Christan stepped in, dressed in a beige casual outfit and sporting the latest Balenciaga sneakers. His face was expressionless.
His hair was meticulously styled, and he still wore the light makeup from his recent appearance on a show.
Already naturally handsome, the touch of grooming made him even more striking.
From the moment he walked in, his eyes had been fixed solely on Grandpa Bryan, not sparing Serena even a glance.
"Grandpa."
Grandpa Bryan's face darkened slightly. "You have a guest here. Don't you think you should at least greet her?"
Serena's anxiety only deepened, and she quickly lowered her head so Christian couldn't see her face.
Christan frowned and reluctantly turned to glance at the girl sitting opposite Grandpa Bryan.
When he saw what she was wearing, his eyes flickered.
Her sense of fashion wasn't bad. From the gown to the accessories, down to her hairstyle, everything was refined. The overall look gave off a traditional impression at first, but upon closer inspection, it didn't seem outdated at all.
Unfortunately, she was still an eyesore to him.
"Hello, Miss."
"It's Miss Knowles," Grandpa Bryan corrected him.
"Oh," Christan responded, but didn't bother correcting himself.
He gave Serena a fake smile, full of unjustified confidence.
Serena covered her face with both hands and forced a smile. "Hello."
Seeing this, Grandpa Bryan asked curiously, "Miss Knowles, what's wrong? Is something wrong with your face?"
"I..." She hesitated. "I think I'm having an allergic reaction. Is there a mask somewhere? I... I'd like to borrow one."
"Allergic reaction?!"
Grandpa Bryan grew concerned. "Let me see. Take your hands away-let's see how bad it is!"
"No... no need!" Serena gave an awkward smile. "Since I'm sitting in front of your very handsome grandson, I'd rather not embarrass myself."
"Hmph." Christan let out a cold snort and muttered, "So you do know you're being embarrassing. Allergic reaction? Sounds more like blushing to me."
"What are you saying!" Grandpa Bryan glared at him angrily.
Christan shut his mouth but still wore an expression of disdain.
Serena had already rolled her eyes a thousand times in her heart, but on the surface, she maintained her composure. "It's alright, Grandpa Bryan. I do look quite awful right now. What he said isn't wrong."
"Look at that!" Grandpa Bryan gestured toward Serena. "Miss Knowles is so composed and gracious! Unlike you-completely lacking manners in front of guests."
"Grandpa!" Christan was nearly out of patience. "I've told you already-I'm incredibly busy and don't have time to dine with unrelated people. But you insisted I come. I don't know what kind of charm this Miss Knowles used to get you so enthralled."
"What did you just say?!"
Grandpa Bryan was furious, standing up and pointing at him. "I was the one who asked you to come. If you've got complaints, take them up with me. Don't take it out on Miss Knowles-she knows nothing about this. She's innocent."
"Innocent?!" Christan shot Serena a sidelong glance and said sarcastically, "She knows in her heart whether she's innocent or not. I don't believe she didn't know anything."
"If you ask me, she's probably figured out everything about our family and deliberately approached you to get close, hoping she could use you to get to me."
Serena was so mad, she actually laughed.
This man was still as full of himself as ever!
Trying to get close to him?! For what? His stupidity or his bad attitude?
Even if someone paid her a billion, she wouldn't go near someone like that!
With that personality of his, she truly didn't understand what those fans of his were thinking.
Either they were collectively blind, or they'd all gone mad.
Still, stirring up more trouble wasn't worth it. She didn't want to confront him head-on.
She was here because of Grandpa Bryan's invitation, and if she got into an argument with Christan, it would only put Grandpa Bryan in a difficult position.
After forcing herself to suppress the urge to snap back, Serena stood up. "Excuse me, I need to use the restroom."
She hurried out under the gaze of both Ryder men.
She moved so quickly because if she had stayed one more second, she would have lost control and punched Christan square in his smug face.
To others, though, her haste looked like she was fleeing in embarrassment.
"Tch!" Christan sneered, "Must've hit a nerve. She's too embarrassed to stay."
"Shut your mouth!"
Grandpa Bryan glared at him, furious. "Do you even realize how rude and ridiculous you're being?!"
"She brought it on herself. I don't think I was wrong!" Christan shot back. "Grandpa, seriously-what's gotten into you today? You never pressured me about marriage before. Why now?!"
"Besides, if you really want me to settle down, at least find someone decent. What's with bringing in someone so hideous?!"
"You brat! That's enough!" Grandpa Bryan's beard practically stood on end. "I've never misjudged someone's character. I only wanted to introduce you to Miss Knowles because she's truly a rare and exceptional woman!"
"But you-you were disrespectful, rude, and kept calling her ugly without even seeing her face! On what basis are you insulting her like that?!"
"Do I even need to see it?" Christan said coldly. "She wouldn't let me see her face-what more proof do you need?"
"You-!" Grandpa Bryan's hands trembled. He bitterly regretted calling Christan here.
With a heavy sigh, he finally gave up arguing. "Anyway, I'm warning you. When Miss Knowles comes back, you'd better behave yourself. If you're rude to her again, don't blame me for being harsh with you!"
Seeing that his grandfather was truly angry, Christan didn't want to upset him further.
He mumbled, "Got it."
Meanwhile, Serena rushed into the restroom and locked the door behind her. Leaning against the sink, she gasped for breath.
"That Christan is the worst scumbag ever! He's rude and still tries to blame others for it!"
"I should never have withdrawn the police report that day-I should've let the cops haul him away. And then leaked it to the media to shame him all the way to outer space!"
"And seriously, when did Xavier go blind?! What was he thinking being friends with someone like that for so many years?!"
After ranting for a while, she finally calmed down a little.
She turned around and looked in the mirror.
The woman staring back at her had skin like porcelain and features like a peach blossom-breathtakingly beautiful.
Yet he had the nerve to call her ugly!
Pressing her lips together, she paused thoughtfully. Then she turned to scan the restroom.
Suddenly, her gaze locked onto a small bottle in the corner-it was a container of activated charcoal used to absorb odors.
Her lips curved up slightly in a sly smile. She blinked and walked straight toward the charcoal...
***