than what she deserves."