Victoria had deliberately summoned her son home, naturally with an agenda. "I thought you'd brush me off and come sneaking in at midnight again!"
Seeing that he had indeed returned early, a smile lit up her face. Hearing the car, she even went to the door to greet him.
"I promised I'd come home early, so I won't lie to you," Ned said as he walked with her into the living room.
"There's always a reason when Mom asks you to come back early. Don't think I'm nagging or meddling too much!" Victoria giggled, taking his briefcase.
Unbuttoning his suit jacket, Ned replied, "How could I?" He smiled at his mother.
Those words made Victoria beam even wider. "Quick, come with me." She grabbed his hand and led him toward the dining room. "You haven't eaten dinner yet, right? I specially told Angela to prepare your favorites—"
"Ned, you're back!" Lara called out with a sweet smile. She had already been waiting in the dining room.
Caught off guard by Lara's presence, Ned's expression barely changed. "You're here too?" he said lightly, his perpetually cool face even managing a smile.
"Yeah! Auntie invited me for dinner." Lara suddenly asked timidly, "Ned, are you… not happy I'm here?" She was still upset about her afternoon fight with Sophie and worried it might ruin her image in his eyes.
"How could that be? I'm very happy you came," Ned replied with a smile. "Thank you for keeping my mother company so often."
"It's what I should do!" Hearing his praise, Lara squinted happily. "Auntie is an elder, and when an elder invites me to dinner, I'm honored! Plus, Auntie always thoughtfully tells Angela to make my favorite dishes. Eating with her feels like such a blessing!"
"Haha, Lara, you sweet-talker! Auntie really adores you!" Victoria turned to her son with a grin. "Come on, son, sit down and have dinner with Mom and Lara."
This dinner was clearly a setup. Ned didn't go against his mother's wishes; not only did he sit down, but he even took the initiative to sit next to Lara.
Victoria's smile stacked higher at the sight, clearly delighted. "For your birthday banquet in two weeks, are you inviting Lara as your date?" she asked.
"Yes." Ned smiled, but his answer was curt.
"Oh, really? That's wonderful!" Victoria was overjoyed. "I was hoping you'd invite Lara, but I was afraid I'd be meddling too much and you'd get upset. Young people have their own ideas, after all! I never imagined you'd decide on Lara so quickly!"
Lara, seated beside him, set down her utensils and gazed at Ned in a daze. The news filled her with delight, her face brimming with sweetness.
"The birthday banquet was your idea to begin with. As for whoever you arrange as my date, I won't have any objections," Ned said coolly.
Lara's smile instantly faded by half.
"Well then, if you were to get married, Mom could arrange the bride for you too, and you wouldn't mind, right?" Victoria probed deliberately.
Ned's smile deepened. "Of course. If I were to get married, you could arrange the bride." He replied nonchalantly, as if joking, his smile cool and detached.
Victoria, however, was thrilled. She winked at Lara, who immediately blushed—the message clear: If my son gets married, I'll make sure it's you.
Lara was a sharp woman; she understood perfectly. Blushing, she cupped her cheeks, about to say something, when Ned's phone suddenly rang. "Hello, James Harrington speaking."
"I've safely dropped her home," came Archibald's voice over the line.
"Good. Thanks." Ned hung up.
"Who's calling so late, after work?" Victoria asked her son.
"Jason," he answered.
"What's the matter? Can't even let someone eat dinner in peace at night?"
"Work. You two take your time. I'm heading upstairs." Ned stood up with a charming smile.
Victoria's eyes widened. "You haven't even touched your dinner—"
"I was already eating when you called, so I've had my meal."
"But—" Before Victoria could finish, Ned had left the dining room and gone upstairs.
Lara sat frozen at the table.
"Uh, it's fine, Lara. We'll eat together, and after dinner, I'll have him drive you home," Victoria said, turning to comfort her.
"Um… okay, sure." Lara forced a smile.
Back in his room upstairs, Ned quickly dialed a number. "Home yet?" He lit another cigar. The main light was off; only a small desk lamp cast a warm yellow glow, leaving the room dimly lit. An analysis report lay on his desk.
Sophie had just arrived at the hospital and set down her mother's things. Seeing it was him calling, she hurried to the bathroom to answer. "Hello?" It was barely past seven in the evening—still early.
"Sorry about earlier. We only got halfway through dinner before I had to leave." His expression was somber, though Sophie couldn't see it.
"It's fine. If your mother asked you to come home early, it must have been important." Sophie didn't mind.
"I thought you might resent my mother."
"Resent her? No, I'm not that petty. Even if I did, it would be between her and me. But she's still your mother—your relationship is different. She raised you to adulthood; that's no small feat. Parents make mistakes and aren't perfect, but as her son, you can't judge or blame her with your own logic. You have to understand her, forgive her. That's the least you can do."
"Mmm. Even over the phone, I can picture your expression and gestures—they're exactly like my grandmother's. Haha—" He laughed loudly.
"I really regret not having more family around. I grew up with just Mom in Manchester; we never kept in touch with relatives. Mom said my father died when I was born. We don't even have a single photo of him." Sophie began to relax, opening up about her life.