Chapter 46
When it was time to eat, Giselle confidently enjoyed the food in front of her. Even though she sat among the prestigious Kane family—people far out of her league—she remained completely at ease. There wasn’t a trace of fear in her heart.
Across from her sat Donovan, cold and rigid like a marble statue. His expression gave nothing away, but a storm was brewing in his eyes. Sitting near him felt dangerous, as if the air itself was laced with tension.
While everyone else was enjoying the feast and chatting pleasantly, Ethan asked Donovan about some work matters, and the atmosphere remained normal.
A few minutes later, Zachary’s phone rang. It was a call from a friend overseas. Speaking fluently in a foreign language, Zachary excused himself from the table to continue the conversation elsewhere.
With Zachary gone, Giselle’s attention shifted entirely to Donovan; everyone else in the room seemed to fade into the background. She picked up the glass of milk beside her and took a slow sip.
Donovan glanced up—purely by chance—and their eyes met just as she lifted the glass to her lips. He couldn’t tell if she was doing it deliberately, but seeing her do something provocative made him freeze.
A complex emotion stirred within him, and he instinctively reached for his wine, downing a large gulp.
When Giselle noticed his reaction, she silently chuckled to herself.
She then calmly reached for a tissue and dabbed at a drop of milk on the corner of her mouth, as if nothing had happened. Picking up her knife and fork, she cut into her steak and ate piece by piece, her appetite and mood seemingly unaffected.
Just then, Zachary returned to her side, having finished his phone call. Like before, he fussed over her with care and attention. Noticing that her long hair was in the way while she ate, he asked one of the housekeepers to bring a rubber band.
When it arrived, Zachary stood behind Giselle and tied up her hair in front of the entire family.
Giselle initially felt slightly awkward, but when she saw Donovan’s dark, brooding expression—clearly on the verge of losing control—she decided to enjoy the attention.
Turning to Zachary with a gentle smile, she softly said, “Thank you.”
Unexpectedly, the first person to lose their temper was Grace. She slammed her utensils onto the table with a loud clatter.
“Zach! There are guests in the house, so I held my tongue when you brought this random woman home earlier. But I can’t watch this any longer!” she snapped. Grace shot Giselle a look of disgust before turning back to Zachary and scolding him sharply, “Let me make this clear: no woman can just walk into the Kane family so easily. You can have your fun outside, but don’t expect your grandmother, your father, or me to accept this relationship!”
As the son of the prestigious Kane family, Zachary could have any woman he wanted. Grace simply couldn’t believe he would bring home someone so unknown and far beneath their standards—and worse, serve her as if he were beneath her.
No mother could stand watching her son act like this.
Zachary sat speechless after the outburst, glancing at Donovan for support. But Donovan remained distant and unreadable. If anything, he looked even gloomier.
Yet, Donovan said nothing. He simply poured himself another glass of wine and downed it in silence. “Why are you so angry?” he spoke up in an attempt to ease the tension. “Zach never said Ms. Holt was his girlfriend. She’s just here for dinner. Don’t ruin it for everyone by making a scene.”
From her seat at the head of the table, Dorothea calmly said, “Zach is still young. It’s far too soon to talk about marriage. I invited Ms. Holt here tonight because she cured my precious Nine. This dinner is simply my way of showing gratitude.”
“As for her relationship with Zachary, that’s their business. They’re still young, so I’m sure they’re just fooling around. So, let them.”
Before Dorothea could finish, Donovan suddenly slammed his glass hard onto the table.
The impact was so forceful that the glass shattered instantly.