Chapter 497 The Illusion of Being a Family
"Shall we go give it a try?" Emily played along.
As the two women discussed dishes at the restaurant, they gradually walked away. Clover and Miles, who were still glaring at each other, suddenly lost their interest in staying behind. They turned around to hurry after Rose and Emily. "I'm hungry too. I'll join," Clover said with a smile.
"Rosie, a friend of mine owns that restaurant. I'll get him to recommend some dishes for us," Miles enthusiastically suggested.
Clover retorted, "Ha! We can order for ourselves. We don't need any recommendations."
Miles responded, "Oh, I was just planning to recommend them to Rosie, not you."
"Mr. Miles..."
"Mr. Xanth..."
As the two continued to bicker, Rose felt a headache coming on.
"Ha... Emily, is this how Clover usually behaves?" Rose asked Emily as she shot Clover a weird look.
The CEO of Lerain Group, who controlled the entire corporation's decisions, was acting like a schoolboy.
Emily shook her head. "Not at all. This is the first time I've seen him like this." Her tone carried a hint of disdain. Then, her gaze fell on Miles as she asked, "Does Mr. Miles usually act this way too?" "Of course not. He usually isn't like this."
Miles had always been calm and composed. But today, he was behaving like a schoolboy as well.
The two men continued their childish bickering throughout the journey. If they weren't in public and had to maintain their image, they would have given each other a beating.
Rose initially felt stressed, but she gradually grew accustomed to their constant squabbling and became more at ease. She and Emily chatted about topics of mutual interest, ignoring Clover and Miles' petty arguments. After observing their behavior, Rose concluded that the two men simply didn't get along. Rose thought it would be best to avoid them meeting in the future.
Just as this thought crossed her mind, both men simultaneously asked, "Rosie, are you free tomorrow?"
Both spoke in unison. They then looked at each other and rolled their eyes in sync as they turned away.
Rose was at a loss for words. With both men's gazes fixed on her, Rose felt the need to answer carefully. Fortunately, she did have plans for tomorrow. Thinking of the wedding invitation, Rose relaxed. "I'm attending a wedding."
Though Rose's tone was light, the mention of a wedding caused the other three to freeze mid-bite. A wedding? All three looked up and eyed Rose.
Rose's focus was on cutting her steak. Her smile made the other three more uneasy. Clover glanced at Miles. Coincidentally, Miles looked back. Their eyes met as each silently questioned the other, "What's going on?"NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.
Rose spoke of tomorrow's wedding as if it were no big deal, and there was even a hint of anticipation in her smile. How could she be looking forward to it? That wedding was for Jonathan and Yara! Was she hiding her pain behind a facade of happiness?
Clover frowned. He shouldn't have come to see Rose after learning about the marriage alliance between the Finch and Maize families. He should have gone to Jonathan and beaten him up. "Rosie, there's no need to attend the wedding tomorrow," Miles suggested.
"Why not?" Rose asked, surprised.
Yara had personally sent her the invitation and wanted her to attend. If she didn't go, wouldn't that spoil the bride's mood? She didn't want to dampen her spirit.
"It's just a wedding, not anything worth going to. Rosie, I happen to have a banquet tomorrow. How about you be my date?" Clover sincerely suggested.
Emily glanced at Clover and chimed in, "Yes. There's a banquet tomorrow, and several renowned jewelry designers will be there. You can meet and exchange ideas with them."
Was there even a banquet? Yet, if Clover said there was, there would be one. Though the Xanth family business was based overseas, they had connections in Regalia and could easily gather a few renowned jewelry designers.
But Rose laughed. "Clover, you already have Emily as your date. I shouldn't intrude."
"Rosie-" Clover began, trying to persuade her, but Miles interrupted him.
"No need for the banquet. There's been too much work at the Young Group recently, so let's take a break tomorrow. How about we hike a mountain and relax?"
"Right. The weather will be good tomorrow, perfect for a hike." Clover surprisingly agreed with Miles for once.
Rose was taken aback but felt increasingly warm inside. How could she not understand their intentions? The moment she saw them at the hospital, she knew they weren't just there for lunch.
They were worried that she'd be
upset about the Finch and Maize families' marriage alliance tomorrow, so they came to accompany and comfort her. And when they heard she was attending
the wedding, they tried everything to stop her from going.
But for the wedding tomorrow...
"I must go to the wedding tomorrow," Rose insisted. It wasn't just because of Yara's invitation, but she also wanted to see what Jonathan was up to.
The air froze momentarily. For a while, no one spoke. But during this time, the three realized Rose was determined to attend tomorrow's wedding. There was no stopping her.
Since they couldn't dissuade her, they had to change tactics. Clover and Miles' eyes met briefly. In that instant, they both understood each other's thoughts.
"Rosie, try this..."
"Rosie, this is your favorite."
Suddenly, the tense atmosphere dissolved as if it had never existed.
No one mentioned "tomorrow" again, and the harmonious atmosphere stunned Rose. She
remembered how Celeste would et
fuss over her meals and always
made sure she had her favorite meals when Celeste used to be around.
And now... the scene gave her an illusion. It was almost as if they were a family.
The marriage alliance between the Finch and Maize families was one of the grandest events in Regalia recently. Despite the tight timeline, the Finch family's preparations were impeccable.
The wedding was set at the most luxurious hotel under the Finch Group. Nearly all media outlets had arrived at the venue early in the morning.
The media had been invited to the wedding, but they still came early to secure the best spots for coverage.
Yara had stayed at the hotel's presidential suite the night before. She had been too excited to sleep, but she had taken medication to fall asleep to ensure she was in her best condition for the wedding. Now, she was getting her makeup done, admiring photos of the hotel's beautifully decorated venue on her tablet. She was satisfied with every detail. The wedding venue was a dream, a fairytale brought to life.