Free Web NovelChapter 172: Chapter 172 The Birthday He Never Celebrates
Christina’s POV
I looked at Gwendolyn.She still wore that smile.
I studied her a second longer. That fake sweetness was starting to sour.
Reginald was here too. Earlier, he’d been polite, pouring me tea and asking about my work.
But the longer I stood there, the more I felt they were using me to drag Hudson into something he would never agree to.
Before I could decide whether to confront her or just leave, the front door was flung open.
"I’m home!"
Declan stepped forward, yanking off a heavy coat and tossing it to the butler without looking back.
When I’d last seen him, he’d had short black hair.
Now it was bright copper, long on top and brushed back like he’d run his fingers through it without checking a mirror.
His gaze immediately landed on me.
"Well, well, look who it is—sister-in-law Christina. Didn’t know you were coming. Wait—is Hudson here today?"
He glanced around. No Hudson.
Then he spotted the cake on the table. His face transformed instantly.
"No, no, you can’t be serious."
He pointed at the cake. "Tell me you didn’t. Tell me you’re not throwing him a birthday party. Are you insane? Do you want him to completely lose it?"
He scanned the room as if expecting Hudson to materialize.
He glared at me. "What’s wrong with you? I thought you were the sensible one. Why would you do this? You think he won’t flip out? You think he won’t go straight to the Elder Council and file for divorce?"
Damn, I’d definitely walked into a trap.
"What the hell is going on? Why can’t he celebrate his birthday? What happened?"
He narrowed his eyes, stepping closer. "You really don’t know?"
"No."
He inhaled sharply, half sigh, half disbelief.
Just as he opened his mouth to answer, the butler’s voice came from the hallway.
"Alpha Hudson has arrived."
Everyone turned.
Hudson strode in, still wearing his coat. A black wool double-breasted coat, shoulders rigid.
His expression was cold and stiff, jaw tight, lips pressed into a hard line.
I’d never seen him like this before.
With him in the room, it felt colder.
Nobody spoke.
The only sound was his footsteps across the polished floor.
Gwendolyn spoke first, her tone slightly frantic. "You’re here. Dinner’s ready, come sit down. Let’s eat first."
She tried to guide him toward the table.
Edouard and Reginald were already seated, arms crossed over their chests, pretending nothing was happening.
Declan and I remained where we were.
Hudson stopped at the cake.
He stared at it, unmoving.
Then his gaze swept across the room, finally landing on me.
There wasn’t a trace of warmth in his eyes—just blank, cold, unreadable.
My chest tightened.
"This is bad," Akira whispered. "Really bad."
Before I could speak, he was in front of me.
Hudson grabbed my arm, yanked me behind him, then flipped the entire table with one hand.
A deafening crash echoed through the dining room.
Plates shattered. Silverware clattered violently. Wine glasses exploded into fragments.
The cake landed face-down on the floor, half covered by the tablecloth, flattened under its own weight.
Someone screamed—Gwendolyn, I assumed.
A maid shouted something garbled.
Others joined in the chaos.
Reginald’s shoulder took a direct hit from a flying fork. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
Edouard clutched a ceramic plate to his chest like a shield.
Glass sliced across Reginald’s knuckles, leaving a thin red line.
He rushed to Edouard’s side, grabbing him before his chair could tip over.
Chairs scraped against the floor as servants rushed forward.
Someone started shouting for heart medication.
The entire room descended into complete chaos in less than ten seconds.
Even Declan got smacked in the face with a spoon, the force knocking him back several steps. Hudson’s Alpha strength had turned dinnerware into dangerous projectiles.
I was the only one who came out unscathed.
Hudson had pulled me away before his outburst.
He turned to me, his face inches from mine. "Why the hell are you even here?"
I opened my mouth, but I had nothing to say.
Our eyes locked, his fists still clenched tight enough to whiten his knuckles.
Before I could respond, Gwendolyn cut in. "I invited her. I thought we could have a normal dinner like a regular family. Is that suddenly a crime?"
He whipped around to confront her. "Do you remember what day it is?"
She blinked, momentarily confused. "It’s your birthday. We’re family, Hudson. What’s wrong with sitting down to eat like a family? I haven’t seen Christina since Edouard’s birthday party. Can’t I try to reconnect with her?"
Hudson yanked his tie loose, muttering something under his breath. Then, his voice rising, "Must be nice to be so comfortable. So bored you start fights just for entertainment."
Gwendolyn’s voice shot back, "There’s no need to use that tone—"
While they continued shouting at each other, Declan slipped beside me, leaning in close.
"She tricked you into coming, didn’t she?"
I nodded.
He whistled softly. "You’re screwed. She dragged you straight into a hurricane. Do you even know what day it is?"
"His birthday?"
"It’s also the day he lost his mother."
I stared at him. "You’ve got to be kidding me."
"Wish I was. She died on his birthday. That’s why he never celebrates it. I don’t know what they were thinking with this dinner party tonight. If he flips out, I don’t want you dragging me down with you. Should’ve stayed in Milan."
He edged away as if Hudson might lunge at him next.
I stood frozen, my stomach churning violently.
I hadn’t known.
Nobody had told me.
Gwendolyn had described this as a family dinner.
She’d sounded so normal when she said it.
I looked at Hudson.
I could only see his profile. His jaw muscle twitched with each controlled breath.
I wanted to slap myself for being so stupid.
Gwendolyn continued, "I meant no harm. We prepared specially for your birthday. That cake was custom-made. Christina wanted to come here. She wanted to eat with us—"
"No, I didn’t," I interrupted. "You lied to me."
She turned to face me. "I didn’t lie. I invited you to dinner. That wasn’t a lie."
"You left out all the important parts. That matters."
I glared at Gwendolyn.
