C69 Mom, Dad I Already Have A Girlfriend

Coincidentally, Sarah ended up sitting beside Chris at the dining table. As everyone began serving themselves, the atmosphere quickly became lively. The rich aroma of the Scottish dishes filled the room, making everyone eager to taste them. "This smells amazing," my mother said as she scooped some Cullen Skink into her bowl.

Quinton wasted no time either. He took a spoonful before his eyes widened in surprise. "Oh!" He immediately took another bite. "This is incredible." Everyone smiled before beginning their meal. A few moments later, Chris quietly picked up a serving spoon and placed some Mince and Tatties onto Sarah's plate. "You should try this one." Sarah looked at him in surprise. "T-Thank you..." She lowered her head and continued eating.

A few minutes later, Chris placed another serving of Cock-a-Leekie Soup into her bowl. "This one's also good." Sarah became even more embarrassed. "I... I can serve myself." Chris simply smiled. "I know." "But I wanted you to taste everything." She could only nod quietly. No one noticed at first since everyone was busy enjoying the food.

After several minutes, however, my mother suddenly laughed. "Chris." He looked up. "Yes, Aunt?" Mary smiled mischievously. "My son, you've been feeding Sarah this whole time." She pointed at Sarah's plate. "That poor girl has hands of her own."

The entire table fell silent for a second. Chris froze with the serving spoon still in his hand. Sarah's cheeks instantly turned bright red. "I..." Chris awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "I just wanted her to try every dish." Quinton burst into laughter. "Young man, I understand." He winked. "But don't spoil her too much." Everyone laughed except Sarah, whose face had become so red that she couldn't even lift her head.

Fortunately, Mary decided not to tease them further. Instead, everyone's attention returned to the food. "This soup is wonderful," Mary praised. "And the seasoning is perfect," Quinton added. He took another bite before pointing toward the Cullen Skink. "This one is rich and creamy." Then he tasted the Mince and Tatties. "This one is incredibly comforting." Next came the Cock-a-Leekie Soup. "The flavor is so balanced." Finally, he tried the Cranachan. "And this dessert..." He closed his eyes dramatically. "...might be the best I've ever eaten." Everyone laughed.

Although the dishes were simple homemade meals, each one tasted as though it had been prepared by a professional chef. Every flavor blended perfectly. By the end of dinner, almost every serving bowl was nearly empty. While everyone else enjoyed themselves, Sarah barely noticed what she was eating.

Her thoughts kept returning to the surveillance footage. Ben. Her own brother. The person who had handed that mysterious bottle to the waiter. She couldn't understand it. Why would Ben target Mike? Even more confusing... Why didn't Mike seem angry? She quietly glanced toward me. I was laughing with my parents as though nothing had happened.

How could someone remain so calm after discovering another person had tried to drug him? The guilt inside her continued growing. Chris noticed her distracted expression. He leaned slightly closer before whispering softly enough that only she could hear. "Don't think too much about it." She turned toward him. "It isn't your fault." He smiled gently. "And it isn't your family's fault either." Sarah stared at him. How... How did he know exactly what she had been thinking?

For a brief moment, she forgot everything else. She simply looked into his eyes before giving a small nod. "...Thank you." Chris smiled before returning to his meal. That single sentence somehow made her heart feel much lighter. Soon dinner came to an end. After helping clear the table for a few minutes, Chris and Sarah prepared to leave. My parents thanked Sarah repeatedly for visiting before she finally headed home alongside Chris. The house gradually became quiet again.

The moment the front door closed, my mother turned toward me with an excited smile. "Your girlfriend is truly mysterious." I looked at her in confusion. "What girlfriend?" "Alicia, of course!" She continued happily. "I never imagined she could cook like that." She looked toward the spotless kitchen. "I'll admit it." "I feel inferior." "I've been cooking for years, yet today's meal was better than anything I've ever made."

