Free Web NovelChapter 88: Chapter 88: Not Settling Doesn’t Mean Not Understanding
"You’re dumb. Your whole family is dumb."
Sophie Shaw shot back.
The smile in Alaric Blackwood’s eyes deepened. "Fine, I’m dumb. What I mean is, nothing actually happened last night."
He had only given Sophie Shaw a bath.
"So what you said at lunch today was a lie?"
"I wanted to tease you."
"That kind of joke isn’t funny."
Sophie Shaw’s expression turned serious.
Alaric Blackwood didn’t hesitate for a second. He immediately admitted his mistake and apologized. "Sorry. It won’t happen again."
Sophie Shaw nodded and continued to silently eat her steamed egg.
After she finished, she cleaned up the food container and said to Alaric Blackwood, "Thanks for your trouble. You should head back now."
"You’re going to keep working?"
"Yeah."
"What if I want to stay and wait for you?"
"Don’t wait."
"..."
Alaric Blackwood felt like he’d offered a warm welcome only to get the cold shoulder. He watched Sophie Shaw return to her desk, her eyes already fixed on the computer screen as she switched back into work mode. He silently packed up the food containers and utensils, grabbed the bag, and got up to leave. frёeωebɳovel.com
Instead of going straight home, he drove to the billiards club.
There were four people in the private room—two men and two women.
Evan Ford and Jaden were playing pool, while two women sat on the sofa chatting. One of them was Stella Yarrow; the other was a woman Alaric Blackwood had never seen before.
"Mr. Blackwood?"
Stella Yarrow stood up with a smile, her eyes full of pleasant surprise. "Garland said you were busy. I thought you weren’t coming."
Alaric Blackwood gave her a nod, a silent acknowledgment.
She excitedly pulled the woman on the sofa to her feet and introduced her. "This is my friend, Claire Sterling."
Out of politeness, Alaric Blackwood nodded and smiled at Claire Sterling. He walked over to the pool table and asked Evan Ford, who was in the middle of a game, "How has the old lady been lately?"
"Not great."
"Sophie Shaw wants to upgrade her factory and is looking for a location. The old lady wants to break the ice, so this is the perfect opportunity."
The Ford Family made their fortune in real estate; the high-quality properties they controlled were more than enough for Sophie Shaw to be spoiled for choice.
Evan Ford naturally understood Alaric Blackwood’s hint.
"Didn’t you say you were busy tonight? What brings you here all of a sudden?"
Alaric Blackwood put his hands in his pockets. "Finished up."
"Want to play a round?"
"No, you guys go ahead. I’m leaving soon anyway."
As they were talking, Jaden came over, nudged Evan Ford’s arm with his elbow, and asked in a low voice, "What do you think of Claire?"
Evan Ford raised an eyebrow. "What about her?"
"The girlfriend Jasmine set you up with. Isn’t she being obvious enough?"
Evan Ford didn’t have much of a reaction, just letting out a soft "oh."
When the four of them had gone to dinner earlier, Stella Yarrow had pushed Claire Sterling to sit next to him, clearly trying to play matchmaker.
But he had no interest in dating.
Seeing him continue to play with a blank expression, Jaden felt deflated. "Alaric and I are both taken. You’re the only one left who’s single. You’re the only heir to the Ford Family, and your parents are worried sick."
Evan Ford’s brow furrowed slightly. He gave him a cold look. "Have my parents been in touch with you?"
"They asked me to help find a match for you."
"You got nothing better to do?"
Jaden scratched his head awkwardly. "Evan, you don’t... dislike women, do you?"
This wasn’t the first time he’d suspected Evan Ford’s sexual orientation.
In all the years he’d known Evan Ford, he had never seen him take a serious interest in any woman.
"I just haven’t met anyone who makes my heart race."
Evan Ford said indifferently, then went back to taking his shot.
Jaden, not giving up, asked him again in a low voice, "So what do you think of Claire?"
