Chapter 353
Chapter 353:
Shirley placed her fork and knife neatly on the table. “I’m feeling a little tired, so I’m going to rest. If you plan to talk, keep it down. Don’t wake me.” She shot Ryan a pointed look before turning and heading upstairs, her steps firm.
Sawyer glanced at Aleena, and both shared a resigned expression. At this point, it was better to let the younger generation handle their own mess.
Though Irene wasn’t aware of the full story, the suffocating tension of the past ten minutes had been enough for her to piece together a vivid outline in her mind. Even so, she knew it wasn’t her place to interfere.
Once the uncomfortable meal came to an end, Irene quickly found a polite excuse and prepared to leave. Before walking out, she tugged Kyson aside and lowered her voice. “No matter what, Ryan is still Kailey’s uncle. Try to show him some basic respect, alright p>
“If it turns into a fight, I’ll hold back,” Kyson answered calmly, without a hint of concern.
Hearing that, Irene had to resist the urge to roll her eyes.
Inside the living room, Kailey and Ryan sat across from each other. She brushed her palms together slowly, steadying herself while searching for the right words.
“What exactly are you feeling nervous about, Kailey?” Ryan broke the silence first, a trace of ridicule slipping into his voice. “From the moment I walked in, you haven’t looked at me once p>
Kailey finally raised her head. He leaned back with one leg loosely bent, his posture relaxed on the surface—yet there was an unspoken authority in the way he carried himself that filled the space between them.
𝗖𝗁𝗂𝗇e𝘀е 𝗻о𝘃𝖾𝗅𝗌 𝘁𝗋а𝗻𝘴𝗅𝖺t𝗲𝘥 𝘰𝘯.с𝗼𝗆
“Does it really matter if I look at you or not?” she asked.
At first, she had been too awkward to look at Ryan. Later, Kyson had traced idle patterns against her palm beneath the table, and she had struggled not to laugh until her face felt hot. By then, lifting her head had felt impossible.
“It doesn’t matter at all,” Ryan replied evenly, his gaze unwavering. “Why did you bring the Blake family here? Just to make me yield to you? Kailey, that’s enough p>
Her lips parted, but nothing came out. She had explained herself more times than she could count. The fact that he still refused to believe her left her drained, with no strength left to argue.
Her silence seemed to calm something restless inside him. Ryan exhaled slowly, his voice losing some of its edge. “You can mess with me all you want, but marriage isn’t something to play around with. Kailey, don’t act on impulse p>
Kailey stared at him, realizing there was nothing left to explain. After a short pause, she reached into her pocket and took out her phone. A photo filled the screen—their marriage certificate.
“If you won’t listen to me, then look at this instead,” she said evenly, lifting the phone so he could see it clearly. “I might’ve made careless choices before, but I would never lie about something like this. I’m married to Kyson. This isn’t a joke p>
Soft light spilled across the room, stretching shadows along the walls and pressing down on the silence between them.