Inside the elevator, Gwen pressed the button for the top floor, her eyes sparkling mischievously. Her slightly squinted gaze seemed to conceal laughter from what she had just witnessed.
Eren rolled his eyes. "What's so funny?"
Gwen quickly wiped the smile off her face. "Nothing. Oh, what's that in your hand?"
Handing the gift box to Gwen, Eren replied, "It's a bottle of fine baijiu my grandfather collected from China. I thought it would make a good gift for this visit."
Gwen immediately returned the box to him, saying seriously, "There's no need to be so formal. Trust me, if you bring that bottle into my house, Mom will kill me with a glare."
Eren shrugged. "Then that's not my problem."
"Good evening, Mrs. Helen," Eren greeted as the door opened.
"Good evening, Eren." Helen Stacy warmly welcomed him in. "Come in, quickly."
Eren followed Gwen inside, thanking Helen as he entered.
"Dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes. Gwen, why don't you keep Eren company in the meantime?"
After greeting Eren, Helen hurried back to the kitchen to continue preparing the evening feast.
"Sure, Mom. Oh, Eren brought a bottle of liquor for Dad. Where should I put it?"
"The liquor? Just lock it in the cabinet. You know where the key is, right, Gwen?"
"Of course."
Gwen retrieved a key, unlocked the cabinet, and secured the baijiu before dragging Eren up to the second floor.
Once inside her room, Gwen shut the door and whispered, "That's the first time I've seen anyone give liquor to Dad without Mom getting upset."
"I'm honored," Eren said with a wry smile. "Though I doubt that bottle will ever see the light of day again."
Thinking back to the thick layer of dust he had noticed on the liquor cabinet, Eren couldn't help but remark.
Gwen laughed brightly. "Of course not. Unless it's a major holiday, Mom never lets Dad drink. You know how it is—he's a cop, always getting called out for emergencies in the middle of the night."
"That's a smart move."
"Exactly," Gwen said proudly. "That decision has probably saved him countless times."
About ten minutes later, George Stacy, informed by Helen, left his unfinished work and drove home.
"That kid is here?"
"Chatting with Gwen in her room," Helen replied.
George's brows furrowed immediately. "Just the two of them?"
Seeing his expression, Helen quickly reassured him. "Stay here and help me, don't go upstairs and cause trouble."
George grumbled, "A boy and a girl alone in a room—you're okay with that?"
"If they were going to do anything, it would've happened long ago. Why wait until today?" Helen retorted.
George fell silent at her words.
He remembered the last time Gwen had been in danger—kidnapped and drugged with Eren.
Even under the influence of a potent hallucinogen, Eren had fought his instincts, escaped through the window, alerted the authorities, and even barricaded the room to protect Gwen.
George had to admit that the boy had guts.
That self-restraint and quick thinking were why Helen had extended the dinner invitation in the first place.
Gwen had needed over six hours in the hospital to recover from the drug's effects. Meanwhile, Eren had relied solely on his willpower to resist the drug.
What George didn't know was that the drug's potency had been partially neutralized when Eren had transmigrated into this world, making his feat less miraculous than it seemed.
Still, it was enough to impress even the toughest critics.
Helen, noticing George calming down, smiled. "If you want that boy out of Gwen's room sooner, help me finish dinner quickly."
Grumbling, George tiptoed upstairs to stand outside Gwen's door for a moment. After hearing nothing suspicious, he returned to the kitchen.
Helen rolled her eyes at him. "Hurry up and help."
"Fine," George relented, casting one last reluctant glance upstairs before joining Helen in the kitchen.
Though not much of a cook, George proved to be a capable assistant.
A few minutes later, Helen called out from the dining room, "Gwen, dinner's ready!"
Gwen grinned and turned to Eren. "Let's go."
Eren nodded and followed her downstairs.
In the dining room, Eren was introduced to the rest of Gwen's family: Helen, Gwen's three younger brothers, and a middle-aged man in a white shirt with brown hair—George Stacy.
Despite looking slightly weary, George's handsome features hinted at his striking appearance in his youth.
"Gwen, introduce me," George prompted.
"Dad, this is Eren. Eren, this is my dad, George Stacy," Gwen said.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. George," Eren greeted.
George nodded and extended a business card. "Nice to meet you too, Eren. Thank you for saving Gwen. If you ever run into trouble, don't hesitate to call me."
Though he still felt uneasy about Eren's past encounter with Gwen, George was genuinely grateful for his actions.
Without Eren's restraint and quick thinking, George didn't want to imagine what could have happened to his daughter.
Eren chuckled bitterly. "I was just trying to save myself at the time."
"But Gwen was saved because of it," George pointed out.
"Alright, you two, stop chatting and eat," Helen interrupted, handing Eren a plate. "Here, Eren."
"Thank you, Mrs. Helen," Eren replied.
(End of Chapter)
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