Chapter 214

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, let’s eat first. I’m starving! I heard there’d be some good food today, so I made sure to come with an empty stomach,” the woman chuckled. “Otherwise, the food would be wasted if it’s left unfinished.”

Her eyes darted around the room as if it was the first time she’d stepped in the society. She kept saying, “This place looks so fancy! Must’ve cost a pretty penny, huh? Didn’t mean to make you go all out for us!”

Yvette, frowning, called out to her mother. “Mom, let’s just eat, okay? Anyway, the wedding plans are already in motion. Today’s just a chance for everyone to meet and get to know each other.”

If it weren’t for Eamon insisting on this family meeting, Yvette wouldn’t have asked her family over. She had even planned to exclude them from her wedding.

They were mere embarrassment. People would tell she came from the sticks once they met them. She had longed for becoming a lady from a wealthy background, even attending a few etiquette classes. But now, here she was, at risk of having her carefully constructed facade crumble.

“Alright, I get it. Don’t touch me! I’m just excited!” the woman huffed. “By the way, about the wedding gifts, you haven’t given us anything yet. Your family has money, right? I’m sure you won’t be stingy.”

“Mom!” Yvette hadn’t anticipated her mother bringing this up. Gideon had already given them some money to keep things under wraps, promising that they’d sort out the wedding gifts later.

“Why are you yelling?” the woman snapped at Yvette. “Wedding gifts are something that needs to be settled.”

“Yeah, sis, you’re marrying into wealth. Can’t skip out on that part, can you? Otherwise, it’s like we’re sending you off with nothing! They’re loaded, and while we’re not, we can’t let them look down on us to the point where they skip the gift part, can we?” her half-brother chimed in with a cold smirk. “I did some asking around – I know what the going rate is!”

“It’s not like we’re selling livestock! What do you mean, going rate?” Yvette shot him a glare, her voice low but seething with frustration. “Ivor, just shut up and eat. We can talk about this later.”

Ivor ignored Yvette’s instruction; head tilting, he continued in a nonchalant tone, “We can’t eat if this isn’t sorted.” The whole family seemed to be in on this, their attitudes bristling with entitlement.

Eamon and his family were visibly uncomfortable.

Fleur flicked an interrogative glance at Gideon, silently urging him to smooth things over. She was on the verge of losing her temper.

“Mr. and Mrs. Jansen, rest assured, the wedding gifts will be taken care of,” Gideon soothed. “Let’s enjoy the meal first, shall we? The food’s already served; it’s getting cold otherwise!” “Yeah, let’s eat first,” Yvette echoed. “We can sort that out later!”

Verena eyed the dishes laid out on the table and swallowed. “Alright, let’s eat. I’m really starving.”

With that, she made herself at home, her manners all but forgotten as she dove into the food, digging in without hesitation.

Ivor and Yvette’s stepfather, Edison, followed suit, attacking the spread like they’d been starved for days. Ivor grabbed a turkey leg, gnawing at it with gusto.

“Come on, dig in! Don’t just sit there watching us eat,” Verena urged after a few bites, her words punctuated with flying bits of food as she gazed up at Eamon and the others.

Calliope had been about to serve herself, but after witnessing Verena’s less-than-sanitary display, she silently set her fork down.