Free Web NovelChapter 148: Chapter 148: Integrating into His Circle of Friends
Damien Vaughn was not in the mood. "Tell me which restaurant you want, and I’ll have someone book it. Or you could just have Gwen Morgan take you. I don’t have time."
Mrs. Vaughn was displeased. "Damien, honey, aren’t you just sitting around at home? How can you not have time to have a meal with your own mother? I’m your mother—the person closest to you in this entire world. Can you please stop treating me like the enemy?"
Damien Vaughn: "..."
After a moment of silence, he turned and glanced at Cecelia Archer.
"Fine, we can eat out. But we’re bringing Cecelia Archer."
Mrs. Vaughn: "..."
Soon, Cecelia Archer was called over.
Mrs. Vaughn asked her in a loaded tone.
"He’s been back for two days, but Damien and I still haven’t had a chance to sit down alone, just mother and son, for a proper talk and a meal. We’re planning to eat out tonight. He said you should come along. Do you want to?"
Cecelia Archer shook her head vigorously.
"You two should go. After being apart for so long, you mother and son really need some private time to talk. Besides, I have to stay home to look after our child and keep Grandpa company."
Damien Vaughn hated when she used that as an excuse.
"We’re all family now, there will be plenty of time to spend with Grandpa. Stop using him as an excuse. I said you’re going, so you’re going. Go get ready. Candy is coming too!" freeweɓnovel.cѳm
"..."
’Can’t he see that Mrs. Vaughn doesn’t want me to go?’
Cecelia Archer glanced down at Mrs. Vaughn. The displeasure in the older woman’s eyes was practically overflowing; she looked like she wanted to kill her.
Her eyes darted around thoughtfully before Cecelia Archer asked.
"Is Miss Morgan going? I quite like her and was hoping to become friends, but I haven’t had the chance yet."
Damien Vaughn had no objection to her making friends. "If you want to see her, I’ll ask her to come."
"Then could you please invite her? And let’s ask Mr. Jacobs and Mr. Wynn to come along, too. We snuck out of Mr. Wynn’s birthday party without saying goodbye last time, and I wonder if he’s still angry with you. This would be a good chance to all sit down and talk."
Damien Vaughn was pleasantly surprised by the second half of her suggestion.
’She’s actually taking the initiative to get to know my friends?’
’Last time, she barely interacted with Brandon Jacobs or Wyatt Wynn at all. I thought she didn’t like them.’
He looked at his mother. "Mom, you haven’t seen Brandon Jacobs and Wyatt Wynn in a long time, either. Is it okay if we invite them?"
Mrs. Vaughn had no idea what Cecelia Archer was up to. ’This was supposed to be a private dinner for Damien and Gwen Morgan. Why is it getting so complicated?’
But since it had come to this, she had little choice but to agree. "Of course. The more, the merrier. Invite them all."
「Two hours later.」
The whole group was gathered at Brandon Jacobs’s private club.
A lavish spread of food and fine wine covered the table. Brandon Jacobs addressed Mrs. Vaughn politely.
"Auntie, the clubs back home nowadays aren’t as simple as the nightclubs you might remember. You can do more than just drink, sing, and dance—you can order food, too. Cantonese, Sichuan, Shandong, Huaiyang... whatever you like, we can get it. Please, try some and see if it’s authentic."
Mrs. Vaughn hadn’t expected Damien Vaughn to bring her to a club, but since Gwen Morgan and a few other familiar young faces were there, and they had a private room, it didn’t feel entirely inappropriate.
"This is nice. And please, relax. I’m not that old-fashioned. I’m not going to say anything, so just act as you normally would. Be yourselves. Everyone, have a seat."
Even though they were at a club, with an elder present, everyone was still a bit too reserved to truly relax.
Her words helped Brandon Jacobs and Wyatt Wynn relax considerably.
"Auntie, you’re so beautiful and youthful, and so open-minded! Your son is a lucky man, and we’re happy to have an ’auntie’ like you. Come on, let us raise a toast to you."
