Chapter 5 Going Home for Dinner

• "You…"
• Clara didn't know him and had been lost in thought, so she initially believed she had missed something. She tilted her head, confusion written on her face. "Are you talking to me? What is it?"
• Timothy caught Ryan's gaze, and in a jolt, he suddenly snapped back to reality. "Oh, I meant you're such a rare guest! It's really a rare guest! I can't believe Ryan has a woman with him!"
• Timothy laughed awkwardly, trying to mask his embarrassment.
• When their eyes met, Clara responded with a polite smile, her eyes betraying a hint of icy blue that she didn't even realize was there.
• Timothy froze.
• So, this woman is the one who changes Ryan's eye color!
• Clara noticed Timothy's probing gaze and scratched her head in confusion.
• A look that seemed to say "you're staring too long" shot over, prompting Timothy to quickly introduce himself. "Hi! I'm Ryan's friend, Timothy Carter!"
• "Hello! I'm Clara Hull!"
• "What are you two up to?" Timothy asked, eyeing the shopping bag in Clara's hand, still in disbelief that Ryan would actually accompany a woman shopping. Is the sun really going to rise in the west today?
• Seeing the two of them with their arms around each other, seeming quite familiar, Clara didn't think too much and casually replied, "Going home for dinner!"
• Ryan raised an eyebrow slightly.
• Timothy nearly dropped his jaw in shock. "Which home?"
• They're actually having dinner? What stage have they reached?
• With a face full of big question marks, Clara was equally bewildered by his question. Did he have multiple homes?
• "Mind your business!"
• Ryan dismissed Timothy with those words as he pushed past him.
• Clara didn't realize he was talking to Timothy. Her lips pursed as she stuck her tongue out at his back in annoyance before quickening her pace to catch up. She waved goodbye to Timothy beside her, saying, "I'm off now. See you later!"
• Since Ryan interrupted her, Clara didn't go home to grab a gift. In the car, she called her mom to reassure her.
• She thought it would just be a simple meal, but upon entering, she discovered the house was full of people.
• Ryan hadn't said a word to her the entire way, and at the moment they entered, Clara instinctively grabbed hold of one of his fingers.
• Feeling her small hand moving in his palm, Ryan turned to grasp it in return, intertwining their fingers and leading Clara toward a nearby sofa.
• A well-groomed, beautiful woman stood up first.
• "Ryan, you're back? Everyone has been waiting for you!"
• Ryan ignored her entirely, his gaze shifting to the other side. "Grandma..."
• "Hmph!" Teresa Hewitt's obvious dissatisfaction made Clara's heart sink once again.
• She had just silently lamented in her heart when she noticed Teresa turning her head, her expression brightening in an instant. "Oh! You really brought someone home?"
• Rising to her feet, Teresa looked as if she had struck gold, her face blooming with joy. "So you really didn't fool me this time! Quick, come sit down!"
• Although Clara was somewhat confused about the situation, she could tell that the expressions of the family members were polarized. Some were delighted, while others appeared troubled.
• She had expected a tense dinner, but surprisingly, Teresa didn't inquire about her name or job at all.
• As she interacted with everyone, Clara noticed that apart from Teresa, Ryan maintained a very cold demeanor toward everyone else. In contrast, he seemed to be closer to his second uncle's family than to his own dad.
• One particularly striking observation caught her attention. In the household, apart from the older men, whose eyes shared the same striking blue-black hue as Ryan's, everyone else had dark eyes, making him stand out among the younger generation.
• Throughout the evening, Ryan remained seated beside Teresa, saying very little.
• This man seemed so lonely. For a fleeting moment, Clara felt a pang of sympathy for him.
• When dinner was ready, everyone began to eat, and Clara instinctively served Ryan some food.
• However, just as she pulled her fork back, she noticed everyone had stopped, a dozen pairs of eyes boring into her as if they had seen a ghost.
• She was instantly bewildered. Have I done something wrong?
• In the midst of this eerie silence, Ryan's half-sister, Ruby Wallace, suddenly let out a cold laugh and mocked, "Heh, I mean, Clara, how are you supposed to be a wife? Don't you know that Ryan is a neat freak? He doesn't like anyone touching his stuff, and he never eats carrots!"
• Clara felt her head spinning. Could it really be that coincidental?
• Ruby's mom, Marilyn Dawson, added fuel to the fire. "Quick! Get Mr. Ryan a new set of utensils!"
• As everyone braced themselves for Ryan to explode and flip the table, he elegantly picked up some greens and put them in his mouth, even eating the carrots.
• What a blatant slap in the face!
• The entire family stared in astonishment at the scene unfolding before them.
• At that moment, Teresa spoke up, "No talking while eating! Just eat!"
• Her words were sharp, but her eyes narrowed with satisfaction as she looked at the two of them.
• After that, Clara didn't dare to move again.
• They finished the meal in silence, and that night, everyone stayed over. After some casual conversation, Teresa called Clara into another room for a private discussion, and the rest of the group dispersed.