As Matías’s voice grew louder, everyone at the dinner table froze, their attention drawn to him. His face was tense with anger as he stood abruptly, gripping the phone tightly.
“What the hell is going on?” he barked, storming out of the dining room without waiting for a response.
A heavy silence settled over the table.
“Let’s just keep enjoying our dinner,” Ainslie suggested calmly, attempting to defuse the tension.
Ryan, however, couldn’t hide his unease. He frowned, watching Matías leave, a sinking feeling settling in his chest.
Moments later, Matías returned, his expression darker than before.
“What’s wrong?” Ainslie asked, her tone laced with concern.
Matías’s sharp gaze landed on Ryan. “What did you do today, Ryan?”
Ryan blinked in surprise. “What? I don’t understand—”
Before he could finish, Ainslie interjected, “What’s going on, Matías? Why are you asking him that?”
Matías took a deep breath, clearly trying to rein in his frustration. “Our company was on the brink of closing a major deal with the Thomas family for their resort project. The paperwork was practically signed. But just now, I received a call from Mr. Thomas’s assistant, canceling everything. When I asked why, they said I should ask Ryan.”
He turned back to Ryan, his tone demanding. “So, I’ll ask again—what did you do to upset the Thomas family?”
The room seemed to grow colder as Ryan and Emily exchanged panicked glances. Realization dawned on them—this swift reaction was a clear demonstration of just how much the Thomas family valued Jessica.
Cornered, Ryan reluctantly recounted the events of the day, his voice faltering as he explained his confrontation with Jessica.
Matías’s face darkened further with every word. When Ryan finished, Matías slammed his hand against the table, making the dishes rattle.
“Have you lost your mind?” Matías roared. “Do you have any idea how much Nathaniel and his wife treasure their goddaughter? Why on earth would you target her like this?”
Ryan looked down, unable to find words to defend himself.
As the weight of the situation settled over him, Ryan began to piece things together. He now understood why Jessica had acted so coldly toward him and why she had embarrassed him at that dinner—it was payback.
But how could he explain his actions to his mother, Ainslie, without exposing the full extent of his mistakes?
Sensing Ryan’s hesitation, Emily spoke up. “Uncle Matías, this was my fault. Ryan was just defending me and ended up saying something he shouldn’t have.”
She proceeded to explain the entire misunderstanding, revealing Jessica’s true identity as the former Belinie.
Matías and Ainslie listened in stunned silence, their expressions shifting between disbelief and realization.
After a long pause, Matías finally spoke. “Tomorrow, both of you are coming with me to apologize to the Thomas family, especially to Mrs. Thomas.”
Ryan’s jaw tightened, but he nodded reluctantly, knowing there was no way out of it.
The tension at the table was palpable, shattering the once-peaceful family dinner. Matías, clearly too upset to eat, set his fork down and headed upstairs without another word.
Ryan remained seated, his fists clenched in frustration. Anger and a sense of injustice simmered within him, but he knew he had no choice but to comply.
________________________________________
Meanwhile, at the Clark family residence.
Jessica had already eaten dinner before returning home. After spending some time chatting with Jonathan in the living room, she went upstairs to her room.
Flicking on the light, she grabbed a fresh set of clothes and made her way to the bathroom.
Later, stepping out of the bathroom in her nightgown, her damp hair cascading over her shoulders, she froze at the sight of Ethan seated on the sofa, his attention seemingly on the TV.
Jessica’s expression hardened slightly, but she chose to remain silent. She walked calmly to her vanity and began her nightly routine.
The silence between them was heavy, until Ethan’s low, gravelly voice broke it. “Jessica, you’ve become quite skilled at saying one thing and doing another, haven’t you?”
She paused, her back straightening at the weight of his words, but she didn’t turn around. Her eyes met her own reflection in the mirror as her mind raced with what Ethan could possibly mean.