Chapter 3 An Intimate Touch
957 Words
Iris swore to God she had never had such an awkward dinner!
The long table was set with gourmet dishes made from top-quality ingredients, but each bite felt like a struggle.
Four servants stood behind them, watching her every move, while Randall sat with a stern face and Charles remained silent.
Geez, was this how rich people have dinner? She started to miss the lively dinners at her foster home, picturing Mrs. Ross' youngest son with jam-covered hands and Mr. Ross desperately holding up the evening paper to avoid the mess. She almost laughed out loud.
Iris bit her lip, noting the obvious tension between Randall and Charles, but that wasn't her concern. She hadn't forgotten why she came to this mansion—to save her thesis.
Finally, the sound of a wooden chair dragging across the floor broke the silence.
"I'm done," Charles said, putting down his knife and fork and standing up.
"Sit down," Randall ordered. "Your sister hasn't finished yet."
Now was her chance!
Iris quickly stood up. "If I'm not mistaken, this is a family dinner, Mr. Ortega."
Charles looked at her in surprise.
Randall tilted his head slightly. "Of course."
"You may not know," Iris seized the opportunity, "but a family dinner is for sharing food and communicating. If someone wants to leave early, it's usually because their issue can't be resolved over a meal.
So, everyone should speak their mind here." Iris took a deep breath, even though she felt that she wouldn't get a straight answer. "My thesis about OTG Group's employees... Did you intercept it?"
As expected, Randall skillfully dodged the question like a seasoned businessman.
Even after Iris' persistent questioning, he only promised to "look into it."
Everyone knew that was just a brush-off! She wanted a more direct and clear answer, but she caught a glimpse of her worried mother.
Iris bit her lip, nodded, and sat back down.
No one spoke for the rest of the dinner, which became even more unbearable.
It was late, and the estate was far from the city, so Iris agreed to stay the night. She mulled over Randall's response while walking in the garden.
"I'll look into it," he had said.
How would he handle it? Would he deal with her thesis, her obstacles, or herself?
As a top student in psychology, Iris had seen enough tonight to get a rough sense of Randall Ortega's personality: domineering, arrogant, stubborn, unwilling to connect with others...
Why did her mom fall for such a dictator?
Or was Charles right, and she was just after the Ortegas' wealth and power?
Would Tessa really get what she wanted, whether it was money or love?
Just look at Charles, her legal stepbrother. He might be rude and extremely competitive, but he was a powerful, quick-thinking man.
Besides, he clearly cared more about family than his dad. But if even Charles couldn't consider this place a home...
"Iris Evans."
A figure blocked Iris' path. It was Charles, the very person she had been thinking about.
"You really are a good fit for the Ortega family." Charles moved close to Iris. His height made her feel oppressed, so much so that she almost couldn't hear what he was saying.
"Mean, selfish," Charles stepped closer, "arrogant, domineering, never backing down, not caring about others' feelings—"
"Too bad I think the same of you," Iris tried to sound more confident, but she didn't know enough about her mom and had learned more about Charles.
His relentless approach was making her feel an unfamiliar kind of panic.
It was a sensation Iris had never felt before.
Her heart seemed to forget its function, and her blood flow slowed.
"Ah!"
Iris stepped back onto a loose cobblestone, slipping. She was about to fall when Charles stepped forward, wrapping an arm around her waist.
His arm was stronger than it looked, almost able to encircle her waist completely.
His breath suddenly enveloped Iris completely, and her heart, which had forgotten its job, suddenly revived, pounding in her chest violently.
Instead of letting go once she was steady, Charles tightened his grip, pressing her close. Leaning down, he whispered in her ear, "Careful, there are no fools in the Ortega family."
Iris shivered at the hot breath in her ear, the strange sensation spreading through her body.
No, she couldn't let him continue like this!
She stomped on Charles' shoe and, in a flustered state, flipped him off before turning and rushing away.
Charles watched her run away, opening his mouth to say something but staying silent instead.
He screwed up again... He had meant to make peace. Charles had to admit that seeing her stand up to his father had intrigued him. But as an Ortega, he just couldn't help speaking like a total jerk.
For a moment, he thought if Iris could just be a bit more compliant, he wouldn't mind having another sibling.
Right! Her thesis! Maybe he could help, at least find out which executive was giving her a hard time... Charles pondered as he walked to his father's study, trying to seek more information.
"She's surprisingly impressive."
Hearing his father's voice, Charles stopped in his tracks.
But his gentle tone was unbelievable... Randall had never praised anyone like this.
There was another person in the study, probably his seductive stepmother, who responded too softly for Charles to hear. Then, Randall continued, "Of course, I'm her father..."
Randall was her father?!
Charles could hardly believe what he heard. The flashes of Randall staring at Iris kept replaying in his mind. His unusually lenient behavior, his generous praise, and his overmuch attention and understanding... Everything made sense now. Iris wasn't just anyone!
She was actually Randall's illegitimate daughter!
- Writer
