Chapter 221: A Promise Is A Promise
"Patience, Matteo," his father said, his eyes colder than flintstones as he gazed at his eldest son. "Have you taken leave of all of your manners? Take your seat next to Emmeline. She has specially dressed up for this dinner."
Matteo didn’t move an inch. "I came as you asked. It’s time for you to hold up your end of the bargain."
Charles Montgomery proceeded to ignore Matteo’s heated words and his icy glare. Instead, he decided to dig into his own meal with deliberate casualness, taking tiny sips of the soup entrée that the staff had so helpfully served.
"Eat," Charles said. "The food is going to get cold otherwise." He then gestured to the staff and instructed, "If he’s so insistent on sitting there, then bring the food to him."
As instructed, the maids went and did as told. Instead of forcing Matteo to sit next to Emmeline, they brought the food over to Matteo and set up the rest of the cutleries on his side of the table. Emmeline stared at them with her lips pressed together tightly. Then, wordlessly, she cast a glance at Catherine Laine.
"How uncouth," Catherine seemingly muttered, though her voice was definitely not soft enough to count as one. "The mother of your child dressed up all for you, only for you to treat her like thin air. Has your mother not taught you any manners? What a failure."
"My mother," Matteo said, his jaw ticking in anger, "taught me everything she was able to before my father lost control of his belt and allowed his pants to drop for any whore on the street. You have no right to say anything about her."
"Matteo!" Charles yelled, slamming his fist against the table and causing the decor to jump a little due to the impact.
However, Matteo maintained his stony gaze.
"If you have nothing good to say, then don’t waste my time." With that said, Matteo stood up from his seat. The legs of the chair scraped against the floor, causing an ear-grating sound as he straightened to his full height.
Adjusting the lapels of his clothes, he turned to leave. However, he was stopped when the sound of a chair tumbling sounded, followed by a pair of soft hands clinging onto his forearm.