Chapter 433: Dinner Party 1

Chapter 433: Chapter 406: Dinner Party 1

The man in the private room was middle-aged. By his side sat a woman of about the same age, and a girl who looked younger than Nancy.

The girl was looking right at her, her gaze tinged with hostility.

“Mr. Heston, and this young lady is…?” the middle-aged man asked, looking at Nancy Hughes in confusion before glancing over at his own daughter.

Nancy Hughes was mortified. The situation was incredibly awkward for her.

Theo Heston, however, was far more composed. “She’s the daughter of an old friend. We just happened to run into her on the way here.”

Nancy Hughes looked up at Theo Heston, a chill spreading through her heart. ‘I was completely in the dark about this.’

Since Theo Heston had brought her here intentionally, he wasn’t about to let her leave.

‘Leaving is probably impossible.’

She sat down near Theo Heston, with an empty seat between them.

The answer to who that seat was reserved for was obvious.

Nancy Hughes listened quietly as Theo Heston spoke with the couple, mostly showering their daughter with praise.

The girl was undeniably attractive—beautiful, in fact. She came from a good family, was well-educated, and was currently studying abroad.

All these things and more made Nancy feel completely outclassed.

‘Honestly, I have no idea what Dylan Heston even likes about me.’

She was on edge, her attention glued to the doorway, wondering if Dylan Heston would show up.

A part of her hoped Dylan would come, but another part of her prayed he wouldn’t.

If Dylan came, it would mean he had surrendered to Theo Heston. He would meet the girl before them, and if they hit it off, they would get married.

And she would be nothing but a clown from start to finish, just an irrelevant bystander in the end.

But Dylan Heston did come. From the moment he walked through the door, her eyes were locked on him, never straying.

Dylan Heston saw her, but his calm eyes betrayed no emotion, as if her presence didn’t surprise him in the slightest.

“You’re here. This is my son, Dylan Heston. Go on, say hello,” Theo Heston said, clearly pleased by his son’s arrival.

Dylan Heston offered a perfunctory greeting and sat down in the empty seat beside Nancy Hughes.

He shot her a look, but Nancy, her head already bowed in misery, didn’t see it.

‘He must have given in to Theo Heston,’ she thought. ‘Otherwise, he wouldn’t be here.’

A wave of sadness washed over her. Just as she was falling for him, she was forced to realize they couldn’t be together.

The girl across the table, clearly impressed by such an outstanding man, seized the chance to make a good impression. “Hello, I’m Quinn Lynch.”

Dylan Heston couldn’t have cared less who she was and offered only a few token, dismissive words in reply.

His gaze then returned to Nancy. ‘So this little woman knows how to feel heartbroken now, does she?’

‘Why didn’t she foresee this when she agreed to come? So stupid.’ His disgust with Theo Heston grew. ‘Despicable and shameless.’

Throughout the meal, Nancy felt like an outsider. As everyone else chatted and ate cheerfully, she just sat there, rigid and silent.

She made no sound, showed no emotion, and stared at the table laden with food without the slightest appetite.

Her arm moved robotically, lifting food to her mouth as if completing a chore.

Until a hand suddenly snaked out from under the table, landing on the back of hers when she least expected it.

The shock made her jump, and her reflexive movement created a small commotion.

The cheerful conversation stopped as everyone turned to look at her, particularly noting Theo Heston’s displeased expression.

Her face flushed crimson. “Sorry, I’m sorry.”

She apologized profusely, flustered and embarrassed. Not knowing what to do with her hand on the table, she quickly hid it in her lap.

Soon enough, the others went back to their conversation.

She kept her head bowed, her eyes glued to the space beneath the table.

It was a man’s hand. It had captured hers and was now gently kneading her palm, as if to soothe her.

This was the real reason she was so flustered and scared—the fear of being discovered.

‘How could he be so bold?’ she wondered. ‘To just reach out like that… isn’t he afraid of someone seeing?’

She tilted her head slightly, sneaking a glance at Dylan Heston out of the corner of her eye. He was leaning back against his chair, the picture of nonchalance, as if nothing was happening at all.

The moment their gazes met, she felt her heart skip a beat.

Holding her hand, Dylan Heston slowly began to trace letters onto her palm.

“Heartbroken?”

His fingertip slid across her skin. Just as Nancy understood the word and was about to instinctively pull away, he wrote another sentence. “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you.”

…

She stared at Dylan Heston, speechless with surprise. Heedless of anyone else’s gaze, her world narrowed until he was the only one in it.

‘He came here for me?’

‘But how did he know I would be here with Theo Heston?’

The man’s expression was icy, but his eyes were filled with indulgent affection.

She averted her gaze, looking away unnaturally, only to meet the eyes of the other girl staring at her.

This time, it wasn’t just hostility in the girl’s eyes; it was pure disgust.

A woman’s intuition is a sensitive thing. Quinn Lynch must have sensed something was off between them, because she was now glaring at Nancy with venom.

Nancy grew even more flustered. ‘I feel like a thief caught in the act.’

