Chapter 845
I also turned my gaze toward Arton. I had seen pictures of this man, so I was sure that Charlie was his son.
The Reese family’s genetic traits were strong. It especially showed in those distinctive eyes they had.
Arton’s appearance was familiar to me, but his intense hostility was overwhelming. The moment I saw him, I recognized him from the photos, and I also remembered our encounter at Midnight Bar. He was the man I had asked for room numbers when I got lost in the corridor.
His eyes had been fixed on me since he entered, showing caution, hostility, and suspicion.
Annika looked at her brother, nudged him slightly, and hastily introduced us, “Arton, this is Ms. Chloe.”
He remained silent, using his cunning eyes to scrutinize me up and down.
I didn’t stand up. Instead, I looked at him confidently and asked coldly, “Do you remember me, Mr. Arton?”
Arton kept that dark expression on his face and didn’t answer my question. However, it was clear that he was very wary of me.
I ignored his unfriendly gaze and continued, “You must be familiar with Melanie, Mr. Arton. I’m here to talk to you about her.”
When I mentioned Melanie, Arton exploded. “I don’t know her! I don’t know anyone named Melanie! What are you doing here? Who are you?” Arton didn’t hold back his hostile questioning. His tone was full of animosity and aggression, which clearly showed that he was a troublemaker. Before I could respond, Donovan slammed his hand on the table with a loud bang, shouting, “You unfilial thing! What have you been doing out there?”
His deafening voice sent shivers down my spine. I knew Donovan had a bad temper, but I still couldn’t help but feel a lingering fear. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to live in a family like this every day.
I worried about the possible impact this environment might have on Charlie if we brought him back here and he had to face this situation every day.
Annika quickly tried to calm her father down, gently persuading, “Could you lower your voice, Dad? Ms. Chloe is here. Let’s discuss the serious business first, then you can talk to Arton privately later, okay?”
The old lady, however, defended her son, saying, “Why do you always shout so loudly, old man? You need to give him a chance to speak!”
Then she looked at Arton, asking patiently, “Arton, do you have a girlfriend out there? Why didn’t you bring your son home? Since you have a child, you should explain it to the family.”
When I saw how she reacted, I knew that Arton had been spoiled by his mother.
Sure enough, Donovan immediately shouted at Georgina, “He’s acting like this because you’ve spoiled him. Do you think he’s still a child? He’s a father already. Look at him. Does he look like a responsible father?
“You don’t deserve to be a dad. You already have a son, and he’ll end up useless like you if you keep this up! What kind of child can you raise? Do you want your son to be a troublemaker like you?”
Arton didn’t try to fight back. He just took in every word his father said.
After his father was done, he said, “What son? Do I even have a son? Are you done? If you have nothing else to say, I’m leaving.”
He tried to walk toward the exit, but Donovan wasn’t having it. “Stop right there, you unfilial child! We haven’ dealt with you yet. Of course someone like you who fools around outside all day wouldn’t know you have a son!”
“What are you talking about? When did I get a son?” Arton said helplessly, looking bewildered.
The old man grew even angrier at his words. He snatched the phone from Georgina’s hand and slammed it on the table. “Take a look for yourself. There’s no way he could be anyone else’s son.” When Annika saw the phone being slammed onto the coffee table, she was instantly frightened.