It's Your Turn To Cry and Beg, Dear Uncle
Chapter 17: Family-Scamily

Chapter 17: Family-Scamily

The room fell silent, the light-hearted atmosphere shattered by his icy tone. In a single sentence, James stripped away the romantic illusion Lila had carefully built around their time together.

It was his business trip, but Lila had believed it to be something more—a couple’s getaway, perhaps even a prelude to a honeymoon. When she’d asked to join him, he had agreed without protest.

She thought it meant he wanted her there. He’d even made time for her: strolling through Milan, indulging her request to visit cafes, and treating her to dinner and shopping amidst his packed schedule. He had even suggested visiting Rome.

Those weren’t just dates—they had shared late-night talks, laughter, and deep conversations. On some nights, they’d stayed up so long that they ended up lying side by side. She had hugged him from behind, and he hadn’t pulled away. Did none of it mean anything to him? Was it all just a business trip in his eyes?

Lila stared at James in disbelief, but he didn’t so much as glance her way. His attention remained on Kyra, as though no one else existed in the room. The indifference cut her deeply, but what hurt more was the faint glimmer of happiness she caught in Kyra’s eyes, even through her apparent surprise.

So, he’s denying me for her? Lila’s thoughts turned bitter. This is what he calls a niece? A family?

Her initial shock gave way to a wave of humiliation, her tears threatening to spill. She clenched the hem of her dress tightly and lowered her head, hoping to hide her shame.

Cressida wasn’t faring much better. She was stunned by James’s bluntness. He hadn’t just dismissed the trip; he’d extinguished any suggestion of romance without a second thought.

Lila was supposed to be his girlfriend, wasn’t she? Even if nothing intimate had occurred, they had spent time together. Shouldn’t a boyfriend show some regard for his partner’s feelings? Why so coldly sever any hint of connection?

Vincent furrowed his brows, displeased by his nephew’s cold demeanor. His wife had told him about Lila and how she first met James. He had been quite pleased with the matchmaking plan.

Lila came from a prestigious family, one well-acquainted with his own. Their union would benefit him in the long run, so he fully supported the idea. Yet now, things didn’t seem to align with what his wife had described.

The old lady, Jane, was equally puzzled by her grandson’s behavior. ’What’s with his tone?’ she thought. ’Doesn’t he care for Lila? If he keeps this up, he’ll drive her away!’

Seeing Lila’s obvious distress, Jane decided to ease the tension. "Oh dear, this old lady apologizes for James’ attitude, Ms. Lila. You’ve only recently started dating him, haven’t you?"

Though struggling to maintain her composure, Lila straightened her back and replied with poise. "Yes, we agreed to start dating three days before his birthday."

"I see, then you might not be familiar with his behavior yet! This child..." Jane said with a warm laugh. "He can be awkward sometimes and it’s understandable since you are his first girlfriend. He has never dated before so, please don’t misunderstand."

James turned sharply to his grandmother, frowning at her comment, but Jane continued before he could speak.

"Just look at him!" she teased. "He put on a cold expression even to us, his grandparents, yet we know how much he cares. He’s simply stiff by nature. I’ve often worried about whether he’d ever find a wife, and then you came along!"

With Jane’s lighthearted words, the mood in the room softened. Lila’s expression brightened, and she smiled shyly. "Okay, Grandma. I’ll be patient," she said sweetly.

"Good girl!" Jane exclaimed, her face lighting up. She felt relieved, believing James had found a thoughtful, understanding partner.

It was hard to fault the old lady for her optimistic outlook. Jane genuinely believed her grandson’s aloofness stemmed from his awkward personality, not indifference. She assumed he hadn’t meant to sound so dismissive, and in her own way, she was trying to smooth things over for the sake of his relationship.

Seeing the atmosphere lighten, Jane felt a surge of pride in her efforts. She glanced at James with a triumphant smile, raising her eyebrows in silent confidence.

James, however, felt utterly exasperated. "Grand..." he began, ready to clarify, but Creighton’s stern gaze stopped him mid-sentence. Reluctantly, James pressed his lips together, swallowing his words.

Creighton quietly sipped his tea, his deep, thoughtful gaze betraying none of his inner thoughts.

Meanwhile, Lila watched the exchange closely. Seeing Creighton’s silent intervention, she was elated. In her mind, the elderly couple had firmly taken her side. Her earlier disappointment evaporated, replaced by smug satisfaction. With newfound confidence, she cast a triumphant glance at Kyra, who returned it with a look of subtle displeasure.

