Chapter 9 Niece-in-Law

Both Yasmin and Chloe didn’t expect this guy, who had appeared all of a sudden, to be Ben’s son. Seeing as their eyes widened in disbelief, Ben stood up with a chuckle and placed his hand on Morgan’s broad shoulder. With a proud expression, he then introduced Morgan to them. “This is Morgan, my youngest son. He used to live overseas, but he came back recently and is currently the Dixon Group’s chief executive officer,” he said before turning to look at the man with a reserved smile. “Morgan, this is Chloe Tillman, the granddaughter of an old friend of mine. She’ll be your niece-in-law and thus a member of our family in the future.” Niece-in-law—what an unfamiliar and annoying term this is, Morgan thought to himself. Chloe panicked when she unintentionally met Morgan’s gaze, for it never occurred to her that this guy was actually the Dixon Family’s son and Harry’s uncle! Right now, the gaze he leveled on her was the gentle and distant gaze of a lofty and noble stranger who met her for the first time. On the other hand, seeing that Ben didn’t introduce her, Yasmin stood up in a fit of anxiety and introduced herself to Morgan with a groveling smile. “I’m so honored to meet the mysterious President Dixon today. Nice to meet you; I’m Yasmin Jenkins, Chloe’s stepmother.” Upon hearing her words, Morgan glanced at the hand Yasmin extended to him with a flicker in his eyes. Yasmin was hopeful that Morgan would shake her hand, but this guy, who looked gentle and noble, didn’t give her any response. Instead, he walked straight past her and stood before Chloe as if he didn’t see her groveling demeanor. Chloe’s hands clenched tightly into fists by her sides as she watched Morgan walking steadily toward her. She was so nervous that she had difficulty breathing, and her eyes widened instantly. W-What is he trying to do? If Old Master Dixon or Harry learns that this so-called future uncle-in-law and I have ‘unintentionally’ shared a few kisses… My reputation will be gone right away—I’ll be in disgrace! Chloe pretended to be calm, but her eyes twitched nervously. Seeing her every microexpression, Morgan stood still in front of her with an elegant and harmless smile. “Nice to meet you, my future… niece-in-law.” Chloe wondered if it was her illusion, but she couldn’t help feeling that Morgan uttered the word ‘niece-in-law’ between clenched teeth with a hint of mockery. She raised her eyes and looked into his eyes; seeing that he appeared polite and distant as if they were meeting for the first time, she relaxed slightly and extended her hand with some hesitation. As soon as she put her hand on his outstretched palm, it was held in his large hand. She smiled awkwardly. “Hi, Mr. Dixon,” she greeted. Morgan’s smile became even more charming at Chloe’s words. With a flicker in his deep and inscrutable black eyes, he replied meaningfully, “I hope that I’ll hear you addressing me differently soon.” Chloe’s heart skipped a beat, but what frightened her even more was the peculiar touch on her palm when she wanted to withdraw her hand. The slightly rough skin rubbed against the tender skin of her palm, bringing an itchy sensation that sent a shudder through her. He… He actually tickled my palm with his fingertips! Such a suggestive action was hidden in the dark, causing the magnified peculiar tension to sweep over Chloe at once, and her heart suddenly pounded a few times. She reflexively withdrew her hand with all her might, but this man relaxed his grip at the same time, causing her to fall backward due to the inertia resulting from her using too much strength. At this very moment, Chloe only felt incredibly mortified. This guy had seen all her discomfiture, yet she made a spectacle of herself whenever she ran into him! Closing her eyes while waiting for the embarrassment to befall her, Chloe sensed the strange silence around her. However, the pain she had been waiting for didn’t arrive; instead, she heard Ben asking attentively, “Are you all right, Chloe? Chloe? Chloe?” When Chloe quietly slit her eyes, the first thing that came into view was Ben’s blurry figure. Then, she raised her head and suddenly came in sight of Harry’s stony face; he had saved her. “Aren’t you tired in this pose? I am tired.” His voice dripped iciness and sounded impatient with a hint of sarcasm. Going red in the face, Chloe swiftly jumped out of his arms. Her panicky eyes glanced around for a moment; she probably had no idea her startled and nonplussed demeanor right now looked so much like a lovable rabbit that had lost its way. “Haha! Our Chloe is so vivacious and lovely, and she isn’t pretentious at all! This is great!” praised Ben with a burst of hearty laughter. The others, of course, chimed in by laughing as well. Yasmin could hardly maintain her expression; she put on a strained smile in embarrassment, for Ben’s remark just now was essentially a slap in the face for her. “I didn’t expect my niece-in-law to be startled so easily; it really is my fault for startling you.” Speaking in a voice dripping with sarcasm, the casually dressed Morgan caught Chloe’s attention as soon as he spoke. She noticed that his eyes were now as deep as a bottomless whirlpool that one would fall into if they weren’t careful. “Not at all—it’s Chloe’s fault for being alarmed too easily. You stand head and shoulders above others with your talent and striking appearance, Mr. Dixon. The others will only be stunned by your dashing looks, so how could anyone be frightened?” Yasmin immediately responded obsequiously. Upon hearing her words, Morgan merely chuckled and asked softly in reply, “Is that so?” Chloe blushed slightly while showing constraint in her movements. No matter what had happened, the appearance of this guy made her lose her composure, and his identity surprised her even further. “I’m sorry, Mr. Dixon. I forgot myself just now.” Forcing herself to calm down, she clutched her dress with her hands by her sides and bit her lower lip until it turned pale. At the sight of this, Morgan frowned in displeasure. Just then, Harry spoke in a manner that was neither haughty nor humble. “We didn’t know you were at home, Uncle Morgan, so we didn’t have someone go upstairs and call you. Let’s dine together now.” “Yeah, that’s right. It so happened that we’d just started, so let’s dine together, Mr. Dixon,” echoed Yasmin vigorously. “Morgan, this is the first time Chloe’s here for dinner, so it’ll be better if you’re present. We all should get to know each other and dine together as a family,” suggested Ben heartily. Morgan responded with a noncommittal smile. “Well, I guess I’d better accept the offer,” he replied before taking his seat with ease. Everyone then returned to their seats, but when Chloe sat down, she found that Morgan was seated across from her. This realization made her feel nervous, ill at ease, and somewhat restless. This was probably the longest, most disturbing, and tasteless lunch she ever had.