Girl Get Rid Of That Jerk (Williams and Shawn)

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?"

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 handsome features turning stern and cool. The air around him seemed to drop a few degrees. "How could I 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, I 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?"noveldrama

Overcome with 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... 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

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."