As if my words had offended him, Nathan slammed his hand against the table and jumped to his feet in response. His eyes were like that of a raging beast, and he had a look of disdain and disgust on his face as he glared at me.
Before I knew it, he stepped forward and swung his hand toward me with all of his might. It all happened too quickly, so I had no chance to dodge it at all.
Damn it, I knew coming here with him was a bad idea! I thought to myself as I closed my eyes and braced myself for the incoming attack.
âOh, wow! Things are looking pretty lively over here! Long time no see, Mr. Tanner!â said a familiar voice from behind.
The slap never came, and I was surprised when I saw the man standing next to me after I opened my eyes.
He was very well-groomed, dressed formally, and had a very gentlemanly air about him. âHi, Yvonne! Itâs been a while!â he said with a wink when he noticed me staring at him.
âLucas? What are you doing here?â I asked in shock. This is the guy I met in town a while back! He was the one who kept me company while I was down in the dumps!
âItâs the wedding of the new school artist, Crystal Yates, and all the celebrities in Avenport are here tonight. Being the only son of the Goldstein family, itâs only natural that I show up as well! Isnât that right, Mr. Tanner?â Lucas said while letting go of Nathanâs hand and stepping next to me the shield me from Nathan.
âLucas?â As if he was reminded of something terrifying, Nathan began trembling uncontrollably all of a sudden and had fear written all over his face.
âYour temper sure has gotten worse over the years, Mr. Lane. I donât think itâs very appropriate to hit someone at such a grand event. You might scare the guests, and that would be bad for your family,â Lucas said and coughed a few times before gently wiping his mouth with a handkerchief. Despite the warm and friendly smile on his face, he looked rather domineering and intimidating.
It was the first time I had seen Lucas behave so aggressively, but it wasnât all that surprising given his family background.
âHmph!â Nathan pulled his arm back and looked the other way, refusing to speak to Lucas any further.
I could tell he was very afraid and nervous when dealing with Lucas.
Natalie shouted, âYou shouldnât stick your nose into our family matters, Mr. Goldstein! You and Yvonne didnât end up together, so an outsider like you should just mind your own business! This is a big day for us, and we do not welcome troublemakers! Please leaveâ¦â
âShut up!â Nathan cut her off before dragging her out of the hall, and I couldnât help but feel like he was actually making an escape.
I waited for them to disappear from sight before flashing Lucas a smile as I said, âThank goodness you came! Iâd be getting a lot of unwanted attention if I were to return with my face all red and swollen! Anyway, when did you come back?â
âOh, just a couple of days ago. I was thinking of paying you a visit, but then I heard about the wedding and figured youâd probably be here, so I came over. Man, Iâve been missing you guys throughout those few months! Also, why did your super protective husband let you come here all by yourself?â Lucas casually leaned against the wall as he put the handkerchief back into his pocket.
âBecause of my dad, Lucas. Speaking of which, why does my dad seem like heâs afraid of you? Did something happen between you two?â
Lucas glanced at the crowd and chuckled as he shook his head. âHeâs afraid of my uncle, not me.â
Uncle? As in, the guy who got Mom to leave us and run away with him? Just what kind of a man is he?
âIn that case, why would he try to get us engaged back then? What do you know?â I was always curious about the Goldstein family.