Don't Be a Tease, Mr. Blackwood

Chapter 68: Chapter 68: The Bride’s Homecoming

Sophie Shaw was eating a delicious dinner.

A fragrant, flavorful steak—crispy on the outside, tender on the inside—was served with a refreshing vegetable salad. Worried she might still be hungry, Alaric Blackwood had also made her a side of spaghetti and meatballs in tomato sauce.

Sophie Shaw ate her fill, and her mood lifted slightly.

"Mr. Blackwood."

The man looked up at her. "Hm?"

"You’re a good cook, and a good person." frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

"..."

’The day after our wedding, and she’s already hitting me with the "nice guy" card...’

"Tomorrow is the traditional homecoming visit. I have some luggage to bring over, so I may have to trouble you to help me move some things, Mr. Blackwood."

Alaric Blackwood’s expression remained calm. "Alright."

After dinner, Sophie Shaw stood up and helped clear the plates and utensils from the table.

Alaric Blackwood gently brushed her hand away. "It’s just a few dishes. You don’t have to wash them."

In a few swift movements, the man gathered the dishes and put them all into the dishwasher.

’Was it her imagination, or did Alaric Blackwood’s expression seem a bit dark?’

’Did she say something wrong to displease him?’

She took a walk around the neighborhood to let her food settle. The night air was chilly, so she pulled her jacket tighter and quickened her pace back home.

Returning to her room, she took a shower, crawled into bed early, and picked up her phone to look at the few design sketches she had photographed earlier.

It was a good thing the drawing paper had been lying on the desk; she’d had the presence of mind to photograph a few sheets. Otherwise, her mother’s final works would have been lost forever.

...

「The next day.」

Following Alaric Blackwood’s instructions, Preston Chase arrived early at Maplewood Estate.

He drove his boss and his boss’s wife to the Kane family home, then took several gift boxes from the trunk.

He followed the couple inside, set down the gift boxes, and tactfully excused himself. He then made a call to the manager of the Blackwood Group’s security department, requesting a few men and a small truck.

Sophie Shaw didn’t have much luggage. Joseph Shaw had someone pack it in advance. Besides one suitcase, there were several cardboard boxes.

Once everything was loaded onto the small truck, Preston Chase got in with it to take Sophie Shaw’s belongings to Maplewood Estate first.

The Kane family’s butler had a servant prepare tea. Traditionally, as the son-in-law, Alaric Blackwood was supposed to serve tea to Joseph Shaw and Bianca Kane. But when the butler brought the two cups of tea to Alaric Blackwood, the man took both, placing one in front of himself and the other by Sophie Shaw’s side.

Seeing this, Joseph Shaw, who was sitting on the sofa opposite them, had his expression darken slightly. Bianca Kane also looked a bit awkward.

As a stepmother, it wasn’t her place to find fault. Since Joseph Shaw didn’t want to offend Alaric Blackwood and chose to remain silent, she also decided to say nothing.

"The luggage is all moved. Do you want to go back to your room and see if you missed anything?" Alaric Blackwood asked Sophie Shaw.

"Okay, give me a few minutes."

Sophie Shaw got up and went upstairs to her room. The festive four-piece bedding set from her wedding day had already been changed by the maids, and the "double happiness" characters and decorations on the walls had been taken down.

Her room had been restored to its previous state: tidy and plain.

Glancing around, she walked to her desk and pulled open the drawers to check. Her personal belongings, especially her drawing paper and sets of brushes, had all been packed away.

The entire desk was empty, with nothing of hers left behind.

Just as she pushed the drawer closed, Alaric Blackwood’s voice came from behind her. "Miss anything?"

"No."

She turned and gave Alaric Blackwood a slight smile. "They packed my things very thoroughly."

So thoroughly that it was as if she had never lived here.

She walked up to Alaric Blackwood and linked her arm with his. "You don’t look like you plan on serving tea to the elders. Why don’t we just leave?"

’I never want to come back to this place again.’

Alaric Blackwood patted the back of her hand, as if to soothe her. "Then let’s go. Let’s go home."

