The first thing Sara noticed when she entered the Crawford manor was the familiar parked right by the entrance of the house and the servant running to repark it. This brought a frown to her face, but she soon brushed it off, thinking it was just a coincidence.
The Crawfords weren't a poor family, so they could afford luxury cars even if they were limited editions.
That thought evaporated the moment she walked in and saw the man who had just entered greeting Mr Crawford.
Was he haunting her now? She asked herself.
"Father," he said with a curt bow that anyone who didn't look at him closely would have missed.
Mr Crawford's response to him was another shocker.
"Welcome home, Kayden," Mr crawfords uttered, vividly pleased to have the younger man present.
This and the new name she heard shocked Sara so much that she couldn't move from where she stood, just staring at the family. Her eyes never left him even while she could hear the family's banter. But her mouth fell open when he ordered Dominic Crawford to stand up and give his seat back to him.
'The hell!?' Sara yelled inside her head. Everyone called him brother, and even her ex fiance called him uncle, which meant that he was indeed and truly Mr Crawford's son.
How was it that she didn't know that Alexander Legend was a Crawford, and what happened with his name? Did he change it, or was that always it? But Mr Crawford called him a different name—Kayden. Was this his name? Kayden Crawford?
Thinking about it now, the name did sound familiar to her, like she had heard it before, but she couldn't remember it properly.
"Welcome, Miss Ambrose," the butler's voice snapped her out of her reverie, and she forced an awkward smile, knowing everyone was now looking at her.
"Thank you, Mr Andrew," she said to the old butler. She walked to the people at the table and greeted everyone while ignoring Adam, whose gaze never left her even for a second since her presence was noticed. There was something about his gaze that was unsettling, but she didn't take to heart.
"Grandpa," she greeted Mr Crawford, who offered a warm smile.
"You are welcome, Sara. Thank you for not turning down my invitation," he said and pointed at an empty seat beside Adam. "Please sit so that we can begin."
"Of course," Sara sat down, giving curt solutions to everyone else except Adam and Alex. When her gaze met theirs, she glared sharply at Alex while acting as if she didn't know Adam was looking at her.
Lily returned to the table, surprised to see Sara there, but she smiled.
Dinner began soon, although the atmosphere was a little tense, it went on as smoothly as it could.
"Sara, I understand that you and Adam have a misunderstanding, but it doesn't have to lead to a break up," Mr Crawford uttered after everyone was almost done with the dinner.
Sara paused, raised her head, and cast a glance at Adam, who, for some reason, was glaring at her. She smirked but made sure no one else besides Adam saw it.
"Is there anything that we can do to make amends?" Mr Crawford asked. He looked between the two youngsters and wondered why there still seemed to be hostility, especially from Adam when he should be the one feeling sorry and apologetic.
"I am sorry, Grandpa. My decision was not in haste but after careful consideration and undeniable truth. If you doubt me, ask Adam. He knows exactly why," Sara placed her silverware down, picked up a glass of water, and took a sip from it. "I can not get back together with Adam," she declared.
"Don't be rash and make a decision you will regret, Sara," Lily, Adam's mother, said. She was not happy about it even though she wasn't fond of Sara. Mr Crawford valued the girl and their engagement, so she had to marry Adam even if she didn't want to.
"I will never regret breaking up with Adam, Mrs Crawford. Trust me on that," she said and then looked at Adam. "I can be with anyone but never a cheating partner. Especially if he doesn't even feel bad about it."
"Are you any different, Sara?" Adam asked finally speaking. Sara raised a brow, and he clenched his fist. Her innocent expression angered him more than he ever imagined. "Don't act so innocent when you are as guilty yourself."
"Tell me, Adam, when have I ever cheated on you?" Sara asked, amused by his baseless accusations.
"Where were you today?"Adam asked.
Both Sara and Alex raised a brow while everyone else just listened on, watching their expression as they spoke. Mr Crawford wanted to stop it, but then, he thought they needed to talk it out even if they had to fight it out now. Although it wasn't right to do so in front of everyone, they were all family, so it could be overlooked.
"Work, Adam. I was at work. Did you th8nk I'll be sulking at home because of you?" She uttered with a sweet smile that irked the life out of Adam.
"At a hotel, accompanied by a man?" Adam clicked his tongue as his anger and annoyance flared. He was hating her right now even. He never thought being cheated on by her would hurt him so much. He should have understood how she felt when she heard, saw, and watched him with another woman, but that seemed to have fled his conscience.
"Yes. At a hotel, accompanied by aan," Sara replied. She knew how it sounded, but she didn't care. They could think whatever nonsensical that they could after all, she was no longer engaged to Adam.
"Why would you be working at a hotel?" Dominic asked, and Lily assisted.
"You were with a man?" Lily gasped.
Sara chuckled but quickly covered her mouth. "You all know I do not work with only women, or are you saying I shouldn't interact with anyone of the opposite gender because of my ex? Everyone here knows I worked as a member of the PR department, so tell me, is it possible to interact only with women and within the confines of the office?"
Alex propped his chin on his knuckles as he silently watched the two. Only he knows how hard he was fighting the urge to order Adam to shut up, but he had to trust his woman. Yes, his woman, even though she was still unwilling to accept that title.
"So you were working and the man was your colleague?" Sean asked, breaking the staring contest between Sara and Adam.
"Yes and no," she replied and they all frowned except for Alex. "I was working but the person who was with Mr was not my colleague."
"The client then?" Dominic asked and she replied,
"No, he is not," their frowns deepened.
"Grandfather, how can we believe a word she says now. I was accused of cheating and she broke up with me and now…" Adam said no longer interested in the marriage at all. But he was interrupted by Sara.
"My boss. He was my new boss," she said and everyone looked at her.