When Family Became a Place I Couldn’t Return To novel Chapter 88

Michael didn’t say a word, just knocked back his drink in one shot.

Then he finally spoke. “You take after your father.”

Nelly forced a small smile, not sure how to respond. She had never liked Christopher and honestly didn’t think being compared to him was a compliment.

But everyone else at the table looked even more uncomfortable than she felt.

Christopher had always been the old man’s favorite. He was a genius in business, but he was also infamously self-centered. If you wanted to be polite, you’d call it strong-willed. If you were being honest, you’d say he was impossible to get along with.

Nelly wasn’t so different, apparently. She was just the illegitimate daughter, yet she never seemed willing to play by anyone else’s rules.

“Nelly, he’s praising you. You should follow in your father’s footsteps. The Watson family’s future might be in your hands now,” Felix said loudly, breaking the tense silence.

Nelly didn’t hesitate. She looked around at all the sour faces and answered cheerfully, “Of course. Don’t worry. If I do inherit his legacy, I’ll work hard for the good of the Watson family.”

She made it sound like the billion-dollar inheritance was already hers, no questions asked.

The table went quiet. No one could even fake a smile anymore.

She caught Jonah’s eye across the table. He raised his eyebrows, silently warning her not to push too far. Nelly just smiled back, unbothered. Honestly, watching these people get upset was a lot more fun than trying to make them happy.

Michael, on the other hand, seemed to like her. He stood up, tapped his cane on the floor, and suddenly everyone’s attention snapped to him.

He called Nelly over, lifted his glass, and officially introduced her to the room.

Standing there under everyone’s eyes, Nelly felt awkward and stiff. Instinctively, she looked for Jonah.

He met her gaze, calm and steady, and that always made her feel a little less nervous. He placed a hand over his chest and leaned forward a bit, a small gesture meant just for her.

Nelly got the hint right away and gave everyone a polite bow.

She thought she was finally in the clear and could sit down to eat, but Britney immediately piped up, “Nelly, you just got home. You should go around and toast everyone so we can all get to know you better.”

It was obvious she was putting Nelly on the spot.

Nelly had learned to hold her liquor at Garland Inc., just to survive all those client dinners, but there was no way she could make it through a round of toasts with this many people.

“I…”

“She is right. This is a good chance for you to mingle,” Michael cut in before she could say no.

Felix leaned over and whispered, “A lot of those people run parts of the company. They might not be close family, but you’ll need their signatures if you want your inheritance.”

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