Was Felicia trying to seduce Mr. Russell?
The thought struck Arnold like a lightning bolt, and his expression immediately darkened as a storm of emotions flashed past-anger, disbelief, and frustration. By the end of it, his teeth were clenched, and his hands were balled into fists at his sides. “Damn it!” he hissed under his breath.
Mike watched Arnold’s increasingly erratic demeanor with a mix of amusement and exasperation. “One more thing,” Mike added, his tone dropping to a serious warning. “Stay away from Felicia. Don’t cause any trouble for her.” “Why?” Stephan shot back. “She’s my fiancée.”
He emphasized the word “fiancée” with a deliberate force, his jaw tightening as he spoke.
Mike nearly laughed out loud, a derisive snort escaping before he could stop it. “Oh, she’s your fiancée now? Funny how that works. Back when your grandfather broke his back arranging your engagement, you were nowhere to be found. You skipped the ceremony entirely, didn’t you?
“You’ve got no claim on her. Stop dragging her name through the mud. She’s not your fiancée anymore-she’s got nothing to do with you.” Arnold didn’t argue or lose his temper this time. Instead, he stood unnervingly still, his voice calm but laced with determination. “She will be.” Mike blinked, stunned by the confidence in his nephew’s tone.
After a long pause, Mike sighed and rubbed his temples. “This is why I shouldn’t have come. Maybe I should’ve let Stephan deal with you…”
But they were family, and no matter how much Arnold tried his patience, Mike couldn’t leave him to face the consequences alone. He adjusted his stance, his tone turning stern. “I’m serious. That warning came directly from Stephan himself. Stay away from Felicia, or you’re going to end up in a world of hurt.”
Arnold flinched, his stomach sinking. Stephan warned him? He couldn’t help but think, “Isn’t Mr. Russell known for being indifferent to women? Could it be… that he actually has his eye on Felicia?”
A thousand thoughts raced through Arnold’s mind in an instant, colliding and spiraling until he finally spat out the only thing he could muster, “No way in hell!”
Mike sighed deeply, muttering, “Just end it all already. I’m too tired for this.”
Later that evening, the first thing Arnold did when he got home was to see Matthew.
“Grandpa,” he greeted, stepping into the study.
Matthew was seated at his desk, practicing his painting skills as his steady hand glided across the page. Despite his composed appearance, everyone knew his health was failing.
He had refused hospital treatments, insisting on living out his days at home. His passion for painting was his way of finding peace and balance.
Without looking up, Matthew acknowledged him, “You’re back. I assume there’s something on your mind?”
Arnold swallowed and nodded. “You see right through me, as always.”
He hesitated for a moment before speaking again, “Grandpa, you told me to do whatever it took to make Felicia willingly agree to marry me. But no matter what I try, she’s completely unmoved.”
He glanced down at his hand, the faint pain from the bite still lingering. He then looked directly at Matthew. “Could you please help me with this one more time?”
Matthew set his brush down, his
expression calm but tinged with amusement. “After all the effort I went through to arrange your engagement, you were the one who threw it all away. You decided to chase after Kayla, of all people, like a lovesick fool. I warned you then, didn’t I? One day, you’d regret it.”
Arnold’s face burned with embarrassment at the rebuke, but Matthew’s next words offered a sliver of hope.
“So, now you’re here, asking me for help. Tell me, what is it you want me to do?”
Arnold straightened, his face lighting up with renewed determination. “Grandpa, I need you to arrange another marriage. This time, I won’t back out-I swear!”
A heavy silence fell over the study.
The next thing Arnold knew, Matthew had grabbed his color palette and hurled it at him.
“You fool! Do you think the Lawsons need another public scandal? Wasn’t the first fiasco humiliating enough for you?”
Arnold dodged just in time, and the color palette missed, smashing into a nearby wall instead. The colors splattered everywhere, staining his clothes and leaving him half covered in coloured streaks. FindNovel
“Grandpa…” Arnold said, his voice filled with a mix of frustration and pleading.
He had a sinking feeling that if he didn’t act soon, Felicia would slip further and further out of his reach.
Matthew took a deep breath, calming himself before finally speaking, “I’ll handle it.”
His voice was low and deliberate, each word carrying weight. “But this time, Arnold, you’d better not let me down.”
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