âAll I see is two people who are clearly into each other.â Imogen replied with a helpless sigh.
âDonât lie to me. I know thereâs nothing between them. If Regina can make a move, why canât I?â
Imogen let out a heavy sigh, âYouâre my daughter, and of course I think you deserve the best. But look at the situation youâre in. The way you spoke at the dinner table completely disregarded the occasion.
You invited Nolan over more often even when your father didnât say a thing! If word gets out, good luck finding anyone willing to marry you!â
âWhy should I care about marrying anyone else? I only want to marry Nolan. Mom, youâve become too comfortable with your peaceful life. Youâve forgotten how hard weâve had it. Marrying Nolan is the only way to keep Regina beneath us and to give you the satisfaction of revenge.â
No matter how much Imogen tried to reason with her, Madeline was set on Nolan being her only goal.
And for Imogen, wanting the best for her daughter meant reaching out to Francis to invite Regina over for dinner more often. Even if Nolan didnât accompany her, perhaps heâd pick her up, which would create chances for encounters.
Imogen sighed, realizing how one couldnât control their children once theyâre grown. She felt it deeply.
If Nolan ever became her son-in-law, that would be wonderful. But after tonightâs dinner, she realized that being his mother-in-law was not going to be an easy task.
â¦
Nolan helped Regina into the car, and as soon as they were seated, Regina apologized.
Nolan, expressionless, only asked, âIs âsorryâ the only word you know?â
âI, Iâm sorry⦠If you hadnât come for me, you wouldnât have had to go through that embarrassment.â
Regina sighed.
âDoes your family embarrass you that much?â
Hearing Nolanâs question, Regina looked at him in surprise, âIsnât it obvious? Ever since weâve been together, my dad has done nothing but embarrass me. Sometimes, I feel like I canât even face you.â
âThatâs why you didnât tell me you were going home alone today.â
For Regina, Nolanâs calm statement somehow conveyed dissatisfaction.
âIf it were just a normal family dinner, of course, Iâd love to take you home. But you saw it yourself.
Before you could even take a few bites, he was already hinting at wanting you to arrange this and that.
Isnât the money heâs gotten from you enough? Greed knows no bounds, and Iâve learned that well from my dad.â
As Regina spoke, her anger grew, especially seeing Nolanâs indifferent demeanor, unsure of where to direct her frustration.
âHmph, I have money.â
âBut throwing money around like that is foolish, isnât it?â Regina couldnât hide her bafflement.
Nolan glanced at her expression and couldnât help but laugh genuinely.