He led Sophie Shaw downstairs.

When Joseph Shaw, sitting stiffly on the sofa, saw them coming downstairs, his expression turned unbelievably sour.

’On their homecoming visit, they won’t even serve tea, and he doesn’t even call me ’Dad.’ It’s one thing for Sophie to be so improper all the time, but how can Alaric Blackwood also be so clueless about basic etiquette?’

’So much for the upbringing of a prestigious family like the Blackwoods. It’s nothing special after all.’

Joseph Shaw was unhappy; he felt as if his daughter had been snatched away by some punk.

The two of them came to stand before him and Bianca Kane, offering a brief greeting. "We have other things to do, so we’ll be leaving first."

It was Alaric Blackwood who spoke.

His tone was lazy and perfunctory, showing no regard for him and Bianca Kane as elders.

Joseph Shaw’s jaw tightened. He slammed his hand on the tea table beside him, making the lidded teacup CLATTER.

Alaric Blackwood had already turned to leave with Sophie Shaw. Hearing the noise, he slowed his pace, turned back, and his gaze met Joseph Shaw’s furious one.

"What’s with the temper, Mr. Shaw?"

"Mr. Shaw?"

Joseph Shaw ground his back teeth. "You should be calling me Dad." ƒreewebɳovel.com

"Do you deserve it?"

"Alaric Blackwood, don’t think you can be so defiant just because you’re the Blackwood heir. Remember your place! You married my daughter, so you will call me Dad."

"You’re not wrong. But since I haven’t received the customary payment, I can’t very well make the switch, can I?"

The corner of Alaric Blackwood’s lip curled up. He pulled his arm from Sophie Shaw’s grasp, lifted it, and wrapped it around her shoulder, leading her toward the exit.

A shout came from behind him. "Alaric Blackwood, you still haven’t served tea to your elders!"

The man’s steps halted again. He patted Sophie Shaw’s shoulder. "Honey, wait for me a second."

Sophie Shaw didn’t know what he was about to do. Thinking he was going back to serve the tea, she had just started to pull him back when the man had already strode over toward Joseph Shaw.

To everyone’s surprise, Alaric Blackwood picked up the gift boxes that Preston Chase had brought in.

He smirked at Joseph Shaw and Bianca Kane, the curve of his lips maddeningly arrogant. "I suppose you don’t need these, so I’ll just take them back with me, untouched."

’Bringing them gifts was a waste anyway.’

’If Sophie’s luggage hadn’t been here, he wouldn’t have bothered with this homecoming visit at all.’

He picked up the gifts, walked over to Sophie Shaw in a few steps, took her hand, and strode away with her.

Alaric Blackwood’s blatant arrogance left Joseph Shaw deeply displeased.

"That kid is such a bastard."

He marries my daughter, and then immediately turns his back on her family.

When Quentin Blackwood and Mandy Halloway came to propose the marriage, they were so polite and pleasant. Even if they didn’t give him face, they at least showed Bianca Kane some courtesy.

Who knew they would have a son so utterly clueless about social graces.

He clutched his chest. A knot of suppressed anger was lodged in his throat, suffocating him.

Bianca Kane quickly patted his back. "Alright now, why get angry with a junior? He’s just a wet-behind-the-ears punk who’s never had a hard day in his life. He’s had everything handed to him since he was a child, everything has gone his way, so he’s used to being arrogant. Don’t lower yourself to his level, or you’ll make yourself sick with anger."

"He has no respect for me, his father-in-law. I think he’s doing it on purpose."

"Anyone with eyes can see he’s doing it on purpose. I’m afraid your treacherous daughter has been badmouthing you to him. Otherwise, there’s no reason for him to target you like this."

With just a few provocative words, Bianca Kane had Joseph Shaw convinced that Sophie Shaw had been poisoning Alaric Blackwood’s mind against him.

Remembering how Sophie Shaw had left without a single look back, he angrily knocked over the cup on the tea table.

"That heartless, ungrateful creature! To think I raised her all these years for nothing."