Chapter 0198
“Come on, Daniel,” | say, my voice derisive. “Your dad is not that funny.”
“No, he’s not,” Daniel murmurs, seeing it himself. “Oh weird,” he adds, turning back to me. “My fiancé and my auntie, both
competing for my dad.” He scowls and snatches the drink out of my hand now, draining it. “And no one going for me.”
“What,” | ask,ughing at him now. “Do you want Natalia to go for you?”
“What?” Daniel gasps. “Ew, no, Fay —*
“Because,” | continue,ughing now, “you''re not technically rted, and with how messed up this family tree already is, it could
work —*
“Gross!” Daniel exims, standing up and pulling me with him, both of usughing now. “Come on, we need a refill,” he says,
guiding me back over to the bar. We''re both still giggling at the idea of Daniel getting together with Natalia, and I’m egging him
on by imitating her Italian ent and thinking of things she’d say to him on their wedding night — how she’d boss him around,
and the things she’din about - when someonees up behind us at the bar.
“What''s so funny,” Kent asks, surprising us, and Daniel and | turn as one, bursting intoughter when we see him standing there.
Kent frowns at us, but not in a mean or angry way. Honestly, he looks a little pleased to see us having fun, but just...displeased
to be left out?
Or maybe frowning is his default expression. | don’t really know, and I’mughing too hard to care.
“Nothing,” | say, wiping my eyes free of a few tears of mirth as the bartender delivers my ss of red wine. “Just...a stupid joke,”
| continue, my giggles fading. Daniel nods, smiling at his dad and taking a sip of his second Manhattan.
“Red wine?” Kent asks, frowning at my choice as | take the ss off of the bar.
“Oh god,” | moan, slumping my shoulders and looking up at him. “Not you too. Can’t anyone just let me drink what | want to
drink?”
“Do what you want, Fay,” Kent shrugs, his frown deepening. “I just thought on a summer night that something like a ss of
proso —*
Daniel and | lose it again and Kent just rolls his eyes, deciding to ignore us. He pushes past us to the bar to get a drink. Daniel
loops his arm through mine. “Come on,” he says, “let me introduce you to some of my actual aunts and uncles —*
“Ones you don’t n to marry?” | prod, grinning.
“Oh, | didn’t say that,” he replies, giving me a dirty little smirk and leading me over to a group.
Before we can arrive, though, there’s a disturbance at the door — raised voices that ring wrong against theughter and happy
chatter that fills the party. Daniel and | stop in our tracks, turning to see what’s happening, and for the second time that night |
feel my blood go cold.
Because standing at the door to Kent’s family party is arge group of people who I’m sure were not invited.
And at the head of the group, in a grey Gi suit, is my father.
And standing a step behind him in ck Armani, his crisp white shirt already unbuttoned and his eyes already on me, is Ivan.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.
“Well, Lippert?” my father calls to
Kent, who has turned away Tops fire
bar and is ring anthelgoup
standin at the door. “Are you going
to turn us away from this happy
affair?” Please read the original
content at NovelDrama.Org.
Everyone is absolutely silent as Kent
pauses for a second and then sl ,
with perfect delieration beds to
crossanie tor: He stops about
halfway, leaving about twenty feet
between him, and my father, and
my... Please read the original content
at NovelDrama.Org.
My what? My maybe-boyfriend? The lion tamer | make out with sometimes at taco stands and my dad’s mountain house?
“Of course,” Kent replies to my
father’s question, his voice at once
even and dangerous. “ ame hava al
eof Aero sue ie to be family
s60n enough as it is. Bring
your...friends with you,” Kent
concludes, slowly raising his ss of
whiskey to his lips and taking a
casual sip. Please read the original
content at NovelDrama.Org.
Every line of Kent in this moment is a graceful warning that they can enter...
But they’re on his turf now, and ying by his rules.