Chapter 37 Teach Her A Lesson
The atmosphere in the Steele residence was thick with tension as the evening progressed. While the dinner had been outwardly composed, beneath the table, an entirely different kind of drama was unfolding between Christina and Nathaniel.
Christina, caught off guard by Nathaniel’s hand on her knee, tried to suppress the shock that coursed through her body. She almost choked on the food she had just taken a bite of. A quick glance at Nathaniel revealed the amusement in his eyes, and she tried to send him a silent message to stop. But instead of complying, Nathaniel seemed to find her unease more amusing, his calm demeanor completely unshaken as he continued to eat with the grace of a prince. His touch was subtle but deliberate, and Christina, trying to maintain composure, could only focus on ignoring it.
When his hand finally withdrew, Christina thought it was over, but as she reached for another piece of meat, an unexpected coughing fit hit her. In an embarrassing turn of events, she accidentally spat the food out, and to her horror, it landed directly on Emilia’s face. The table fell into stunned silence, the clatter of the incident resonating in the otherwise quiet room. Emilia, now with food smeared across her face, was stunned into silence before breaking into an exaggerated fit of tears.
“Christina, why are you so uncouth?” Emilia shrieked, her voice dripping with disdain as she ran out of the room, leaving behind a scene of chaos.
The housekeepers, unable to contain their laughter, were quickly silenced by Gideon’s glare. Miranda, however, was far more concerned with the fact that her daughter’s makeup was ruined. She swiftly excused herself to tend to Emilia, muttering under her breath about how Christina had done this on purpose, though Christina knew it wasn’t intentional. The slap of her thigh earlier had startled her, and she couldn’t control the embarrassing outcome.
Meanwhile, Nathaniel remained outwardly unaffected, although his smirk was a clear sign of his amusement. His gaze never wavered from Christina, who shot him a glare, silently blaming him for the incident.
After dinner, as everyone sat in awkward silence, Gideon, frustrated with Christina’s lack of engagement in the business discussion, attempted to bring the matter to the forefront once again. However, Christina, uninterested in the collaboration, remained firm in her stance. “Steele Group wants to collaborate with Hadley Corporation, but I don’t think that’s necessary,” she said bluntly, not sugarcoating her feelings about the situation. “Steele Group is only looking to take advantage of Hadley Corporation, and I don’t want to be part of that.”
Gideon, taken aback by her frankness, could barely contain his anger. His temper was barely held in check as Nathaniel, sensing the rising tension, intervened diplomatically, offering a way out for the situation. “We’re family,” Nathaniel said, his tone soothing, “This isn’t about taking advantage. I’ll review the proposal and give you my answer soon.”
The tension in the room momentarily dissipated as Gideon’s mood brightened, his previous anger replaced by a forced politeness. “Thank you, Nathaniel,” he said, eager to keep up appearances.
Christina, however, felt no gratitude toward her father. Her smile remained as impassive as ever as she glanced at Nathaniel, then spoke with a tone of finality, “I’m tired. Let’s go home.”
Nathaniel, ever the gentleman, nodded and stood, his attention fully on Christina. Before they could leave, however, Emilia, having finished cleaning herself up, appeared at the top of the stairs. Her new outfit was a deliberate attempt to catch Nathaniel’s eye, and she made her way toward him, confident that she could outshine Christina.
But before Emilia could lay a hand on Nathaniel’s arm, Christina acted swiftly. Using her foot, she tripped Emilia, sending her tumbling forward onto the pebbled path with a loud cry of pain.
“That’s what you get,” Christina muttered under her breath, her gaze locking with Nathaniel’s, a subtle but satisfied smile tugging at her lips.