"Not interested."
"What’s your type?"
"I haven’t thought about it."
Jaden didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He raised his eyebrows at Alaric Blackwood. "Maybe Evan really is into men."
Alaric Blackwood acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing, not even sparing him a glance.
Feeling ignored and slighted, he lost a bit of face. "Alaric, don’t just show up and give me the cold shoulder."
Alaric Blackwood still paid him no mind. He clapped Evan Ford on the shoulder and said, "I’m taking off."
"Not staying for a couple of drinks?"
"I have to drive."
Alaric Blackwood had delivered the message about Sophie Shaw, so he left without another word.
Jaden felt a little unhappy. "Alaric is still mad at me."
"Well, don’t you deserve it?"
"Matters of the heart are beyond my control."
A few days ago, Jaden had worked up the courage to confess to Stella Yarrow that he was engaged to Nina Halloway. He promised Stella that as soon as Nina returned from filming, he would lay his cards on the table with her.
Ever since the night before Alaric Blackwood’s wedding, when Alaric sent Nina Halloway a video of him and Stella Yarrow kissing, Jaden had been on edge.
He had thought Nina Halloway would be unable to resist flying back within three days to have a huge fight with him. But so much time had passed, and she hadn’t even sent a single message.
This, in turn, made it hard for him to figure out what Nina Halloway was thinking.
Seeing him kiss another woman and not reacting at all... perhaps Nina Halloway didn’t like him that much to begin with.
"Jasmine and I are the ones in true love."
Hearing this, Evan Ford shot him a cold glare. "Don’t try to make your cheating sound so pure and noble. You’re insulting the very words ’true love.’"
"You’ve never even been in a relationship. What do you know about true love?"
"Just because I refuse to settle, and therefore don’t date, doesn’t mean I don’t understand it."
Evan Ford, his mood affected by Jaden, missed his shot.
"Your turn."
He straightened up, carried his cue over to the table, and picked up his glass for a drink.
He had just put the glass down when Stella Yarrow approached, arm in arm with Claire Sterling, a fawning smile on her face. "Mr. Ford, Claire is very good at pool. Would you two like to play a couple of games?"
"No, thanks. I’m leaving after this game."
Stella Yarrow’s eyes widened. "You’re leaving?"
"I’m tired. Going home to sleep."
Stella Yarrow pursed her lips. ’This man isn’t just clueless about romance; he’s on another level.’
From dinner to the billiards club, he hadn’t shown her or Claire Sterling a pleasant expression. Even though Jaden had said that Evan Ford rarely smiled and this was just how he was, she still found the man too cold.
Claire Sterling was also greatly disappointed.
When Evan Ford returned to the pool table to continue his game with Jaden, Claire Sterling tugged on Stella Yarrow’s arm and muttered, "This Ford guy is not all that."
"You don’t like him?"
"He’s too arrogant. He acts like he’s looking down on everyone."
"His personality is a little difficult, I’ll admit. But maybe your opinion of him will change once you get to know him."
Claire Sterling curled her lip. "I think I’ll pass. I have no intention of chasing after him like some pathetic sycophant."
"Well, I’ll introduce you to someone else when I get the chance."
Claire Sterling gave her a sly grin and whispered in her ear, "To be honest, Alaric Blackwood is more my type."
"He’s already married. You’d better not even think about it."
Claire Sterling narrowed her eyes, her gaze scrutinizing. "Speaking of which, didn’t you originally intern at Garland Chase Law Firm for Mr. Blackwood? How did you end up with Garland?"
"I had no choice. Alaric Blackwood is a tough nut to crack. I could never even see him; he barely goes to the law firm. As for Garland... he’s the one who pursued me."
Although he was a step down from Alaric Blackwood in every respect, Jaden was still a well-known young master in the Kingsport Circle. With his wealthy family background, Stella Yarrow felt she hadn’t gotten a bad deal by being with him.