Quinton nodded in agreement. "She's truly one of a kind." He began counting on his fingers. "Beautiful." "Cheerful." "Stubborn." "Brilliant." "And now we've discovered she can cook like a professional chef." He smiled. "I wonder what other talents she's hiding."

Mary suddenly looked at me seriously. "Son." "You should confess to her soon." "I'd gladly accept her as my daughter-in-law any day." I almost choked on the water I was drinking. "Cough... cough..." After finally catching my breath, I looked at both of them. "Mom..." "Dad..." "Alicia and I aren't in that kind of relationship."

Mary frowned immediately. "What do you mean?" "She's beautiful." "She's kind." "She's intelligent." "I honestly believe she's perfect for you." She looked genuinely confused. "Did she reject you?" Before I could answer, she shook her head. "No." "That can't be right." "If she rejected you, she wouldn't come here and cook dinner for us."

Quinton folded his arms. "Son." "What are you hiding?" He looked at me carefully. "Don't tell me you're still holding onto Samantha." "Are you afraid of falling in love again?" Their questions came one after another. I couldn't answer immediately. One sentence echoed repeatedly inside my mind. Don't you love her? Did I? I honestly didn't know.

Whenever Alicia was around, everything somehow became easier. She treated me exactly like everyone else. Despite coming from such an influential family, she had never once acted superior. She laughed with us. Worked with us. Helped us without expecting anything in return. Something inside me was slowly changing... But I couldn't describe it.

After remaining silent for several seconds, I finally sighed. "It's not like that." "I already have a girlfriend." "And Alicia is my sister." "I don't want to mix friendship with romance." Mary looked disappointed. "You already have a girlfriend?" "And it's not Alicia?" I nodded. "She already knows." "In fact, she's been helping me plan dates." "To her, I'm simply an older brother." "I don't want to ruin such a valuable friendship."

Seeing my determination, Quinton finally asked, "Then who is this mysterious young lady we've never met?" I smiled. "My girlfriend is Laura Tryon." "She's still in college." "And..." I hesitated briefly. "...she's also my team manager's daughter." Silence.

Mary slowly blinked. "...That's not good." I laughed awkwardly. "What do you mean?" "You're dating your boss's daughter!" She looked genuinely worried. "Does your manager know?" "No." "He doesn't." She sighed deeply. "What if he finds out?" "What if he starts making work difficult for you?"

Quinton nodded. "Office relationships can become complicated." Their words made me think of Josh Tryon. He had always judged people by their ability rather than their background. I smiled. "My manager isn't that kind of person." Mary still looked unconvinced. "I don't know..." "I still prefer Alicia."

I laughed helplessly before quickly changing the subject."Anyway..." "Now that I've become a permanent employee, I'd like to start contributing to the household expenses." "What can I help pay for?" Both of my parents immediately became serious. Mary shook her head. "We're doing just fine." "You don't need to worry about us." "But I want to help." She smiled warmly. "The best way to help us is to enjoy your youth." Quinton nodded. "We can still provide everything we need." "Save your money." "Travel." "Buy yourself something nice." "Enjoy life while you still have few responsibilities."

I listened quietly. Since they refused to accept my money, I silently made another decision. If they wouldn't allow me to help openly... I'd simply find another way to support them without telling them. "Alright." "I understand." A few minutes later, everyone headed to their rooms.

As soon as I entered mine, I picked up my phone. "Honey, are you asleep?" Only a few seconds passed before Laura replied. "No. I just finished dinner. What about you?" I smiled. "Same here. I wish you were here. You would've loved tonight's food." "Oh? Should I be jealous? Did another girl cook for you?" I laughed. "Don't worry. No one can replace my girlfriend." She sent a laughing emoji before replying. "Good answer. You almost got yourself into trouble."

"How was your day?" "Classes were tiring, but talking to you makes the whole day worth it." A smile naturally appeared on my face. I said, "Then I'll call you every day." "Promise?" "Always." After chatting for another ten minutes about her studies, my new position at work, and our plans to meet over the weekend, we wished each other good night.