Chapter 134 - Hundred And Thirty Four
Eric’s heart was full, watching Delia eat with a freedom and happiness he had never seen in her before. It was a simple, domestic moment, but it felt more significant than any business deal he had ever signed.
As he took a final bite of his own food, Delia asked him, her voice quiet and serious, pulling him from his happy feeling.
"What are you going to do, Eric?"
He looked at her, his fork pausing mid-air.
"About what?"
"Your brother," Delia replied, her expression turning worried. "He won’t break off his new alliance with Anne so easily. I saw the way he looked at you. He believes you will threaten his spot as the head of the family, and now he wants to use Anne to solidify his position."
Eric’s happy expression became serious. The light in his eyes dimmed. He looked down at the remaining food on his plate and started poking at it with his fork, a gesture of deep unease. "I know that," he replied, his voice a low murmur.
"You can’t just let it be," Delia insisted gently. She paused, seeing the way his shoulders tensed, the way he was playing with his food, a clear sign of his inner turmoil. She decided to voice the difficult, dangerous question that had been on her mind. "What if... what if you go back to the Carson Textile Establishment, Eric?"
He stopped his restless gestures with the food and slowly looked up at her, a look of genuine shock on his face. "That’s ridiculous," he said, his voice and his expression completely serious, a knee-jerk reaction born from years of pain and pride.
But then, as he looked at her, at the genuine, worried concern in her beautiful blue eyes, the hardness in his own expression softened. A small, sad smile touched his lips, and his voice lost its defensive edge. "At least," he said quietly, "that is what I would have said before I met you."