Don't Be a Tease, Mr. Blackwood

Chapter 145: Chapter 145: The Marriage Proposal

Sophie Shaw was sleeping groggily when she caught a fragrant scent.

She thought she was dreaming. Her nostrils flared as she followed the scent, still half-asleep.

Hearing her stomach let out a RUMBLE, Alaric Blackwood’s shoulders shook with laughter.

He sat by the bed, holding a plate of spaghetti and meatballs in one hand and a fork in the other. On the tines of the fork was a large, fragrant meatball sprinkled with chopped parsley.

The meatball dangled before Sophie Shaw’s nose. After another RUMBLE from her stomach, she was finally woken by her craving.

She opened her eyes to see a large meatball and the man sitting by the bed, his shoulders trembling with laughter. Sophie Shaw’s face flushed red, and she embarrassedly pulled the covers over her head.

"Don’t you want to eat?"

"Should I eat it myself, then?"

Alaric Blackwood’s voice, full of temptation, reached her ears through the blanket.

Her disloyal stomach growled twice more. She embarrassedly pulled down the covers, poked her head out, and whispered, "I want to eat."

"Sit up and eat."

"Oh," she murmured. With a beet-red face, she pushed herself up on the bed.

Alaric Blackwood placed the fork on the plate, then grabbed a pillow and tucked it behind her so she could lean comfortably against the headboard.

"Am I allowed to eat in your bed?"

"Only if you still have the strength to get up."

"Never mind, then." freёwebnoѵel.com

’I’ll just eat like this.’

She took the plate and ate with great care, making sure not to stain the sheets or the blanket.

Seeing her eat with such relish, Alaric Blackwood turned and left the room. He went to the kitchen, squeezed a glass of fresh orange juice, and brought it back.

"Thank you."

Just as Sophie Shaw took the orange juice, Alaric Blackwood’s phone rang. She glanced at the screen and saw it was a call from Mandy Halloway.

Alaric Blackwood answered it directly.

On the other end of the line, Mandy Halloway was furious. "You brat, you get your butt back here right now."

The woman’s voice was so loud that even from a short distance away, Sophie Shaw could clearly hear what Mandy Halloway said.

She looked at Alaric Blackwood, confused. "Did you get into trouble?"

The question caught the man off guard. He thought about it for a moment. "I don’t think so."

"Then why is Mom so angry?"

"I’ll find out when I get back."

Sophie Shaw was a little worried. She quickly finished her orange juice. "I’ll go back with you."

She threw back the covers to get out of bed, but the moment her feet touched the floor, her legs turned to jelly. Her whole body went limp, and she nearly collapsed to her knees.

Alaric Blackwood knew she wouldn’t be able to stand. He wrapped an arm around her waist, steadying her. "Stop trying to act tough."

"Mom is so angry. Is she going to hit someone?"

He laughed. "No, Mom’s a very gentle person."

The truth was, not only did Mandy Halloway hit people, she would grab the nearest object to do it.

He bent down, scooped up Sophie Shaw’s legs, and easily lifted her into his arms princess-style, placing her back on the bed. "Be good and wait for me to come back."

"Will everything be okay?"

"Don’t worry, everything will be fine."

After reassuring Sophie Shaw, Alaric Blackwood went into the walk-in closet, changed his clothes, and left with his car keys.

Sophie Shaw lay alone on the bed. She felt clean and refreshed, wearing a nightgown. It seemed Alaric Blackwood had given her a bath after bringing her back.

’Having a husband like this is so convenient! I don’t even have to bathe myself.’

She leaned against the headboard, picked up the half-eaten plate of spaghetti, and continued to eat.

Meanwhile, Alaric Blackwood sped back to the old family home. The moment he stepped into the living room, he saw Mandy Halloway waiting for him, a feather duster in hand.

Alaric Blackwood was rendered speechless.

A bad feeling washed over him.

He mentally reviewed everything he had done in the past few days and found he hadn’t done anything to provoke his mother. ’What’s with this whole setup?’

