Wrong Flirt, Right Trouble: His Uncle Pulls Me Close

Ivy Sherwood suddenly shot to her feet. ”I’m going to the restroom!”

Their table was too conspicuous. She was terrified of being seen, so she decided to make a run for it.

Nina Scott watched Ivy’s retreating figure. ”Brother,” she said to Seth Scott, ”do you think you were a little too enthusiastic? You might have scared Ivy.”

”Was I?” Seth Scott considered his behavior. ’I wasn’t that forward, was I?’

He was already holding back.

He hadn’t had many chances to interact with Ivy Sherwood, and he was doing his best to act natural.

...

”What do you mean you can’t give us a private room? You don’t have a single one free? I don’t believe it!” Joy Sheridan was furious.

As Miss Sheridan, it was a wonder she hadn’t booked the entire restaurant. To not even get a private room? That was unacceptable!

”I’m sorry, miss. All of our private rooms have been reserved. There really are no tables available.” The server knew he couldn’t afford to offend these people and could only apologize.

”Are you not understanding me? I want a private room today. I don’t care how you do it, just make it happen!”

”Joy!” Quentin Blackwood said her name. ”If it’s too crowded, let’s just find another restaurant.”

”No! I heard the food here is amazing, and I want to eat here,” Joy Sheridan retorted, not thinking for a second that she was being unreasonable.

’With my status, I should be able to get whatever I want.’ Besides, it was just a private room. ’My request isn’t that outrageous, is it?’

”You can’t always get what you want in this world. If you were that set on eating here, you should have made a reservation two weeks ago.”

”Well, how was I supposed to know? It’s just a restaurant, why is it acting so high and mighty!” With that, Joy Sheridan took out her phone, ready to make a call. She was determined to get a private room today, no matter what it took.

Quentin Blackwood rubbed the bridge of his nose. He might be a powerful president, but he didn’t see anything wrong with sitting in the main dining hall.

In all likelihood, there weren’t even any tables left in the main hall by now.

His gaze swept across the room, and he spotted two familiar faces.

Seth Scott and Nina Scott?

Their table was large enough to seat a few more people without issue.

But there were only two of them, so why were there three place settings?

He didn’t have to think hard to know who that empty seat belonged to.

’That Ivy Sherwood... she’s ignored my words again.’

Quentin Blackwood’s expression chilled as he walked directly toward Seth Scott’s table.

Seeing Quentin Blackwood walk off, Joy Sheridan hurried after him. ”Quentin, where are you going?”

”I didn’t expect to see you here, Mr. Scott.”

Hearing the voice, Seth Scott turned around. ”President Blackwood. What a coincidence. Are you two here for dinner as well?”

”We are. But this place is quite popular. It’s hard to get a table.”

Seth Scott remarked, ”I’m surprised there’s a private room even President Blackwood can’t get.”

Quentin Blackwood said coolly, ”I don’t insist on having a private room. There’s no need to throw my weight around.”

In a situation like this, Quentin Blackwood had no desire to demand special treatment. He didn’t see himself as some big shot who absolutely had to have a private room. To him, a meal was just a meal.

”In that case, would you and your guest like to join us, President Blackwood?” Seth Scott offered, merely being polite.

Joy Sheridan looked at Seth and Nina Scott with disdain. ’Who do these two think they are, inviting Quentin Blackwood to eat with them?’

Besides, Quentin hated crowds. He loathed these kinds of social obligations. ’There’s no way he’ll agree!’

Joy Sheridan opened her mouth. ”We...”

”Of course.”

The two spoke at almost the same time. Joy Sheridan stared at Quentin Blackwood in disbelief. She never thought he would agree, let alone so readily and without the slightest hint of reluctance.

”Quentin!” Joy Sheridan exclaimed.

She, Joy Sheridan, had never shared a table with strangers in her life. Forgetting the private room was one thing, but now she was expected to squeeze in with other people?

Seth Scott hadn’t expected Quentin to agree either. He had only been making a polite gesture.

He had gone to so much trouble to get Ivy Sherwood out to dinner today. If Quentin Blackwood joined them...

Besides, he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was hostility in Quentin Blackwood’s gaze.

”It seems your companion isn’t too keen on joining us, President Blackwood,” Seth Scott noted.

”I’ll be wherever Quentin is!” Joy Sheridan piped up immediately.

It looked like Quentin was set on dining with them.

’If I leave, won’t Quentin be left alone with this woman?’

She glanced at Nina Scott. She’d already had a background check done on all of them. ’This woman is apparently Ivy Sherwood’s friend. Maybe she’s a social climber hoping to marry into a wealthy family, too?’

A server quickly came over, added two chairs, and brought more menus.

As she sat down, Joy Sheridan’s face was a mask of disgust. She insisted on having the server wipe her chair down inside and out, making more of a fuss than an emperor leaving his palace.

In contrast, Quentin Blackwood wasn’t nearly as pretentious. He sat down casually, with no hint of disgust in his eyes.

It just went to show the difference between being born with a silver spoon and acting like it.

Joy Sheridan glanced at the menu and told the server to bring one of every house specialty, completely ignoring whether their small group could possibly finish it all.

Nina Scott pointed out, ”That’s a lot of food. I don’t think we’ll be able to finish it all.”

”This is barely any food. Don’t tell me you people from Lustre actually finish everything on your plate when you eat out?”

”If you can’t afford it, don’t worry. This meal can be my treat.”

A flicker of disgust crossed Joy Sheridan’s face. ’Poor people will be poor people.’

Even when she ate alone at home, she was always served a table full of dishes. As a proper young lady of her station, she only needed to take a bite or two of each. Whether it was wasteful didn’t matter—she had more than enough money to burn!

Nina Scott sputtered, ”You—!”

’What’s that supposed to mean? Does she think being from Aethelgard makes her royalty? Looking down on us like we’re from some backwater town?’

’It’s not like Joy Sheridan earned any of this herself. She just got lucky and was born into a rich family.’

’Unlike her wealthy family, there were plenty of ordinary people in the world, people who struggled just to put food on the table, people who couldn’t afford medical treatment when they got sick.’

’And Lustre wasn’t some tiny city, either! On the contrary, its tourism, tech, and industrial sectors were all thriving. It might not be Aethelgard, but it was far from being a dump.’

”Joy!” Quentin Blackwood’s voice held a clear warning.

Joy Sheridan pouted. ”Well, it’s true. Why are you getting mad at me?”

Ivy Sherwood washed her hands and deliberately lingered in the restroom for a while, waiting until she was sure Quentin Blackwood and his so-called girlfriend would have left. Only then did she head back out.

Certain that Quentin must be gone, she composed herself and pasted a smile on her face as she walked back to the table.

However, before she even got close, the scene that greeted her left her stunned.

The table that had originally seated three people now had two extra guests.

Not only had Quentin Blackwood not left, he was sitting right there with them?

The scene was as suffocating as a battleground.

Ivy Sherwood: ”!!”

Ivy almost rolled her eyes and passed out. ’So much for hiding!’

But it was too late to run now. Quentin Blackwood had already looked up, and their eyes met.

Ivy had no choice but to brace herself and walk over.

Before she could say a word, Quentin Blackwood’s amber eyes darkened. His thin lips parted. ”Have you forgotten your manners?”

Ivy obediently mumbled, ”Uncle.”