Chapter 155: Test of Innocence
"Matteo, just the man I was looking for," Caleb commented as he took a quick step back, deliberately making himself sound nice and friendly. His father could not be allowed to know the depth of animosity they had with each other. If he did, Caleb would be raked over the coals for failing to build a positive relationship with the Montgomery heir.
His father was already displeased that he let Amelia slip out of his fingers.
Speaking of which, Amelia was standing behind Matteo, looking no less furious. If it wasn’t a public occasion, Matteo had a feeling she would have kneed him in the balls, propriety be damned.
"Mr. Walton," Matteo said cordially enough to the older Walton, before turning his frosty gaze onto Caleb. "Caleb Walton. I see no reason you should be harassing my staff, an intern nonetheless."
Caleb let out a genial laugh, his eyes quickly darting to his father. "Harassment is such a harsh way of putting it! This is nothing more than a little encouragement between men. Isn’t that right, Carlo?"
Carlo shot him a glare from the corner of his eyes but kept quiet out of sheer spite. Matteo wasn’t a fool; he caught sight of the dirt strewn all over Carlo’s table and knew it could only come from Amelia’s tiny gift.
"Destroying someone’s possessions hardly seems encouraging to me." Matteo smiled blandly, while he internally stewed with anger. "But I’ll take your word for it. I hope you feel similarly encouraged when I pay your company a visit."
Caleb’s father gave him a judgemental look at the implied threat and Caleb quickly pasted a smile on his face as well. "I must say, you have become uncharacteristically charitable of late. Your fiancé must be a good influence on you."
"Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for you," Matteo replied without missing a beat. "To bully your half-brother at his workplace after you and your father heartlessly tossed him into the orphanage is cruel, even for you."