Chapter 681 - 678: A Sudden Disturbance (7)

Chapter 681: Chapter 678: A Sudden Disturbance (7)

Watching the woman who was once his now at another man’s side, an inexplicable discomfort welled up inside him.

He turned and shot Jean Jarvis a sarcastic smirk. "Heh. You sounded so certain. Spoke too soon, didn’t you?"

Jean Jarvis snapped out of her daze, her irritation already simmering. His words only fanned the flames of her anger. She lowered her voice and hissed, "Cedric Grant, whose side are you on, anyway? Let me make things clear for you: I’m your wife now. Don’t you push me too far!"

With that, she stopped paying him any mind. Without another glance at Marcus Jarvis and Skylar Hayes, she turned and headed elsewhere to get a drink.

Clara was still stewing over Jean Jarvis’s words, but the arrival of Skylar Hayes and Marcus Jarvis meant she finally saw the people she’d been hoping to see. Her spirits lifted instantly, and she temporarily pushed the earlier unpleasantness to the back of her mind.

She and Seth Quinn hurried over to greet them, calling out cheerfully, "Mom! Uncle Jarvis! You’re here!"

Marcus Jarvis smiled and nodded at her. "I received your invitation and figured your mother would be here, so I went to pick her up, and we came together."

"Oh, thank you so much for that, Uncle Jarvis," Clara said with a grateful smile. "Seth and I didn’t have time to pick Mom up. I’m so glad you were there for her."

"Kiddo, there’s no need to thank me. I should be thanking you for inviting me to Old Master Quinn’s birthday banquet," Marcus Jarvis said, glancing at Skylar Hayes. "You’ve given me the chance to witness Old Master Quinn’s venerable presence, and more importantly, an opportunity to attend with your mother."

Skylar lowered her gaze for a moment before taking both of Clara’s hands in hers. She looked her up and down, a smile gracing her lips. "I never imagined my daughter could look so beautiful in an outfit like this."

"Thanks, Mom," Clara said, smiling sweetly.

As she spoke, she glanced over at Marcus Jarvis, who was making small talk with Seth. Leaning in, she lowered her voice and asked with a grin, "Mom, you came over with Uncle Jarvis. Does that mean you’ve stopped caring that he’s Jean Jarvis’s cousin? Are you ready to give him a chance?"

"Of course not," Skylar said, looking a little bashful. "I just... Well, I had to come anyway. Why turn down a free ride?"

"Really? It was just for a free ride? C’mon, Mom! If you’re starting to like him, just admit it. What’s there to be embarrassed about?"

Skylar let out a soft sigh. "It’s really not like that. But... I have done a lot of thinking recently, and I’ve come to terms with many things. I won’t deliberately avoid him anymore. When it comes to romance, I think it’s best to just let things happen naturally."

Clara nodded. ’Mom isn’t keeping her distance from Uncle Jarvis anymore. It’s a good start, at least.’

"Mom, why don’t you and Uncle Jarvis go get a drink and some food over there? I’ll come find you when things quiet down." With that, Clara entrusted Skylar to Marcus’s care. Watching their backs as they walked away, she thought they looked more and more like a perfect match, and the smile on her face broadened.

Seeing she was no longer upset like before, Seth was happy too. He gently took her hand and teased with a smile, "Kiddo, are you that eager to marry your mom off?"

Clara turned to him, pouting playfully. "What did you just call me? Uncle Jarvis calls me ’kiddo,’ and now you’re calling me ’kiddo.’ Are you getting your generations mixed up?"

Seeing she was in a good mood and joking around, Seth played along. "I’m five years older than you, so why can’t I call you ’kiddo’? When Uncle Jarvis calls you that, it’s like a father would. When I call you that, it’s like an older brother would."

Clara arched an eyebrow. Leaning into him, she called out in a soft, coquettish voice, "Big bro—"

"Hey, Clara! What do you think you’re doing?!"

Her "Big bro—" was cut short as someone practically pounced on her.

Clara jumped. When she got a good look, she saw it was Sarah Shelby.

Seeing Sarah Shelby, Clara’s smile grew even wider. ’This really is a case of bitter before sweet,’ she thought. The annoying people were all gone, and now everyone arriving was someone she was happy to see.