Chapter 626 Family Dinner


    Sylvia''s POV:


    When I arrived at the banquet hall again, it felt like a lifetime had passed. The bright lights, people


    dressed in gorgeous clothes, and the array of wine and food took me back in time. Everything


    looked familiar.


    I still couldn''t forget the cold gazes and the rude remarks I had endured in this ce. It still made


    my scalp tingle.


    A shiver ran down my spine. Although I seemed confident in front of Rufus, I was still trembling with


    fear.


    I would be lying if I said wasn''t afraid of Laura. After all, she was Rufus'' mother and the queen of


    the empire.


    Just then, Rufus pinched my palm, snapping me back to my senses. "What''s wrong?" I asked,


    looking up at him.


    "She is walking toward us," Rufus reminded.


    I immediately straightened my posture and forced a confident smile, trying to look noble and


    elegant.


    Laura was still elegant and beautiful, but it looked like she had lost weight.


    Maya told me that Laura had developed a serious illness after Alina left and she didn''t get better


    until recently.


    I bowed before the queen in a polite greeting. Unexpectedly, Laura took my hand and smiled.


    "It''s a family dinner tonight. Don'' be too formal or reserved."


    My eyes widened in shock. I never expected Laura to talk to me. I thought she would ignore me like


    she always did.


    Laura held my hand and ushered me to the dining table. She was talking to me like I were her close


    friend. "You look great in this dress."


    I looked down at my clothes and smiled. "Thank you."


    "You''re wee. First, try this tea. It''s a specialty of Leonard''s pack. This is a rare type of tea. I


    know most of you young people prefer coffee, but it''s good to consume tea asionally." Laura


    smiled and slid the teacup toward me. Then, she turned around and sat in the opposite chair. She


    and Rufus were discussing the events in the imperial pce.


    I held the teacup and looked at the mother and son, wondering if all this was just a dream. I never


    expected Laura would be nice to me. She didn''t pretend to be gentle or deliberately try making


    things difficult for me. Her every word and every smile seemed genuine. The harmonious interaction


    surprised me. I was still in shock as if I had won a lottery.


    Rufus held my hand under the table as I took a sip of tea. We looked at each other in silence, our


    eyes glistening with joy.


    I knew Rufus was as happy as I was.


    At that moment, Ethan arrived. He wasn''t in his traditional, multiyered robe, but was wearing a


    casual shirt and a pair of trousers like an ordinary parent.


    It looked like he was in a good mood and was talking to Rufus with a smile on his face.


    However, he seemed unhappy when Laura took the fried shrimp away from him.


    "The doctor advised you not to eat oily food," Laura grunted, leaving no chance for Ethan to


    discuss.


    Ethan stretched out his hand as if he wanted to protest. But considering Rufus and I were present,


    he reluctantly gave up.


    I quietly pulled Rufus'' sleeve and whispered to him, "He''s just like Leonard when they took away his


    chocte."


    Rufus smiled. "How else did you think they became friends?"


    However, Ethan heard us talking. "What are you talking about?" he asked, feigning a cough.


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I quickly fell silent, pretending to be a well-mannereddy.


    "Can''t a couple have a private conversation? Stop being nosey," Laura snapped.


    Ethan was rendered speechless. He cut the steak and put small pieces on Laura''s te one after


    the other.


    He was obviously a hen-pecked husband.


    It was a lively dinner. Only Ethan seemed unhappy because he wasn''t allowed to eat his favorite


    fried shrimp.


    In the middle of the party, Richard suddenly came uninvited and ruined our moods.