"It’s been too long! We didn’t know you were back so suddenly, so we didn’t get a chance to throw you a proper welcome. Our apologies, we’ll drink to that as a penalty. Auntie, please don’t be mad at us."
"Auntie, you’re so beautiful! What’s your secret? You should get together with my mom sometime—I’ll set it up. Maybe you can give her some advice, talk some sense into her. I’ll thank you in advance! Come on, here’s another toast to you."
Cecelia Archer watched as the two men crowded around Mrs. Vaughn, showering her with attention. Damien Vaughn was leaning back against the sofa, his posture rigid and his face expressionless. Gwen Morgan sat beside him, but there was absolutely no interaction between them. Cecelia couldn’t help but feel anxious.
’Are there too many third wheels here? Is that why those two can’t relax around each other?’
’Or have they still not made up from their last fight?’
Seeing that subtle, awkward tension between them—the way they both seemed to want to reconcile but were too embarrassed to make the first move—Cecelia Archer felt she had definitely come to the right place tonight.
’Isn’t this something a few drinks and a few jokes can fix? Once the mood is right, everything will sort itself out naturally.’
’Since they’re both too embarrassed, I’ll just have to be the one to help them along!’
"Hey, you two, don’t just drink with Auntie—there are other people here, you know! And just drinking is boring. Let’s play a game."
Damien Vaughn was never one to liven up a party, and with an elder present, Brandon Jacobs and Wyatt Wynn had assumed this was as lively as the evening was going to get.
They never expected Cecelia Archer to be so bold. ’Play games?’
"What game do you want to play?"
Cecelia Archer didn’t have one in mind.
"What games do you guys usually play when you drink? Let’s play them all. We’re already here, it’d be a waste not to have as much fun as possible."
’Whoa, this woman is something else! What a huge contrast!’
’The last time we saw her, she was so cold and boring. She was there all day but barely said a word, and then she slipped away at some point without anyone noticing. We never would have guessed she’d be this outgoing once you get to know her.’
The two men instinctively glanced at Mrs. Vaughn and Damien Vaughn, surprised to find that Mrs. Vaughn was quite supportive.
"Like I said, I’m very open-minded. I won’t say a thing. Play however you want, and don’t mind me."
"And Damien...?"
Damien Vaughn opened his eyes and glanced at Cecelia Archer, whose expression was one of faint excitement, eager to get started. He had no idea where this enthusiasm was coming from, but it was rare to have such a lively gathering.
’If she wants to have fun, then let her.’
"I’m fine with whatever."
With his go-ahead, a spinning wheel and a set of dice were brought to the table. freēwebnovel.com
"Auntie, this is usually all we play. Just a bit of fun before we all head home," Brandon Jacobs explained to Mrs. Vaughn, still feeling a bit awkward. His gaze on the spinning wheel made his disclaimer sound all the more suspicious.
"Would you like to play, too?"
Mrs. Vaughn smiled. "If I join, as the elder, you’d all have to go easy on me, wouldn’t you? I’ll sit this one out and just watch. Go on, get started."
The young people sat in a circle, clarified the rules, and started the game with the spinning wheel.
To start, everyone took turns rolling dice; whoever rolled the highest would go first.
Cecelia Archer eagerly snatched the dice cup first, gave it a series of sharp rattles—CLACK CLACK CLACK—and rolled three sixes.
Everyone else followed suit. After a full round, Cecelia’s roll was the highest, so she got to start.
Cecelia Archer spun the wheel, not expecting such a wild start to the game.
After a frantic spin, the pointer slowly came to a stop on the instruction: Link arms with the person sitting opposite you and drink three glasses.
And the person sitting directly across from her was Brandon Jacobs.
Cecelia Archer and Brandon Jacobs instinctively exchanged a look. Brandon Jacobs couldn’t suppress the grin spreading across his face.
Wyatt Wynn, watching from the side, was laughing so hard he could barely breathe.
