Despite being upset with his mother, Nathan couldn't refuse his grandmother, Evelyn Ford, who had always doted on him. He glanced at Ava before giving a nod of agreement. "Alright."
Seeing that Nathan had decided to stay, Diana finally felt at ease and muttered to herself, "Now that's more like it! We're bound by blood as mother and son. How could we let something small come between us?"
Nathan didn't respond, and Evelyn, noticing the tension, didn't press the issue. Instead, she took Ava's hand and asked her a few questions, expressing a warm interest that Ava found genuine. Despite Diana's hostility, she sensed no malice from Evelyn.
It was soon mealtime, and despite the slightly awkward atmosphere, the meal was mostly pleasant. Diana constantly served Nathan food, but his lukewarm responses did nothing to dampen her enthusiasm—or her subtle digs at Ava.
