BookToReadChapter 143
As soon as Joshua walked through the door, Emily whisked him away to the study to chat with Ben. When their
conversation wrapped up, he stepped out of the elevator and immediately caught Emily's sharp voice, urging
Allison to set the table.
Joshua strolled over with a laid-back vibe, casually asking, "Grandma, are we skimping on staff wages now?
Since when do we ask our guests to do the chores?"
Emily backed off a bit with Allison. She put down her mug, her smile perfectly balanced. "Oh, I just wanted to see
if Allison would follow instructions."
Joshua wasn't buying it, his tone shifted to serious. "Allie doesn't need to follow orders. She just needs to be
happy."
Emily's face darkened. "Are you blaming me, Joshua?"
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It seemed Lillian was onto something; Allison had clearly enchanted Joshua. Imagine him standing up to his
grandmother like this.
Joshua's lips pressed into a thin line, his handsfeatures turning stern and cool. The air around him seemed
to drop a few degrees. "How could | possibly be?" he said coolly. "Grandma, I've waited ages for Allie. Please
don't ruin our happiness. If she decides not to marry me, | might as well leave this family." Allison was taken
aback by his words. She never expected Joshua to stand up for her so boldly in front of the Fisher family,
admitting he'd waited years for her. Her heart fluttered, and the earlier displeasure vanished, replaced by a
sweet warmth. She felt as if she were wrapped in honey.
His words really got to Emily. "You... nonsense! What kind of talk is this?"
Overcwith emotion, her old heart trouble flared up, discomfort spreading through her chest. Lillian quickly
stepped in, soothing her, "Please, Grandma, don't get upset."
She lowered her lashes, barely hiding the jealousy in her eyes. Joshua's gaze was intense and probing as he
looked at Lillian. "Did you badmouth Allie to Grandma?"
Lillian stiffened, swallowing hard, her eyes flickering with panic. "I... | didn't..."
Joshua narrowed his eyes, studying her with the chill of a late March frost, emphasizing each word. "You better
not have."
Lillian broke out in a cold sweat.
"Alright, let's eat," Rose chimed in with a smile, trying to lighten the mood.
The dining room was expansive, over a thousand square feet, and elegantly decorated. The table and chairs
were crafted from fine
mahogany, and the decorations
included million-dollar orchids
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and
rare peonies. Emily had initially planned for Allison to set the table and had instructed the staff not to do it
beforehand.
Joshua's interference threw a wrench in her plans, leading her to instruct the staff to set the table. Ray was away
and unable to attend, so Emily sat at the head of the long rectangular table, with Ben and Rose seated directly to
her right and left. Joshua and Allison sat side by side, with Lillian across from Allison.
Once the staff set the table, each person received a bowl of the customary soup-except Allison. A wave of
displeasure rose within her. She knew the Fisher family's staff wouldn't make such a basic mistake. This was
clearly deliberate, and orchestrated by Emily to test her patience.
Despite her respect for elders, Allison found it hard to tolerate Emily's repeated provocations. Just as she was
about to bring it up directly, Joshua beat her to it. "Grandma, since when did we get so tight that we can't afford
an extra bowl of soup?"
Emily's face tightened, glancing at Allison with a stiff smile. "The staff must have been too busy and forgot. It will
be corrected right away."
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