Chapter 7
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Belle’s eyes opened up widely with curiosity. She took a step forward as she asked in amusement, “Are you in contact with the manager of JW groups?”
James smiled. His eyes were shining brightly as he said in a mysterious voice, “Let’s just say that I have a few connections.”
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Jayden’s face turned red with anger and frustration. He had been so sure that James was broke, but now it seemed that he had a wealthy benefactor. I, on the other hand, was feeling a sense of wonder and curiosity. Who was James, really? What kind of connections did he have with the manager of JW groups? And why was he being so secretive about it?
I was continuously staring at James. Confusion was written all over my face while he turned to me and smiled before asking in a gentle voice,“I’m not used to
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being the centre of attraction to everyone. I’m sure you don’t like it either. So, shall we leave?”
I nodded in agreement as he offered me his arms and took me out of the ballroom
while everyone was staring at us in
amusement.
The next day, I was invited to dinner by James‘ s step mom. She insisted that I bring James along with me. He was earlier not in favor of family dinner but because of my insistance, he agreed.
When we visited Mr. Daniel’s home, his gesture didn’t seem very pleasing to us. On the other hand, James‘ s second wife was quite welcoming.
As we sat down to eat, Daniel Parker looked at James and said, “So, James, I hear you’ve been making a fool of yourself in public again. What’s the point of spending ten million dollars on a watch? You’re just wasting your money. I doubt how you got that money from JW groups‘ manager
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though.”
James’s face remained calm, but I could see the hurt in his eyes. “I bought the watch because it was my mother’s,” he said quietly. “It’s a family heirloom.”
Daniel Parker snorted. “A family heirloom? Ha! You’re just trying to impress that girl,” he said, pointing at me. “Well, let me tell you something, James. You’re not going to impress anyone with your reckless. spending. You need to learn to manage your money better.”
James’s stepmother, Elizabeth, intervened, trying to smooth things over. “Daniel, dear, let’s not talk about this now. We have a guest.”
But Daniel Parker just ignored her and continued to criticize James. “You’re never going to amount to anything, James. You’re just a waste of space.”
James remained silent while he continued,
“And what about your face? Did you go
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through surgery or you were like this all the time and were intentionally ruining our mood by showing your made up ugly face to us?”
James smiled faintly as he put the spoon. back on the plate and looked up at his father with a pair of hurt eyes, saying, “Do you really want to know? Does it even matters to you?”
Mr. Daniel didn’t respond to his question. But, the tension between James and him grew intense. Daniel Parker seemed to be constantly criticizing James, finding fault in everything he said or did. James, on the other hand, seemed to be taking it all in stride. He smiled and laughed, but I could see the hurt in his eyes.
As the dinner progressed, I found myself feeling more and more uncomfortable. I didn’t like seeing James treated this way and I couldn’t help but wonder why his father was so cruel to him.
As we finished dinner and the evening
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drew to a close, James’s stepmother smiled. at me before saying,“Thank you for joining us, dear. I hope you had a nice time.”
I smiled back at her, feeling a sense of gratitude towards her. She seemed to be the only one in the family who was kind. and genuinely cared about James.
When we sat inside the car, James turned up to me. He called my name, “Claire…”
“Yes?”
“Don’t ever force me to visit this place again!” he added. I immediately hugged him and said in an apologetic voice, “I’m really sorry, James. I didn’t know it was going to be this bad.”
“It always was,” He sighed, “But, you don’t need to apologise to me. It’s not your fault at all.”
