Chapter 775 A Dramatic Love Triangle
After finishing breakfast, both Amelia and Oscar decided unanimously to go for a walk in the park. They figured it could help Tony mingle with other children. On top of that reason, they wanted to relieve themselves from the recent tension that had come knocking on their doors.
Hugo assumed the role of a chauffeur and drove the trio to the park in the neighborhood. He then swiftly parked the car before secretly hiding in the dark somewhere nearby.
In the meantime, Oscar was carrying a bunch of stuff in one hand while holding Tony’s little hand in another. Amelia, too, held her boy’s hand on the other side.
Soon enough, the family of three found a decent spot to sit down and relax. Perhaps because it was the weekend, there were quite a number of people visiting the park. The vast majority of them were either family members or a group of friends; all of them brought a variety of eatables with them as well.
Just as Oscar and Amelia were about to finally put their things down and sit, an annoying female voice could be heard coming from nearby. “Such a coincidence, Oscar. I didn’t know strolling was your thing, too.”
Amelia was grabbing a bag of stuff before freezing momentarily upon hearing that voice. She couldn’t even be bothered to turn to look, for she could already recognize to whom that voice belonged.
“Hey, Oscar,” Isabella called out gently. There was a glint in her eyes as she landed her gaze on Oscar.
As the latter caught sight of the approaching flock of three—Noah, Stephanie, and Isabella, his expression darkened slightly, and his visage turned as grim as death.
“Today’s the weekend, and Steph got so bored of staying in, so I brought her out here for a stroll. I didn’t expect to see you and Amelia here, you know. If you don’t mind, why don’t we all sit together and enjoy each other’s company? Wouldn’t it be great? What do you say?” Noah sounded ever so courteously.
Since Stephanie was pregnant and Noah had been doting on her, her feeling of fear toward Oscar was almost non-existent.
“Oscar, I’ve not seen you and Tony for so long, so can I sit beside you? After all, I’ve been having a bun in the oven for a couple of months now, but you have yet to speak a word to your unborn nephew,” came Stephanie’s request with a pleading look in her eyes.
“I think you people would be better off choosing a different spot. If you need more food and drink, I can ask someone to fetch you some. But for the time being, I’d like to spend some private time with my own family of three,” was Oscar’s blatant rejection.
Stephanie fumed on the spot, “I know what happened between you and Isabella, Oscar. Why are you so eager to chase her away like this? You must feel guilty, don’t you? If not, why can’t you acquiesce to your own sister’s measly wish?”
Oscar’s face fell as he shot Stephanie a piercing glare.
The latter couldn’t help but shudder. Undoubtedly, she was still very much terrified of her brother’s imposing aura.
During the interval, Amelia only kept her lips buttoned.
Wrapping his arm around Stephanie’s shoulder, Noah uttered in an affectionate tone, “Don’t spout nonsense, Steph. Nothing has ever happened between Isabella and Oscar. If you continue saying things like that, not only will you drag Isabella’s name through the mud, but you’ll also hurt Amelia’s feelings.”
Stephanie wasn’t in the mood to listen to his preaching, thus rolling her eyes at his very statement.
Noah made eye contact with her, signaling her to remain calm. He then directed his gaze at Amelia, proclaiming, “Don’t take her words to heart, Amelia, because she has been living in clover these few months. Plus, I’ve been spoiling her a lot, so she might come off a bit blunt. But I can assure you that she meant no harm. Maybe I ought to apologize to you on her behalf.”
“No, it’s fine. You don’t have to do that. Steph has always been this way in front of me. Besides, I’ve never expected her to act all amicable to me as her sister-in-law. Just bring them somewhere else, or this outing might really end on a sour note.” Amelia was as calm as a toad in the sun as she cast a glance at Noah.
Noah bobbed his head in agreement. “Well, we’ll not intrude further, then. Catch you later.” As he spoke, he held Stephanie and forced her into following him as they made their way to the other side.
When they were a distance away, Stephanie ultimately flung Noah’s hand off and went through the roof. “What’s the meaning of this, Noah? We should’ve stayed put so that we could leave a sour taste in that b*tch Amelia’s mouth. Why can’t we sit with them?”
