Chapter 276: An Unequal Match

Chapter 276: Chapter 276: An Unequal Match

"After the New Year, I’ll definitely invest."

Alaric Blackwood wasn’t just putting her off. He had been by her side at the hospital, and after she recovered and was discharged, he was busy acquiring shares of the Reid Group. He just hadn’t gotten around to the Heart of the Ocean project.

So far, Heart of the Ocean’s business operations were very stable, so he wasn’t in a hurry.

"Are you just making empty promises?"

Alaric Blackwood laughed in exasperation and ruffled her hair. "Empty promises? When have I ever made you an empty promise?"

’When have I ever not delivered on a promise I made to her?’

"Alright, I’ll trust you one more time."

After speaking, Sophie Shaw picked up her wine glass and clinked it against his.

"Don’t drink too much. You just got out of the hospital."

Sophie Shaw tilted her head back and downed half the glass, then grinned at him. "It’s fine. It’s a party, we’re having fun."

After dinner, everyone pitched in to clear the table.

Anne excitedly suggested they try out the mahjong table she’d bought earlier. The moment she mentioned mahjong, Alaric Blackwood perked up. "Let’s do it! Anyone who knows how to play, get to the table. I’m going to clean you all out today."

Anne laughed heartily. "We’ll see who wins and who loses."

She was a mahjong master, after all.

She used to follow Nina Halloway to film shoots, traveling between cities and various production crews. When Nina was busy, Anne had nothing to do and spent most of her time playing mahjong on her phone.

’I wouldn’t say I’m unbeatable,’ she thought, ’but my skills are definitely not bad.’

"Who’s in?"

Ethan Austin raised his hand. Evan Ford hesitated for a moment, then said, "Count me in."

His mahjong skills were terrible, but he was more than happy to lose money to Anne.

"Come on, help me move the mahjong table out. The living room is spacious, we can play there." Anne pulled him into a spare bedroom, intending to have him help her carry the table.

The other two men tactfully followed them in. Alaric Blackwood and Ethan Austin took the initiative, not letting a woman do the heavy lifting.

So she simply stood to the side, directing the three big men as they moved the heavy mahjong table into the living room.

With tea and after-dinner fruit prepared, the four of them sat around the table and started playing mahjong.

Sophie Shaw didn’t know how to play mahjong, so she pulled Nina Halloway over to the living room sofa, turned on the TV, and picked a movie to watch.

Nina Halloway always got a food coma after eating. It wasn’t long before she was lying on Sophie’s lap, fast asleep.

The sounds of gunfights from the TV and the clacking of mahjong tiles nearby didn’t affect Nina Halloway in the slightest.

Sophie Shaw started watching the movie at 10:30 PM and kept watching until past 3:00 AM. Unable to stay awake any longer, she leaned back against the sofa and drifted off to sleep.

At the mahjong table, Anne was the most energetic. She was on a winning streak.

Little did she know, the three men at the table were all letting her win. Evan Ford was losing the most; he hadn’t won a single round since sitting down.

They played until dawn, by which point Ethan Austin had lost all the cash on him—but he managed to hold on to his underpants.

Alaric Blackwood hadn’t lost all his cash, but when it was time to pay up, he threw his remaining bills on the table. "A tip for you. Last night’s hot pot was pretty good."

Anne’s face lit up in a grin. Just as she was about to scoop up the money, Evan Ford beat her to it, tossing the extra cash back to Alaric Blackwood. "Take back your stinking money. Who asked you for a tip?"

’Could his woman, Evan Ford’s woman, possibly be short on this little bit of cash?’

Seeing how displeased he was, Alaric Blackwood gave a thoughtful smile and put the money back in his wallet. "I was just trying to butter up my cousin’s future wife."

Hearing the ever-arrogant Alaric Blackwood suddenly call him ’cousin,’ Evan Ford’s lips curled into a faint smile, his heart filled with immense satisfaction.

