The Secret Obsession of the CEO
Chapter 58: The Town’s Tomboy

Chapter 58: The Town’s Tomboy

"You could have told me that you are welcoming guests, Rory," Liam wrapped his arms around her shoulders."I would have dressed nicely."

"I didn’t know either. I think they wanted to surprise me!" Rory whispered and picked the last weed she could see from Liam’s shirt.

Liam squinted his eyes and looked at her. If she didn’t know they’d be here and were here because she was asked to by her grandmother... what is her grandmother planning? He didn’t believe that her grandmother would have wanted to give her a surprise. She does not love Rory that much.

He felt a stare at him and turned to see Mrs. Delport staring at him. He didn’t know why but he thought that woman to be pretentious. He believed that woman has a lot to hide and is pretending to be some lovely old lady.

"Uncle, was it your idea to surprise me?" Rory asked. "Meet Liam...Um..."

"Fitzwilliam Roberts," Ian stepped forward and held out his hand for a sake. "The rising star of the business world. Who doesn’t know him?"

"Yeah, I’m the star!" Liam smiled. "Hello, Ian," Liam shook his hands.

Rory elbowed him as he didn’t even bother to be humble or say nice words to Ian. Ian is great in his field too and he could have said some good words out of courtesy.

"What?" Liam looked at Rory.

"Nothing. I am awed by your incredible modesty," she said sarcastically and he smiled.

I am the greatest! And he knows it! Why should I pretend otherwise?

Liam tried to walk beside her but he was pushed aside by Mrs. Delport. Pressing his lips, he walked behind Mrs. Delport dragging his feet. Rory was happy beyond measures and she didn’t notice anything else.

"Let’s go inside," Mrs. Delport hurried them to get inside. Rory tried to get Ellie from her, but Ian got her first.

"Your daughter looks just like you," Ian said holding Ellie.

"You think so?" Rory giggled.

She thought Ellie looked like her father but whenever someone says that Ellie looks like her, she would be happy. She was the one who suffered a lot to bring this little munchkin to the world. She deserves it, right?

"Yeah... Look at that smile..." Ian held Ellie closer to Rory. "Carbon copy!" he said and Rory laughed.

"Uncle, what do you think?" she asked Charles and he shrugged. "She’s... I see your father in her..." he said. "You resemble your father and..."

"Grandma said the same!" Rory said. She was surprised that Uncle Charles thinks so too.

Am I the only one who sees Liam in Ellie?

Liam was unaffected by the happy atmosphere in front of him. He fisted his hands inside the pockets and pressed his lips seeing Rory and Ian walking with their shoulders brushing each other. With Ian holding Ellie, they looked like a happy family.

"So, you’re fine with your daughter calling someone else ’dad’ in the future?"

Mrs. Delport’s voice snapped Liam out of his thoughts and he looked at her. He was not sure if he heard right.

"What?" Mrs. Delport whispered for him to hear. "You honestly thought that our Rory would stay single for the rest of her life just because she was married to you?"

"What are you saying?" Liam gritted his teeth and his eyebrows trembled.

Does she know that we are divorced? Is that why she has turned on me?

Mrs. Delport clenched her jaws and furrowed her brows. There was not a slight sign of kindness on her face. She looked menacing as if she wanted to murder him. "You promised, you b*stard! You promised that you will take care of our Rory. And yet you~"

"Lina!"

Agnes Roberts’ called for her and Mrs. Delport’s face turned soft almost immediately. Liam was stunned to see how quickly she turned docile.

What is happening? Who is that woman?

He sat in a corner and watched the happy interactions others were having. Agnes was asking Count Charles about his journey and Rory and Ian were in their own world. His stomach burned to see Ellie laughing and playing with Ian.

You are my daughter! Why are you laughing with him?

It was time for lunch and Mrs. Delport created a fuzz saying that she didn’t set the table for Liam. Rory stood up and gave up her place for him and only then did Mrs. Delport could accommodate him on the table.

Liam was too stunned to do anything. For as long as he remembered he was always treated nicely in Rory’s home. In fact, everyone treated him nicely. Even his family would treat him better than this. He thought Mrs. Delport liked him too but he didn’t expect she would treat him like an untouchable.

All because I... Ah, screw this! My dad would kill me if he knows that I am divorcing Rory. This is nothing!

He shrugged it off and ate his fill.

But he could not help the creepy feeling that he is being watched. He looked at Mrs. Delport. She was holding a carving knife. As their eyes met, she smiled at him. It sent a chill through his spine. He bowed his head not wanting to look at that scary woman.

Meanwhile, Rory was having a nice talk with Charles and Ian as they reminisced about the past. After finishing lunch, she excused herself as she needed to feed Ellie.

"She is one of them tomboys our town encounters once a generation," Charles said with a chuckle. "Her mother, bless her soul, was the best veterinarian and had the kindest heart. This girl would make her mother scream like a banshee out of exasperation...hahaha... I would tell her every time she complains about her daughter that she will turn out well..." his eyes turned sad.

"And she did! She has become calmer and she is a good mother."

With his hands supporting his cheek, Liam listened to the stories of Rory’s childhood. He thought he saw her naughty side but when she was younger, she was much naughtier. She was pretty tame compared to when she lived back in Flockton.

Almost getting drowned in a lake as they wanted to use the boat they made, almost falling off a cliff trying to steal eagle’s eggs, getting a nit infestation and spreading it to the entire town, ten-year-olds not returning home for an entire night causing a big stir in the town, wandering off to where their little feet take them, making him run behind them to catch them, hiding among the sheep and taking them to dangerous places much to the dismay of shepherds, trying to catch foxes by running behind them...

There was no lack of stories. He thought he was hearing about someone else and not the Rory he thought he knew. Liam felt empty.

She used to be that carefree? She changed that much after her parent’s death?

He remembered what Derick told him about her.

Yeah, she did change... I was the one who never noticed.

A storm brewed in his heart knowing that she was the happiest with Ian, and not with him.