But her triumph was short-lived.

Jane unknowingly struck a nerve with her next words. "Of course, there’s always an exception. My sweetheart is the only one who can melt that icy expression."

Jane sighed fondly. "I guess my grandson prefers his niece over his own grandparents."

Lila’s smile froze instantly, her confidence crumbling in an instant. Kyra stifled a laugh. She bit her lower lip and cast her gaze to the side, hiding behind her hair. James was no better, he lowered his head but an amused smile spread across his face.

Apparently, he didn’t have to explain himself. His grandma was really his grandma.

Meanwhile, Jane was utterly confused by James and Kyra’s reaction. She turned to look at Cressida who tried to maintain her smile and Victor who picked up his tea.

’Did she say something wrong?’ She wondered.

She was about to look at Lila when Creighton cleared his throat to break the awkwardness. "It’s getting late. Let’s eat!"

Jane clapped her hands excitedly. "Oh, yes! Let’s eat. How about we eat outside instead of at home? Paradise Dynasty is a good place. We can count this as a greeting to James’ girlfriend."

"That’s a good idea!" Cressida chimed in. She really wished to get out of this embarrassment right away and so did Vincent who immediately stood up.

"I’ll get the car," he said. James followed suit.

Not long afterwards, a Bentley, a black Rolls Royce, and a metallic grey Mercedes-Benz S-Class stopped right outside the front door where the ladies and the elderly couple had been waiting.

Creighton and Jane went towards the Rolls Royce with the help of their driver while Cressida walked towards the Bentley. As she held the door, Cressida turned to beckon the young woman.

"What are you waiting for, Kyra? Come!"

Kyra widened her eyes slightly but she didn’t move a single step. Even a kid knew what Cressida was aiming for, she wanted to open a chance for Lila to ride with James. Who didn’t know that Kyra had always ridden with her uncle?

It wasn’t an exaggeration when people said Kyra was the apple of James’ eyes. Wherever James was, Kyra would be by his side. They were practically one package. Over time, it became natural for Kyra to always be with James on any occasion and the current situation wasn’t an exception.

She had actually moved towards James’ Mercedes when Cressida stopped her. She tried to hold back her displeasure and put on an innocent smile.

"No, thank you. I’d like to ride with my uncle as usual, Great-aunt." At this moment, Kyra would call uncle a thousand times if she had to as long as she could prevent Lila from being alone with James in an enclosed car.

"This child!" Cressida was annoyed but she maintained her kind elderly smile. "Why are you disturbing your uncle’s time with his girlfriend? Don’t be spoiled! Come, you’ll be with your uncle again when we arrive."

Kyra was about to reject her again when Lila’s obnoxious voice rang from behind her, "Let’s go, Darling."

Lila shamelessly linked her arm with James and stuck her body close to him to the point that her chest rubbed against him. However, instead of feeling seduced, James frowned from discomfort.

For some reason, his body reacted defensively against Lila today, completely different from how he had felt during their trip to Italy. At the very least, they had been amiable akin to a man and a woman in their getting-to-know-each-other phase.

Jane, who noticed the silent argument outside, rolled down the car window and said, "What’s wrong? Why aren’t you moving?"

"It’s nothing, Grandma. Little Kyra was just being spoiled with her uncle," Lila responded smilingly, yet her words not only separated Kyra by a generation but also referred to her as a brat. Unfortunately, such unkind insinuation was lost in Jane’s positive mindset.

"Oh dear," Jane chuckled with her hand covering her mouth. "Kyra, you’ve grown up now. Why do you keep sticking to your uncle? Let him be with his girlfriend."

She giggled teasingly, "Don’t you wish for an aunt who can dote on you too? Come here and ride with us."

Kyra felt like throwing up at the word ’aunt’. Whose aunt? Who will dote on her? Based on that bitch glaring eyes back in the living room, she would be lucky if she even got to know how she died if Lila really became her aunt. Imagining it, Kyra couldn’t maintain a natural smile and ended up looking like she had smelled shit.

"Kyra, honey, what are you waiting for? Come here," Jane called once again.

She turned to look at her uncle but the latter only sighed and gestured with his head. Kyra pursed her lips in displeasure. She had no choice but to leave with Jane and Creighton. Cressida was absolutely happy with her mother-in-law.

"Sometimes your mother’s air-headedness is a good thing."

Cressida grinned at her husband as soon as she closed the door. Vincent glanced at her, snorting.