Chapter 265 - 264: Protection Under the Wings
This was unexpected; she never imagined her mother was capable of such a dramatic reaction.
Jeremy Norman locked the car door, a rare look of cruelty appearing on his normally gentle face.
No one at home knew about his and Molly Walker’s engagement’s ultimate aim. He didn’t want to tell them and he couldn’t tell them, because after all, it was something he voluntarily agreed to.
“Mom, let’s eat at a different place,” Jeremy proposed, without further ado, stepping on the gas pedal.
To his surprise, the woman in the back seat gritted her teeth and even banged her head against the car window.
There was a loud ‘thud’, after which deep silence filled the car.
In the end, Jeremy’s mother got out of the car, her forehead red from the impact.
Jeremy followed behind her with a sullen look on his face.
“Thank God I know how to unlock the back seat or else our family’s face would have been lost today because of you!” gloated Jeremy’s mother. Thinking about the sight of Ivy Thompson and a strange man entering the restaurant, she was absolutely furious.
She gripped her cellphone tightly, glaring venomously at Jeremy. “If you still want to marry her, then you shouldn’t stop me. Don’t worry. I’m not a mother who acts unreasonable. If there’s a misunderstanding between you two, then clear it up. If it’s not a misunderstanding, we have other methods as well. But if you dare to stop me, she would never be able to step foot into our house in this lifetime!”
Hearing this, Jeremy’s lips moved, but eventually, he swallowed his retort.
He didn’t see the situation clearly just now, but there was indeed a strange man beside Molly. Although they were standing not too close to each other, from the fact that the man was wearing a mask, he inferred that it must be Zachary Jenkins.
Last time, he had thoroughly investigated it. Though he couldn’t find out the relationship between Zachary Jenkins and Michael Gallagher, he could guess.
So Zachary Jenkins was Michael Gallagher.
“I thought she would give up once Michael Gallagher died. I didn’t expect her to be such a flirtatious woman. She’s already carrying another man’s child but is still messing around with so many men,” Jeremy’s mother said with clear displeasure. “She was second-hand goods from the start, yet still so cocky. There really is a difference between those who are brought up inside and outside.”
“Mom ” Jeremy furrowed his brows to interrupt her. “Since you think she’s not suitable, I’ll marry Gillian Thompson instead.”
At this, Jeremy’s mother was left speechless.
Gillian Thompson, that disabled girl?
“I I was just saying ” Compared to a cripple, Ivy was undoubtedly more superior, especially considering Gillian Thompson had been abandoned by her own family, less than an average person.
“Forget it, I can’t manage your affairs anymore, let it be!” Jeremy’s mother heaved a sigh, striding towards the restaurant.
No matter if Ivy could eventually become her daughter-in-law or not, she would stir up this issue today. Otherwise, wouldn’t Jeremy be forever wearing a green hat if she stepped into their house?
She went into the restaurant, and Jeremy followed closely behind her.
In the small private room in one corner of the restaurant, the waiter continually served several dishes. Seeing these dishes on the table, Molly was slightly taken aback.
These were her favorite dishes or, to be more precise, the ones she loved to eat the most while at the Gallagher’s.
Now that she was pregnant, her taste had somewhat changed. But seeing the spicy diced chicken in front of her, she still couldn’t help but swallow her saliva.
She looked up at Michael Gallagher, her eyebrows arching slightly.
He wasn’t planning to continue wearing the mask while eating, was he?
“Mr. Jenkins, would you like to eat?” She gestured towards the food and focused on his mask with great interest.
Deep-seated emotions brewed in Michael Gallagher’s eyes as he quickly glanced at the table. “You eat, I’m not hungry.”
Molly smiled; it appeared he had no plans to remove his mask after all.
In that case, she would just get straight to the point.
“Actually, Mr. Jenkins, even if you wear a mask, I already know what your real face looks like underneath it.”
Michael Gallagher’s eyes darkened. “What do you mean?”
Still pretending?
Molly smirked. “Don’t pretend anymore, Gall ”
“Bang, bang, bang!” Her words were intercepted as the door to their private suite was vigorously knocked upon.
The private rooms in this restaurant are semi-open, separated by bamboo barriers. From inside the room, one can see the scene outside.
Molly Walker looked up and through the gap in the railing, she immediately saw Jeremy’s mother.
