Chapter 73 Not a Good Match
Meryl noticed that he had long, smooth fingers, which she observed with interest.
“Those fingers must be great for playing the piano,” she thought.
The moment he saw Meryl, he paused for a second, clearly surprised. “You’re here?”
Meryl looked away and spoke calmly, “I entered the wrong private room. I’ll sit for a couple of minutes and then leave.”
He chuckled, knowing Meryl was making it up, but he didn’t call her out. He sat down in the chair across from her, extending his hand politely. “Hello, Meryl, I’m Ethan Moore, your blind date for tonight.”
Meryl raised an eyebrow, her gaze lingering on his fingers, but she refrained from shaking his hand. “Do you know me?”
Ethan didn’t seem to mind. He picked up the decanter and poured two glasses of red wine, offering one to Meryl.
“Your recent escapades have caused quite the stir in Kingsdom. How could I not know you?”
“And you still dared to go on a blind date with me?” Meryl glanced at the wine glass without taking it, showing a faint detachment.
Ethan simply placed the glass on the table in front of her. “Just curious to see what kind of enchantress could send Dalton to the hospital,” he said, raising an eyebrow.
“Do you have a grudge against Dalton?” Meryl inquired.
Ethan nodded. “You could say that.”
“What kind of grudge?”
“When we were five, he wet the bed and blamed it on me.”
Meryl was puzzled. That reminded her. Dalton’s aunt married someone from the Moore family, so she felt Ethan must be the son of Dalton’s aunt. What a bizarre choice by Bianca. Bianca really chose Dalton’s cousin as a blind date for her. She wondered if she was not concerned about stirring up the already mess of the Aniston family. Technically, now that she was married to Chandler, Ethan should be calling her aunt.
Dealing with one Dalton was troublesome enough. Meryl didn’t need more trouble. She guessed the people outside had left, so she opened the door to leave.
To her surprise, the moment she opened the door, three people turned to look at her. Bianca glared at Meryl warningly.
Lydia craned her neck to see behind Meryl. “That was quick, Meryl. Was he not a good match?”
Dalton spoke up, “If it’s not a match, don’t force it. No one’s pressuring you.”
Meryl looked at the three of them, took a deep breath, rolled her eyes, and closed the door again with a bang. She went back to the couch and downed a whole glass of wine. She felt these people were like bad pennies.
“Mom, who was that man inside?” Lydia asked curiously.
Bianca shook her head. “I don’t know. The matchmaker said he’d be a good fit, so I didn’t ask more.”
Dalton scoffed. “A good fit? Her standards are so high. Who else could she possibly fancy besides me?” He took out a cigarette to light it, finally succeeding after several attempts. He smoked deeply, his eyes darkening.
Lydia detected a hint of jealousy in Dalton’s tone. She really disliked how Dalton’s focus was always on Meryl. She was even more afraid that Dalton might try to sabotage Meryl’s blind dates. Gritting her teeth, Lydia gently grabbed Dalton’s sleeve. “Dalton, didn’t you say you wanted to go to a bar just now? I feel like having a drink too. Let’s go.”
“I feel like Dalton still has feelings for you.” Ethan said excitedly, “I saw the way he looked at you. It was pretty melancholic.”
Meryl remained silent, finding the sweet red wine to her taste and pouring another glass.
“I’m sure Dalton is jealous,” Ethan continued as he paced around the room. He suddenly slapped his forehead with an idea. “How about we pretend to be lovers to rile him up?”
Ethan grew more enthusiastic. “Just imagining Dalton fuming makes me excited. Think about it. The woman who always chased after him suddenly becomes his cousin’s girlfriend. If Dalton finds out, he’d lose his mind.”
The grudge between them was old. They were often compared to each other due to their similar ages. Dalton excelled in everything, joining the prestigious Galaxy Holdings Group right after graduation, following the path expected of a man of his stature. On the other hand, Ethan was more unconventional and pursued a career in esports instead of joining the family business. In a typical family, esports might be a normal job, but it was seen as irresponsible in a wealthy family.
Holding her wine glass, Meryl found Ethan’s idea coincidentally aligned with her own thoughts. But still…
“Why would I choose you and not Chandler? Chandler is Dalton’s uncle, and theoretically, making Dalton call me aunt sounds even more thrilling, doesn’t it?”