Chapter 1333: The dinner is over for the two of you
When Finn had previously said he didn’t see the necessity of meeting Nina’s family, it had displeased all of them. Charles felt the same way, finding Finn’s reasoning convoluted. This practice wasn’t just a Bennet family custom—it was a tradition in Anteca. A culture. And while the Bennets—at least, this little branch of the family—weren’t particularly traditional, they still understood its importance.
That was why Finn’s reasoning displeased Charles even more. He didn’t believe it.
But just minutes after meeting Finn’s parents, Charles felt terrible. It was an awful feeling, one he knew would linger, for assuming Finn had been lying when he hadn’t. The boy might have his faults, but he wasn’t as irresponsible as his parents.
Above all, how could a parent not set aside work for something more important? Unless, of course, what was most important to them was work—not their son. Charles could just imagine a poor boy left alone in a castle full of everything except the things and people he truly needed—his parents.
"Mr. Bennet, what do you think you’re doing?" Mrs. Davis frowned, clearly displeased. "Do you have any idea how much that call might have cost us?"
"I didn’t take you for the type to interrupt someone’s business, Mr. Bennet," Mr. Davis remarked, rising from his chair to stand toe-to-toe with Charles. "Had you broken that phone—"
"You’re lucky my wife and children are watching," Charles cut in with a laugh, running his tongue along the inside of his cheek. "Otherwise, your assistant would be picking up its pieces outside. Being late to a family meeting is one thing—I can overlook that. But the blatant disrespect you’re showing my family? That, Mr. Davis, I will not."
Jessa smirked, her shoulders relaxing as she grabbed her glass of wine. "If he hadn’t done something, I would have," she muttered, whistling quietly before nodding approvingly at Charles.
Her husband simply sighed, letting things be. He knew Jessa was growing more upset by the second, not only because of how distracted the Davises were, but because they seemed to treat this entire meeting as an inconvenience. His eyes flickered to Allison, who silently dabbed at the corner of her lips, showing no intention of interfering with her husband.
Their children were the same, acting as though nothing was wrong.
’Oh, goodness. No one’s going to stop this, are they?’ Lester wondered, his eyes traveling to his own children. Yugi and Yuri simply watched, their reactions different but equally passive.
Lester, growing more worried, searched the room for someone who might put an end to this before it spiraled further. But Nina only looked nervous and panicked, while Finn kept his head down.