‘Even though Dylan and I are the ones who are actually together.’

As Theo Heston and Quinn Lynch’s father were deep in an animated discussion about a business partnership, Dylan Heston suddenly spoke.

“Apologies, it’s getting late. My girlfriend and I will be taking our leave now.” He glanced down at his watch, then picked up the suit jacket hanging on the back of his chair and casually draped it over his arm.

With his other hand, he took Nancy’s, pulling her to her feet to stand beside him.

Everyone else at the table turned to stare at them, stunned by Dylan’s announcement.

Nancy felt a flicker of fear—after all, Theo Heston was still right there—but Dylan…

Looking at the man by her side, from her perspective, Dylan Heston seemed exceptionally tall and heroic.

By saying that, he was making it clear to everyone: he already had a girlfriend, and he had no intention of being with Quinn Lynch.

He was proving it with his actions, and it would be a lie to say her heart wasn’t soaring.

Quinn Lynch’s parents were utterly astonished. Staring at Dylan’s and Nancy’s joined hands, her father demanded of Theo Heston, “Mr. Heston, what is the meaning of this?”

Theo Heston remained unruffled. “Just kids being foolish. Pay them no mind.”

Dylan Heston let out a cold laugh. ‘Kids being foolish? The nerve of him to say that.’

“I forgot to introduce you all. This is my girlfriend, Nancy Hughes. And by the way, she’s also my future wife,” he announced, squeezing her hand for emphasis.

Nancy felt the pressure of his grip, and a warmth spread through her chest as she gazed up at him, her eyes shining.

“But I’m the one who’s supposed to…” Quinn Lynch blurted out, jumping to her feet, only to be yanked back into her seat by her mother.

“Mom!” she protested, but a sharp look from her mother silenced her.

Quinn Lynch glared at Dylan and Nancy, her expression full of bitter resentment. She knew there was something strange about this woman showing up.

And the way they were exchanging glances just now… she knew something was going on between them.

Quinn Lynch was fuming with resentment, but she had no choice but to swallow her anger.

The Lynch family was wary of Theo Heston, but Dylan was someone they had to be cautious of as well.

Some of the rumors circulating about him had to be believed.

For example, that Dylan Heston was even more ruthless than his father, and that he never showed mercy.

As the saying goes, the student surpasses the master; in many respects, Dylan was even more formidable than Theo.

If Theo Heston didn’t reprimand his own son, then they, as outsiders, certainly had no place to do so.

Dylan Heston swept a cold gaze over everyone still seated at the table before pulling Nancy and striding out of the room.

Once they were outside, Nancy’s heart, which had been pounding in her chest, finally began to slow. She clutched her chest, “You…”

“Me what?” Dylan prompted.

‘How did you know I would be there?’

That was the question she wanted to ask, but thinking about it now, it didn’t seem necessary anymore.

She shook her head. All that mattered was knowing he had come for her.

“Don’t see him again,” Dylan told her, his tone serious and firm.

Nancy nodded. She didn’t want to see Theo Heston either, ‘if it weren’t for getting that seal back.’

Dylan Heston dropped Nancy off at her office building. “Have a good day at work. I’ll pick you up this afternoon.”

“Okay.”

She replied as she unbuckled her seatbelt.

As she looked up, her eyes met his deep, loving gaze. On impulse, she cupped his face in her hands and planted a soft kiss on his cheek.

“Dylan, I love you,” she whispered in his ear.

It was the first time she had ever confessed so openly. After the words left her mouth, she looked at him shyly.

“Mm.”

For the rest of the afternoon, Nancy sat listlessly in front of her computer, her thoughts consumed by Dylan’s final “Mm.”

‘What did it mean? Does he love me back, or not?’

Overthinking was a terrible thing.

She got nothing done, and before she knew it, the workday was over. Glancing at the clock, she remembered Dylan was waiting downstairs and quickly packed her things to leave.

“Where are we eating?” she asked, sliding into the car.

“We’re eating at home.”

They drove to the supermarket first. On the way, she gave Georgia Thorne a call.

“Georgia, I’m not coming home tonight!”

“I figured!” Georgia sounded busy; she was probably working late again.

The two of them had a tacit understanding not to bring up the events of lunchtime. In the supermarket, Nancy watched him push the cart. “Do we need to buy a lot?”

“Not too much.”

Dylan Heston didn’t like having outsiders in his home, so he took care of most household matters himself.

That included shopping. He had a good memory and made regular trips to the supermarket.

In truth, she had a hard time picturing Dylan doing housework.

During the time she had been staying at his place, she had done nearly all the chores—except cooking—to prove her worth.

It was just like when she’d learned he could cook; it was hard to imagine him busy in a kitchen.

But when she finally saw it, it wasn’t nearly as incongruous as she had imagined.

Dylan pushed the cart with one hand, his other arm around her. Turning to look at Nancy, he saw her staring at him in a daze. He pulled her closer into his embrace. “What are you thinking about?”

“I was just thinking,” she said honestly, “about how you were raised to be so perfect.”