Marrying My Billionaire Hookup - Nadia Lee Page 0,125

I ask. “She still trying to marry you off, or…?”

“Yes. Our agreement is that I’m supposed to go on a hundred blind dates.”

“A hundred?” I whisper.

“She’ll run out of men by the tenth date. Twentieth at the most. There aren’t that many that meet her requirements…and can pass the screening.”

Requirements? Screening? Lady Min must be incredibly picky.

The slideshow ends, and the lights come back on. I blink, adjusting to the sudden brightness.

Then the door opens. And Margot Blackwood walks in.

Chapter Forty-Eight

Edgar

My entire body freezes at the sight of my mother. What the hell is she doing here? How did she get past security?

Tony is livid and starts to stand up. Ivy is pale but has placed a restraining hand on his arm. I look around to find Court, who simply looks stunned.

Jo’s staring at Mom, her eyes a little too intent. And Mom’s staring back at Jo…expectantly.

They’ve met, I realize. Why didn’t Jo say something? If Dad came out here to force a meeting with Jo, so could Mom. I should’ve thought of that and anticipated it.

“What are you doing here?” Yuna’s mother asks coldly.

“Why, I’m here to celebrate the birth of my first grandchildren, of course. I’m entitled.”

No, you aren’t. The only thing you’re entitled to is a lifetime of being by yourself. You don’t get to be here. You don’t get to pretend you care. About us. About your grandchildren.

Mom looks around. Everyone’s staring at her in utter silence. She smiles as though she isn’t bothered by the awkwardness of the moment. But then, she only ever cared about herself.

“I brought a present,” she says calmly and graciously as she extends a box. It’s beautifully wrapped because she would never give a gift that isn’t pretty to look at.

When nobody makes a move, Miss Kim steps forward to take it. Lady Min says nothing. I suspect her restraint has very little to do with her approval of my mom’s presence here, and more with the tension in the room.

A waiter walks past Mom, and she reaches out and takes a cupcake. She never did lack for audacity.

Tony removes Ivy’s hand from his arm and starts to stand.

Suddenly, Mom gasps and drops the cupcake. Her face turns white, and tremors go through her.

“Katherine…” she whispers, then looks at us—her children—for answers.

“That’s one of the babies’ names,” Ivy says tautly.

Mom’s gaze zeroes in on Jo, who stiffens next to me. Something passes between them.

My hackles rise. What the hell does Mom want?

“It’s best you leave.” Tony gestures at the door. “You aren’t welcome here, Mother. Security should’ve been notified earlier. This won’t happen again.”

Mom flinches, her cheeks reddening as if slapped. I don’t understand why she’s acting so hurt and shocked. She spent over two decades turning Tony’s life into hell. She didn’t care who else got hurt in the process, even if the collateral damage was her other children. She should’ve known her presence would be rejected—that nobody would stand up for her.

“I’m your mother,” she says, her voice trembling. Unshed tears glitter in her eyes.

Tony’s shoulders grow rigid. I move to stand next to him to let her know that whatever he does, he has my unconditional support.

“That’s the only reason security isn’t dragging you out,” he says coldly.

“Very well.” Pulling in a shaky breath, she turns and walks out, her head held high.

The door closes behind her, and everyone in the room seems to exhale.

Tony stalks toward Miss Kim and takes the present Mom brought. Then he strides to the closest window, opens it and hurls the present out into the water garden. There’s a faint splash.

Jo gasps, the sound small, but audible because I’m so close to her. I rub her tense back. A small part of me wants to take her aside and explain, but a bigger part is too embarrassed, especially when I recall how warm and close-knit her family was last Sunday.

Even if you try to tell her, she won’t understand, a voice in my head whispers. It’s best not to say anything. Maybe she won’t ask. She’s a smart girl. Discreet. She’ll know it’s not something you want to talk about.

My gut is usually right about stuff like this. And I’m trying to convince her to marry me, not repel her with scandals and the moral depravity of my mother.

Lady Min smiles. “Well. Now that that little interruption has been taken care of, why don’t we open the presents? Ivy?”

“Yes, let’s,” Ivy says.

That seems to jolt everyone back to our earlier cheery