“Ivy Thompson, open the door!”
Mrs. Norman was banging on the door with force.
Molly Walker walked over and opened the door, and the woman outside rushed in quickly.
Jeremy’s mother stared at Michael Gallagher, suddenly sneered coldly, “Good! Very good!”
She turned to Molly Walker, her voice suppressing fury, “Miss Thompson, can you tell me what are you doing right now? You are to join our Norman family soon, how can you be dating another man?!”
Molly Walker frowned slightly, she knew Mrs. Norman had misunderstood her.
“Aunt, I didn’t have a date with him, we just ran into each other by chance.”
“No date? Couldn’t you behave properly? Do you know how much effort Jeremy has put into marrying you, the humiliation he has suffered? He resisted his entire family for you, and what are you doing? You’re carrying someone else’s child, and you’re still entangled with another man before the engagement!” Jeremy’s mother scornfully looked at Michael Gallagher, “Don’t think that by wearing a mask I wouldn’t know who you are, whoever you are, you better stay away from Ivy Thompson and avoid inviting trouble!”
Molly Walker’s eyebrows narrowed, she didn’t know how to explain her purely working relationship with Jeremy.
She thought everything was going smoothly between Jeremy and her, but she hadn’t expected such a turn of events.
She had only thought of herself, without considering Jeremy’s difficulties.
She had caused him trouble.
“I’m sorry, Aunt, I’ve let Jeremy down. The engagement hasn’t been announced yet, there’s still time to call it off. When I go back later, I will talk to my family and cancel the wedding between me and Jeremy.”
It was unexpected to Mrs. Norman how decisive Molly was, which made her go into a stupor.
She hadn’t thought of a canceled engagement, she only wanted to warn Ivy Thompson, but Ivy had so decisively given up.
“There’s no need to call off the engagement.” Jeremy interrupted their conversation, “My mom’s been a bit neurotic lately, she didn’t know you were negotiating business with Mr. Jenkins.”
“Mr. Jenkins ” Jeremy’s mother looked Michael Gallagher up and down, “You’re that Jenkins family’s child?”
The most scandalous thing circulating in the Capital City circle recently was about the Jenkins family. It was rumored that Mr. Jenkins’ illegitimate son had returned and that Mr. Jenkins had directly declared this boy to be the heir to the Jenkins family’s fortune.
This news spread among the wealthy circles, but the mystery was that no one had seen the face of this Jenkins family’s illegitimate son, let alone knew whether he was handsome or not.
Unexpectedly, the illegitimate son was now standing in front of her, Jeremy’s mother took a more speculative look.
This man, tall and slender, with an extraordinary presence, though his mask covered most of his face, his eyes were revealed, a pair of extremely attractive phoenix eyes, deep and serene as a pool of water, despite his young age, possessing maturity uncharacteristic to his age.
This man was extraordinary.
Having lived for so long and met countless many, Jeremy’s mother immediately made her judgement.
“I didn’t know you two were negotiating business.” She immediately changed her tone, “I was too impulsive, I’m sorry.”
She quickly walked over to Molly Walker, apologized with a smile: “Ivy, Aunt was too impulsive just now, I didn’t know you were discussing business, Jeremy was right, my mental state hasn’t been good lately, I became confused, I wasn’t even persuaded by him, please don’t call off the engagement, Auntie does like you, I was just too impulsive can you forgive me?”
Molly Walker looked at her coldly, then glanced at the slightly anxious Jeremy, biting her lip gently.
Michael Gallagher was standing on the side, his eyes clear, but he seemed determined to watch the drama unfold.
If the marriage were called off, he would be delighted. No matter how good Jeremy was, having such a mother-in-law would make Molly’s life difficult with a child in the future.
If there was some hesitation before, now, he had dismissed any notion of backing off.
Rather than entrusting her to an uncertain family, why not keep her by his side and protect her with his own wings?
He walked over to Molly Walker’s side, reached out to hook his arm around Molly’s waist, his voice husky, carrying a hint of ambiguity: “Since Ivy has decided to cancel the engagement, there is no need to force herself.”
Under Molly Walker’s surprised gaze, Michael Gallagher smiled lightly, his eyes slightly raised.
“You didn’t misunderstand, my relationship with Miss Thompson is indeed extraordinary.”