Chapter 1735: It did hurt someone

If it had been just Mr. and Mrs. Davis, Allison—and especially Jessa—would’ve chased them out. Reputation be damned, Jessa had already pledged never to let those people set foot in here again.

However, since they came with Charles, Allison and Jessa—along with Nina—sat down around the same table.

Still, both Allison and Jessa made no effort to hide their distaste.

Nina, on the other hand, cautiously glanced between her parents and her future in-laws.

"I know the first family meeting didn’t end the way we wanted it to," Charles began, clearing his throat. He looked briefly at his wife and Jessa before his eyes inevitably settled on Nina. "Words were said that night—things we wish we could take back."

"Hah!" Jessa scoffed, glaring directly at Mr. and Mrs. Davis. "No. I don’t wish to take back a single thing I said that night."

Mrs. Davis’s face soured under Jessa’s taunting gaze, but contrary to expectation, she kept her mouth shut.

Meanwhile, Allison glanced down at Charles’s hand. It was wrapped in a bandage—hastily and without much care, judging by the look of it. That was definitely his work.

"Well, anyway, this marriage isn’t about us," Charles continued, effectively cutting off Jessa’s building sarcasm. "It’s about Nina and Finn. As their parents, we need to prioritize them above our personal feelings."

He paused, giving both women a firm look. "So, I reached out to them."

Charles had been quietly playing hardball with the Davises by meddling in their Anteca business operations. He had been blocking their efforts to expand their branch locally. The Davises had their focus on international branches, but their Anteca operations still mattered—especially to Mr. Davis.

Charles couldn’t touch their international branches, but Anteca? That was his turf. After their prolonged back-and-forth, Mr. Davis eventually conceded by no longer pushing back. It had been some time since, but Charles continued applying pressure—just in case.

But the Davis couple didn’t retaliate anymore. Neither of them.

Considering everything that had happened recently, especially after his confrontation with Priscilla, Charles wanted to put this Chapter to rest. He wanted to ensure Nina didn’t have to carry any more unnecessary worries.

"So please," Charles said, glancing at his wife, then settling his gaze on Jessa. "Hear them out. For Nina’s sake."

Jessa still looked displeased, but her sharp exhale and uncharacteristic silence were signs of reluctant agreement.

With that, Charles turned toward the Davis couple and gave them a nod.

"Like Charles said, there are things we wish we hadn’t said," Mr. Davis began, his voice quiet and sincere. "And the more I reflect on it, the clearer it is that the fault lies on our end. I only wish we had done better—but unfortunately, we can’t turn back time."

Jessa let out a sharp huff in response, clearly unmoved. However, Allison, while still reserved, didn’t let her personal feelings interfere. Not when she knew her husband had made an effort to arrange this meeting.

"I can’t say it’s alright, because it wasn’t," Allison said honestly, her tone calm but clear. "However, Jessa and I are willing to listen to what you have to say."

She paused, her expression sharpening despite her usual kindness. "But only if you apologize to my daughter. You owe her that much. If not, let’s just part ways now, knowing we all let our personal feelings get in the way of our children’s happiness, and that we’ll live with the regret of not trying harder."

"Apologize?" Mrs. Davis scoffed quietly. She stopped, however, when Mr. Davis gave her a sharp, warning glance. With a faint click of her tongue, she looked away.

"I understand," Mr. Davis said, ignoring his wife as he looked back at Jessa and Allison.

He exhaled heavily, then turned to Nina. Pressing his lips into a thin line, he gave her a small nod.

"Nina, you are a lovely young woman," he said. "I’ve always thought so. I know things happened... and I’m grateful that you’ve been taking care of Finn. If I said anything harsh back then, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any of it."

"Tss." Jessa clicked her tongue again, only to be met with a look from Allison. She mouthed, ’I don’t believe him. He meant every word.’

Allison shook her head gently and turned her focus back to Nina.

Nina pressed her lips together, glancing briefly at everyone before returning her attention to Mr. Davis. Her lips parted as if she were about to speak, but then she hesitated and closed them again.

"It’s alright if you can’t forgive us," Mr. Davis said sincerely. "We didn’t just hurt your feelings—we hurt your whole family."

"It’s not that," Nina replied softly, shaking her head. "Mr. Davis, if it were just about me or my family, we’d say you don’t have to apologize. You don’t owe my family anything, and my family doesn’t owe you anything."

She paused, letting out a quiet breath. "My family doesn’t hold grudges. And if I’m being honest, neither of you changed anything for us. We’re still happy. We’re still the way we are—no matter what you say."

"What I’m trying to say is—whether you apologize or not—it doesn’t matter to me or my family anymore," she added, her voice gentle but resolute. "You didn’t hurt us, sir... ma’am."

It was the most brutal truth she could say.

If not for Nina, Charles wouldn’t have spared them a second glance, even if they spat in his face. Jessa and Allison might’ve argued with Mrs. Davis, but they wouldn’t dwell on it. Well, Jessa would rant for a day—but even that wouldn’t change anything for the Bennet and Cortez families.

Why?

Because the Davis family didn’t hold any weight in their lives. Their presence, their opinions—they meant nothing. And Nina was making that clear.

Charles had already made it clear as well.

"Even after everything you said—after all the disparaging remarks you threw at us, it amounted to nothing," she continued. "Your words didn’t break us. But they did hurt someone."

She looked straight at them now.

"Your son, Finn," she breathed out. "And that’s what made us all angry."