A tinge of impatience flitted across Noah’s eyes behind his glasses. Yet, on the surface, he pretended to have his poise fully under control. “I was worried that you might really tick your brother off, Steph. By then, you two would begin arguing to no end. What if it ends up affecting the baby instead? I can’t afford to have anything untoward happen to you or the baby, so don’t stay mad at me, all right? We hardly ever come out on weekends to have fun under the sun, so let’s enjoy ourselves.”
Stephanie’s countenance softened right after she heard that.
“Noah, it’s not that I want to go against Amelia on purpose, but that slut’s really too narrow-minded. She kicked up a fuss and demanded Oscar fire Isabella over some intimate photo between Oscar and Isabella. Don’t you want to seek justice for your own sister?” said Stephanie as she pouted in the direction of where Isabella was standing.
Patting Stephanie on the head, Noah replied, “Don’t fret so much about it. I’ll spare some time tonight to have a good chat with Isabella.”
Before Stephanie could say something in response, she had a stomachache, hence covering her tummy with her hands. “I need to use the restroom, Noah.”
“I’ll walk you there,” said Noah, holding her hands firmly.
“There’s no need for that, okay? I’m not a three-year-old.”
With that, Stephanie insisted on heading to the restroom on her own.
Just as she took her leave, the place was left with only the siblings of the Walker family. Noah’s mien turned gloomy in a flash.
“What are you trying to pull, Isabella? Yes, Steph may be dumb, but she’s still the woman in my life. Even if she were to be used, I’d still be the only one who has the privilege to do so. Don’t you ever think of taking advantage of her again, you hear?” Noah gnashed his teeth as he said that.
A sarcastic smirk was etched on Isabella’s face. With her arms crossed, she mocked, “What’s the matter, Noah? Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for her.”
Wearing a sullen look, Noah leered at her before snarling, “You’d better mind your own business and not go fanning the flames and rubbing Oscar the wrong way. I have no intention whatsoever of cleaning up the mess for you. Walker Group has just started to flourish and make headway, and if the Clinton family were to withdraw their investment, there will be hell for you to pay.”
A disdainful snort escaped from Isabella’s lips. Not a word came out of her mouth, nonetheless.
Noah still wished to get something off his mind, but Stephanie’s voice reached them first. “Look who’s here, Isabella. I brought your friend over.”
Noah turned to the source of the voice, only to be greeted by the presence of the person standing beside Stephanie. His heart instantly clenched momentarily as he gradually balled his fists before letting them go in the end.
Isabella, in turn, was secretly grinning in anticipation of a dramatic scene to unfold. On the outside, however, she mustered up a bright smile. “What brings you to this park, Emma?”
“Oh, because today’s the weekend, and I thought of heading out for a mindless walk under the clear blue sky. I didn’t expect to bump into Ms. Clinton in the restroom.” Emma looked like a gentle, demure lady. “I was all by myself anyway, so I asked her whether I could join you guys. I was kind of surprised when she said yes, though.”
Isabella stepped forward and tugged at Emma’s hand, putting on a warm smile. “Thank God you’re here, Emma. I bet someone here is pretty elated about you showing up. Had you not been here, we’d have been bored to death.”
Listening to those words, Emma shot a discreet glance at Noah.
Isabella intentionally went on, “Noah, you already knew Emma from years ago, so you must be so glad to see her here again, am I right?”
Noah peeked at his sister with a menacing expression. On the other hand, Stephanie sneaked odd glances between Noah and Emma upon hearing that. “You two knew each other?” Bullheaded, she tossed them a question to clarify her perplexity.
Noah gave Stephanie a meaningful gaze, attempting to comfort her. Following that, he reached out politely to shake Emma’s hand. “It’s been a while, Emma. You look more beautiful and radiant since the last time we met. Have you found your very own Mr. Right?”
Emma shook Noah’s hand and answered with a smile, “Not yet. I guess I’m not blessed by Lady Luck. You, for one, are very lucky to be able to tie the knot with the daughter of the Clinton family. Not only is she kind and lovely, but she even has a prestigious family background. Please accept my heartfelt congratulations but forgive me for not preparing a wedding gift. I’m merely an impoverished person, after all.”
Emma spoke in a rather pleasant manner. Only after Stephanie heard Emma’s greeting did the former’s expression lighten up a little.
