The two girls ignored him and rolled their eyes before walking to Robert and Francis.
âGrandpa Robert, Brother FrancisâŚâ Scarlett walked over to them and greeted them politely. âItâs nice to see both of you joining us.â
âScarlett, Grandpa is also happy that your father invited us,â Robert said, smiling gently at her.
âHi, ScarlettâŚâ Francis nodded slightly at her.
Xander joined Scarlett to welcome Dr. Robert. However, he was unaware of the young man beside Dr. Robert. He looked at Scarlett and whispered, âWho?â
Scarlett playfully answered him in a louder-than-usual voice, âHubby, this man is My Uncle Francis, Grandpa Robertâs younger sonâŚâ She then looked at Francis and grinned. âUncle Francis, this is my husband, Xander Riley.â
Francis was left speechless, glaring at her for addressing him as an uncle. Then, something crossed his mind, and he decided to play along. With a smile, he turned to Xander and said, âHello, actually Iâm not her uncle, but Iâm Scarlettâs ex-fianceâŚâ He extended his hand to Xander for a handshake.
Instantly, Scarlettâs playful smile faded as she heard his words. She swallowed hard, venting her anger at Francis in her mind.
âDamn, this man! How dare he take revenge on me so fast?â
Scarlett narrowed her eyes at Francis as if she wanted to scold him with just her glare. After looking at him and ignoring her, she said, âStop that nonsense, Uncle Francis. How could I be engaged to my uncle?â
Xander, utterly confused by their exchange of words. His face turned dark as he pulled his hand away before he shook hands with Francis. If the gaze could kill someone, Francis might die from Xanderâs sharp glare.
âSo this man was her ex-fiance?â Xander muttered under his breath, starting to remember rumors he had ever heard in the past.
Francis laughed playfully, âHahaha, you must stop playing pranks with me, Scarlett. Or your dear husband will go berserkâŚâ he said casually, but his words were enough to wake Scarlett.
She scolded herself for forgetting about Xanderâs jealousy. In a hurry, she looked at Xander beside her and grabbed his hand, gently squeezing it.
âH-Hubby⌠Hahaha⌠Well⌠we were just playing a prank,â she said while laughing a little, trying to ease the awkward situation. âUgh, I was never engaged to himâŚâ She hurriedly added.
However, her laughter and explanation didnât immediately put Xander at ease. He felt a bit jealous looking at Francis.
Xander looked at Robert, wanting to seek clarification. But, he realized that he and his father-in-law had walked away and were now sitting at the other end of the room, chatting and ignoring them. He then turned to Theodor to ask him, but even Theodor appeared as confused as him.
Scarlett started to panic as she saw that Xander wasnât saying anything, and she could clearly see his annoyed gaze. ââTrust me, we were just joking around. We never engaged.â
Xander looked at his wife and whispered near her ear, âMs. Riley, you canât play a prank like that⌠I might end up in jail if you talk so casually about your ex.â He said casually, but Scarlett could tell that Xander was very serious.
Scarlett silently gulped when she started to imagine Xander killing Francis. In a hurry, she nodded, agreeing with his words.
Now, she really regrets joking with Francis.
âŚ
Trying to divert the awkward vibe, Scarlett invited them to sit down. Unfortunately, her efforts were in vain as Theodor raised the matter again.
âSo, Francis⌠were you two actually engaged? Or not?â Theodor asked innocently, his curiosity evident in his eyes.
âNo!â Scarlett immediately answered, giving him a sharp gaze. She tried to find a way to change the topic, and what she learned about him lately came to mind.
âReally? Donât try to hide anything from me, little sisterâŚâ Theodor seemed unconvinced as he narrowed his eyes at Scarlett.
âAlright, Brother Theo, letâs not talk about me.â A playful smile graced her beautiful face before she continued, âNow tell us about yourself, brother⌠When will you introduce your girlfriend to your parents?â
Theodorâs eyes widened in surprise, looking at Scarlett, too stunned to respond to her words. âHow could she know? Did she hack my phone?â he thought, feeling confused.
Maggie, who had been silent for a whileâfollowing Scarlettâs advice not to talk to Francisâcouldnât help but comment when she heard Theodor finally had a girlfriend. âMy goodness⌠Theo, you already have a girlfriend? Is that true?â
Now, all eyes were on Theodor, as if they were waiting for him to answer Scarlettâs question, curious to know the truth.
âSo, you suddenly went to Asia to meet her? If I remember correctly, sheâs from South Korea, right? Oh, no⌠I mean⌠she is from Thailand, right?â Xander asked.
Scarlett smiled, proud of her husband for helping divert the topic to Theodor.
âHubby, donât spill anythingâŚâ Scarlett glanced at Xander while playfully smiling at him. âLet Brother Theo tell us about his new girl.â
Theodor, ââŚâ
âTsk⌠Tsk⌠You two are such a heartless couple. Stop spreading rumors,â Theodor said while giving them a sharp glare. After venting his annoyance through his gaze and feeling better, he turned to Maggie. âSorry if I must disappoint you, Maggie, but I donât have a girlfriendâŚâ He chuckled.
âBrother Theo, youâre such a terrible liar. Donât force me to expose her InstagramâŚâ She grinned.
Scarlettâs words were enough to make Theodorâs throat go dry. This girl indeed knew. Now he was sure she had hacked his cellphone.
âDamn you, Scarlett! How dare you hack my phone??â Theodor could only vent his anger at Scarlett in his mind.
Afraid that his little sister would expose him, Theodor stood up from his seat in a hurry and said, âUgh, guys⌠I have to go to the restroom nowââ He quickly walked away from them.
Scarlett, seeing that Theodor had left, could only smile. However, she also stood up and asked Xander to follow her.
âMaggie, Brother Francis, you guys keep talking⌠Xander and I are going to our bedroom for a while.â Scarlett said. She noticed Francis had stolen a glance at Maggie since they were sitting on the couch. She needed to give them some time to resolve their matters.
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