He tilted his chin up and held out his hand to Alaric Blackwood. "Weren’t you trying to butter me up? Hand over the money."

"You didn’t want it when I offered, and now you’re asking for it."

’How shameless!’

Resigned, Alaric Blackwood took the few remaining bills from his wallet and slapped them into Evan Ford’s hand.

The group broke away from the mahjong table.

Anne pulled out her phone, planning to order food, and asked what everyone wanted to eat.

Alaric Blackwood was getting sleepy. Seeing Sophie Shaw lying on the sofa, still asleep, he said to Anne, "Don’t worry about us. I’m taking Sophie home to sleep."

Ethan Austin also waved his hand. "I’m taking Nina back, too. We’ll skip breakfast."

The two men walked toward the sofa, each scooping one of them up.

Alaric Blackwood carried Sophie Shaw in his arms while Ethan Austin hoisted Nina Halloway over his shoulder. The two couples left one after the other.

Suddenly, the large apartment grew quiet.

Anne flopped lazily onto the sofa, holding her phone to order breakfast.

"Let’s eat before we sleep."

"Mr. Ford, what do you want to eat?"

Evan Ford, who was clearing away the teacups and snack plates, frowned slightly. "You’re still calling me Mr. Ford?"

"Then what should I call you?"

"Evan, or ’Hubby.’ Whichever you like."

Anne bit her lip, trying to suppress a smile. She thought ’Evan’ was probably better. As for the word ’Hubby,’ she’d save that for after they were actually married.

She hadn’t even met Evan Ford’s family yet. What if his elders didn’t approve of her?

When she thought about how Mina Ford had fallen for Joseph Shaw back then, only to be vehemently opposed by Mr. and Madam Ford, she figured the Fords must place great importance on social status.

"What do you want to eat?" she asked Evan Ford.

"Anything is fine. Something light."

Anne ordered some Hong Kong-style dim sum. When the food arrived, she and Evan Ford ate, then went to the room to wash up and catch up on sleep in each other’s arms.

When Anne woke up, Evan Ford was already gone.

Before leaving, the man had left her a message on WhatsApp: "Something came up. Have to go home."

Because he hadn’t been coming home for several nights in a row, the old madam had assumed he was in the blissful throes of romance with the blind date she had arranged for him.

But today, she had just learned that the woman Evan Ford was dating was not that blind date.

The other woman had announced her engagement early this morning, and the groom-to-be was definitely not Evan Ford.

Madam Ford was both angry and curious about who he was actually dating, so she summoned him back with a phone call.

Right now, Evan Ford was in the tea room, being interrogated by the grim-faced old madam.

"Confess now and I’ll be lenient. Resist and you’ll face severe consequences."

Evan Ford’s expression was calm. He picked up his teacup and took a light sip.

Seeing his leisurely and unconcerned demeanor, the old madam slammed her cane onto the floor. "You brat, are you going to start talking or not?"

Evan Ford remained nonchalant. "I’ll formally bring her home for you to meet after the New Year."

"Then at least tell me which family’s daughter your girlfriend is."

This was the point that gave Evan Ford the biggest headache.

His girlfriend wasn’t some wealthy heiress. She was just an ordinary person from a common background. But she worked incredibly hard, and despite losing her parents, she still loved life. She even supported her younger brother through college. She was a positive, strong, and amazing woman.

He didn’t think Anne was lacking in any way.

’A good background isn’t what makes a person good.’

"Cat got your tongue?"

The old madam thumped her cane on the floor again.

The noise gave Evan Ford a headache. He frowned slightly. "Does she have to be the daughter of some prominent family?"

"With your status, you should at least find someone of equal social standing, shouldn’t you?"

"What if she isn’t a rich young lady, and our families are not of equal standing?"

Evan Ford’s tone grew heavier. Without giving the old madam a chance to respond, he said with some agitation, "Are you going to tear me and the person I love apart, just like you did with my aunt and Mr. Shaw all those years ago?"