<h4>Chapter 384: Chapter 384 Identity Confusion</h4>


    Author’s pov


    "Please, don’t feel so formal, Cecilia ,"Julian said softly, apparently sensing Cecilia ‘s unease before slowly withdrawing his gaze.


    Julian was six years Sebastian’s senior, with handsome, dignified features that matched his mature and rational personality.


    He was the epitome of the traditional family man who prioritized the pack’s interests above all else.


    His marriage to Daisy had been purely a business arrangement, designed to forge stronger ties between the Lawson and Cole families.


    Love had never been part of the equation. They were polite to each other, nothing more.


    Daisy’s current predicament troubled him, and he felt regret about the situation...


    But that was the extent of it. His primary concern remained how to handle the aftermath and what exnations to offer the Cole family.


    Julian’s implicit message was clear, and it brought visible relief to Cecilia’s tense posture.


    What appeared to be simple politeness took on entirely different meaning through Scarlett’s experienced eyes.


    She knew Julian well. Both her son and husband were cut from the same cloth. Traditional guys who didn’t waste time on small talk and rarely went out of their way to make anyonefortable, including their own wives. But here was Julian, being unusually thoughtful with a woman he’d just met.


    That got her attention.


    Cecilia was undeniably beautiful. The kind of woman who turned heads wherever she went. Whether at first nce or upon closer inspection, her vibrant, captivating appearance was the kind that could easily fascinate men.


    Was he witnessing love at first sight ?


    Scarlett knew her son’s feelings for Daisy weren’t deep. With Riley needing a mother and given Julian’s pragmatic nature, he’d need to remarry eventually anyway. It was just good business sense.


    The thought didn’t shock her. In their world, marriages were investments. Partnerships. When one deal fell through, you found another.


    Mabel, too, began paying closer attention to Cecilia.


    Both women had already pegged her as someone from money. Good breeding, proper education, the whole package. In their minds, they were already interviewing candidates for the next Mrs. Lawson, even though Daisy’s side of the bed was barely cold.


    It was like watching two seasoned matchmakers size up their next project,plete with mental checklists and silent calctions.


    Cecilia’s pov


    I felt increasingly ufortable under their scrutiny.I had absolutely no idea what they were thinking.


    What I couldn’t figure out was whether these three Lawsons knew about my rtionship with Sebastian. Their bizarre reactions made it impossible to tell.


    "Where are you from, Cecilia ?"Mabel finally broke the silence.


    "I’m from Denver,"I replied.


    Inwardly, I was connecting dots :


    [ If they don’t even know where I’m from, they clearly don’t know about Sebastian and me. But then why the dinner invitation ? Maybe they want to size up the woman who "ruined"Daisy ?


    Perfect. They’re probably nning some kind of payback. ]


    Then Mabel asked directly, "What does your family do ?"


    I answered with perfect simplicity : "Education."


    Mabel and Scarlett’s expressions grew even more confused.


    I wondered if my ent had thrown them off.


    Julian calmly intervened, "Let’s stop the interrogation and eat."


    Scarlett shot him a re. "This isn’t an interrogation ! We’re just getting acquainted. After all, the Moore family and ours now have a shared interest."


    I was momentarily baffled. How had we suddenly be partners ?


    Since the conversation had reached this point, I feltpelled to rify. "Perhaps I wasn’t clear. My parents are university professors, now retired."


    My response only deepened Scarlett and Mabel’s confusion.


    "That’s wonderful. Teaching is a respectable profession,"Scarlett said with a forced smile, immediately following up with, "And what did your grandfather do ?"


    My eyebrow rose imperceptibly.


    I was beginning to understand their angle, so I answered casually, "My grandfather was a small-town ountant. Oh, and he’s retired now too."


    Scarlett went silent.She looked like I’d just told her Santa us wasn’t real.


    Mabel pressed on, "What about your mother’s family ?"


    I smiled lightly. "My grandmother’s family lives in a small coastal vige where they run a fishing business."


    Now Mabel fell silent too.


    I sighed internally : Well, that deted their balloon pretty quickly.


    No wonder they didn’t know about Sebastian and me yet had rolled out the red carpet. They’d pegged me as some trust fund princess.


    They thought I was old money, which somehow made my involvement in Daisy’s situation more... manageable ? Like dealing with equals instead of peasants.


    After a long moment, Mabel said distractedly, "Let’s eat. We should eat."


    I politely agreed and picked up my fork.


    Though I ate gracefully, the food might as well have been sawdust. I couldn’t taste any of the gourmet dishes, too distracted by feeling like ab specimen under a microscope.


    Ten minutes passed.


    Scarlett couldn’t contain herself any longer. "Cecilia, are you really Sebastian’s secretary ?"


    The question caught me off guard. "Of course."


    Scarlett frowned.


    The dinner table fell silent.


    After another twenty minutes or so, I felt I’d stayed long enough. I put down my fork and began, "I’ve finished. Please, continue enjoying your meal. I’ll just... "


    Before I could say "leave,"footsteps sounded from outside.


    I turned to see who was entering and my expression froze... What was he doing back here !


    Of all the worst possible timing !


    "Sebastian’s back,"Scarlett said, feigning surprise while feeling somewhat anxious.


    Sebastian walked over. "Yes, my meeting was canceled, so I came back early."He emphasized the word "early"very clearly.


    As he spoke, his eyes remained fixed on me. "Finished eating ?"


    I tried to appear calm, answering formally, "Yes, Alpha. I’m done. Please enjoy your meal. I’ll head upstairs now."


    I stood up.


    Then I heard him say in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, but unmistakably personal, "Stay a bit longer. We’ll go up together."


    Under Mabel and Scarlett’s increasingly confused stares, I reluctantly sat back down. "All right."


    Sebastian casually reached over and ced some food on my te. "You like this. Have some more."