Chapter 436

"I'm a hospitable person," Sean said with a playful smirk.

Skylar gave her son a stern look, her frustration nearly boiling over. She had intended for him to get close to Winnie tonight, but not this eagerly; she hoped he wouldn't ruin her plans.

After stepping on his foot, Sean toned it down a bit.

Hellen spoke up, "Since you're here, why don't you join us for dinner? Oh, what happened to the shoulder of your dress?"

Everyone's gaze shifted to Winnie's shoulder, where her dress was torn and knotted.

Lawrence was also looking, his gaze unnaturally fixed.

Winnie, facing his hypocritical facade, felt a sudden urge to provoke him and deliberately began to respond to Hellen, "Mrs. Rodriguez, this dress was torn by someone..."

"Let's eat! Those who are irrelevant should speak less," Lawrence interjected, summoning the butler while sending a warning glance to Winnie.

He stopped her from speaking out, from challenging him.

Winnie was amused, not expecting him to be nervous. He was the one who had pressured her to change her dress, after all.

It seemed that even in the Rodriguez family, newcomers like Mr. Rodriguez had to tread carefully; the family was fraught with peril.

She had found his weak spot and with raised eyebrows, she looked away.

Lawrence watched her secretly challenging him with a faint expression, his brows relaxing slightly, though his handsome face remained cold. To others, it looked like he wasn't paying her any attention.

Only he knew how often his gaze lingered on her.

Suddenly, Lawrence turned his head and stood up, saying, "Grandma-"

The meal hadn't even started, but the younger members of the family all stood up, calling out in unison, "Grandma!"

Winnie looked up curiously, only to see an elderly woman with white hair, bent over and leaning on a cane, entering the dining room.

Her eyes widened in recognition - the elderly woman was the kind-hearted old lady who had comforted her earlier at the party. She couldn't believe that the old lady was Leah Rodriguez.

"Sit, everyone, sit. I'm old and seldom join your young people's parties. Bob invited me for a meal, and after I eat, I'll go back to the backyard," the old lady said with a gentle voice, taking her seat without concern for worldly affairs.

Perhaps sensing Winnie's intense gaze, the old woman glanced at her and discreetly winked.

Winnie was stunned.

With so many eyes around, the old lady hadn't spoken, but Winnie understood. She smiled inwardly, lowered her eyes, and ate her meal, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible.

Throughout the meal, Sean tried to talk to her several times and even passed her dishes.

Winnie keenly felt the atmosphere at the table drop suddenly from a certain area.

After the meal, the old lady left early.

After most of the Rodriguez family had left, Winnie stood up and sought a quiet spot to get some fresh air.

There was the smell of smoke nearby, and when she turned around, she saw Lawrence's silhouette.

Lawrence leaned against the wall, his tall figure casting an oppressive shadow. The dim light accentuated his handsome features, giving him a brooding and somber appearance. He flicked his cigarette ash and spoke, "If I were you, I'd stay away from the likes of Sean. You should inquire about his 'illustrious' deeds!"

Winnie was taken aback and raised an eyebrow. "What, is he even more fickle than you?"

Her tone was incredulous, dripping with sarcasm.

Lawrence's expression darkened. "Just listen to my advice. He likes women like you, those who have had children." His tone was disdainful, insulting her.

Winnie's beautiful eyes flashed with anger, but she found arguing with him pointless. Now that he had Ishara, of course, he'd despise her, a woman who had given birth.

The woman turned away scornfully, saying, "You take care of your precious gem. Me? You have no right."

Lawrence's face reddened with anger. She hadn't heeded his warning and was blatantly defying him. He sighed inwardly, his gaze sweeping to a shadowy area. "Jeremy."

Jeremy stepped out reluctantly.

Lawrence rubbed his brow, instructing, "Keep an eye on her until she leaves the party, especially watch out for that pervert Sean!"

Jeremy was silent for a moment before finally looking into Lawrence's dark eyes and asking, "Mr. Rodriguez, do you still love Winnie?"

Lawrence turned away.

Jeremy sighed and said, "Why do you hurt her while secretly protecting her? She'll never know this side of you. Actually... the love for her in your eyes is impossible to hide. I can't believe you'd fall for someone else so quickly, let alone Winnie's sister. It's quite disgusting. Have you ever considered Winnie's feelings?"

Lawrence's eyes flashed with emotion, his fists clenched, his muscles tense.

After a long pause, his expressionless voice said, "Just assume I'm a scumbag who fell out of love."

"Impossible!" Jeremy was certain as he added, "Even if you fell out of love, you wouldn't choose her sister. You're not that kind of man!"

The bitterness in his heart seeped out, and Lawrence's lips tightened into a thin line, a dark laugh escaping him. "I have no choice, it has to be her."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't love Ishara. But to me, she's important." In truth, she was important to his mother.

Lawrence could only keep the truth hidden, his deep eyes gazing into the night sky, filled with a touch of sorrow. "Having Winnie in my life, how could I possibly love another woman? Whether lost or not, she was the only one."

"I don't understand." Jeremy sighed, now more confused than ever. But Jeremy was sharp, sensing that Lawrence had a lot on his mind, yet he was concealing something.

Suddenly, Jeremy looked up, asking, "Is it Oscar, or perhaps Melissa?"

Lawrence stiffened.

Jeremy continued sharply, "Mr. Rodriguez, nothing has ever been able to control you, nothing. Unless it's someone vitally important to you. I can't think of any other possibility."

Lawrence's expression shifted subtly, and he stopped abruptly as his phone rang - it was Ishara calling.

"I have something to attend to," he said with a frown. "You should go too."

Jeremy watched him leave, without answering his question.

Jeremy's thoughts were profound, leaning toward his own speculation, yet he couldn't figure out what connection Oscar or Melissa could have with Ishara.

But Mr. Rodriguez's reaction to Ishara was devoid of romantic interest; his first response to her call was to frown. A man in love wouldn't react that way.

Jeremy frowned deeply.

In a secluded room.

Hellen frowned, looking at Mars. "Mars, I overheard outside the coffee room that Lawrence is investigating your subsidiary. Did you see the look Bob gave Lawrence? He says he's looking after the Peterson family, but that look...

"This kid is into a lot of things, even prying Anday's territory away. I'm really afraid he'll discover what you've been doing under the table for the Peterson Group from the Rodriguez family..."

Mars raised his hand to interrupt, his brow knitted tightly. "Mrs. Rodriguez, what's the rush? With the foundation we've laid over the years, is it so easy for Lawrence to investigate and find anything? Tell Uncle Ronnie to keep the Peterson Group well-hidden, quietly at the bottom of the Trento City companies.

"We need to continue bleeding the Rodriguez family dry until they have nothing left... then the Peterson Group can leap to become the number one family in the country. As for Lawrence, there's no need for me to act yet.

"You don't know, Lawrence and Winnie, the new returnees of the Blanchet family, were married and had children!"

"That woman at the dinner table today?" Hellen was shocked. "But isn't Lawrence in an alliance with Ishara?"

Mars smirked devilishly. "So he's caught between the two Blanchet daughters. It's only a matter of time before he capsizes. Will Carlos let him off the hook? Besides, I've discovered something even more interesting..."