His mom hadn’t beaten him with a feather duster since he was ten.

He was twenty-six now, a grown man. ’Surely she wouldn’t give me a thrashing, would she?’

Two people were sitting primly on the living room sofa.

One was his father, Quentin Blackwood, who had been afraid of his wife for half his life. The other was his sister, Nina Halloway. The expressions on their faces were identical: not just apprehensive, but also cowardly.

"Get over here."

Mandy Halloway brandished the feather duster in her hand.

Alaric Blackwood took a few steps forward but kept a safe distance from Mandy Halloway. "Mom, what’s wrong?"

"Your sister was kidnapped! How could you hide something so major from your father and me?"

He fell silent.

"What if your sister hadn’t been so lucky? What if the kidnappers had killed her? This was a matter of life and death! How long were you planning to hide it?"

"Mom, I’m perfectly fine now. Don’t be angry, it’s so late..." Nina Halloway started to say, trying to placate her, but one glare from Mandy Halloway shut her up. She obediently lowered her head.

When the head of the household threw a tantrum, the father and daughter could only hold hands, sitting on the sofa with their heads hung low, praying that Alaric Blackwood was tough enough to withstand the beating.

Seeing this, Alaric Blackwood chuckled. "Mom, you called me over this late at night just for this?"

"You think this is a small matter?"

"I was planning to tell you today, but the police called just then to say my sister had been found safe. I didn’t tell you because I was afraid you’d worry."

After Alaric Blackwood finished his earnest explanation, his father quickly seized the opportunity to chime in. "Alaric was just afraid we’d worry. The important thing is that Nina is all right."

"You shut up!"

The moment Mandy Halloway heard Quentin Blackwood’s voice, her anger immediately turned on him. The feather duster in her hand also swiveled in his direction. "You have the nerve to speak? Who was that young girl you were having dinner with tonight?"

"Honey, that was just a business dinner."

"What kind of business dinner requires the company of a young girl? And cuddling and hugging, no less?"

Quentin Blackwood, feeling guilty, secretly tugged on Nina Halloway’s arm, hoping his daughter would put in a good word for him.

However, Mandy Halloway was on the warpath, ready to chew out anyone who dared to interrupt.

Nina Halloway played deaf and dumb. Quentin Blackwood didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He stood up, planning to use his old trick of pulling Mandy Halloway into his arms to coax her. But just as he raised his arms, Mandy smacked the feather duster on the armrest of the sofa.

"Kneel."

THUD—THUD—

Quentin Blackwood and Nina Halloway knelt in perfect unison.

The scene made Alaric Blackwood laugh. He stuck his hands in his pockets, walked over to the sofa, and leaned casually against its back. A smirk played on his lips as he lit a cigarette, the very picture of someone enjoying a good show. "She told Dad to kneel. What are you kneeling for, superstar?"

Nina Halloway thought so too. ’She didn’t tell me to kneel.’

Just as she was about to get up, Mandy Halloway barked, "Did I say you could get up?"

Nina was speechless.

So she went back to kneeling properly on the carpet.

"The Grant Family came to propose a marriage."

She was startled. "Which Grant Family?"

"Leon Grant and his parents were here today. If that boy, Leon, hadn’t revealed that you were kidnapped, your father and I would still be completely in the dark about everything."

Nina Halloway’s head immediately started to ache. "I’m not getting engaged to him."

"What’s wrong with Leon? At the very least, he helped you. If he hadn’t been fishing by the river with the old man early this morning, you might still be floating in it right now."

"Heh, heh..."

Nina Halloway laughed dryly.

Her careless, empty laughter made Mandy Halloway’s temper flare. She smacked the feather duster on the sofa’s armrest again.

SMACK!

Nina Halloway’s laughter died abruptly. freewebnøvel.coɱ

"Regardless, you and Leon should try getting to know each other first. He’s made it very clear that he likes you. A woman should marry someone who likes her and treats her well. Leon is just as eligible as Jaden, and Mom thinks he’s an excellent choice."