Chapter 144 Invitation

• After meeting Arnold, Cora walked alone on the street. There were very few pedestrians. Everyone had probably gone home to reunite with their families. Perhaps due to the lack of people on the street or some other reason, Cora felt extremely lonely. At that moment, the phone in her coat pocket vibrated again. She hesitated for a moment before taking out her phone to check. There were several missed calls from Byron. Remembering his indifferent expression, Cora didn’t want to see him right away. Thus, she skipped his missed calls and checked the message from Tyler instead. [Cora, are you coming over?] Only then did Cora recall that she had promised Tyler to go to the Cooper Villa for a Christmas Eve dinner.
• However, ever since Tyler found out about her affair with Byron during a drunken incident, he has been avoiding her. She thought he must have looked down on her behavior and ended their friendship unilaterally. Yet she figured that was for the best. She thought lowly of herself as well, so she understood his cold treatment of her. It was unexpected that Tyler would send her a message on Christmas Eve. Before she replied to his text, he called her. “Cora, where are you? I’ll give you a ride. It’s difficult to find a taxi on Christmas Eve.” Tyler sounded as enthusiastic as ever while talking to her over the phone. At that moment, Cora felt she was on the verge of tears.
• “But Tyler, you know I..." She was with Byron, even when it was widely rumored that he and Jane were a couple. Moreover, she was aware that Tyler had feelings for her and had been trying to get closer to her. Thus, her being with Byron was a humiliation for Tyler, like a slap on his face. But he never acted out. On the contrary, he even invited her enthusiastically to have Christmas Eve dinner at his home, which made her feel even more guilty. Before she could lament about it, Tyler interrupted her, “There’s nothing to worry about! Come on. My grandfather wants you at our place! I’m going to get you if you don’t come.” In the end, Cora gave in. It wasn’t easy finding a taxi on such a busy night, so she had to put in some extra money before she was able to make her way to the Cooper Villa. The Cooper Villa was bustling with activity that night. Almost all of the family members were present, and Gideon enjoyed their company.