Chapter 239

Helena had secured her place in the Dawson family over the years largely because she knew how to read between the lines and gauge people's intentions. She knew Matthew's temperament even better than Kent and knew that if the latter kept pushing him, Matthew would almost certainly say something that would make the situation far more humiliating, and the situation would be irreparable. They were supposed to have a simple luncheon. They all had their own agendas, but they could have at least pretended to get along. There was no need to escalate it to the point where both the Dawson and Johnson families were left embarrassed. Kent just didn't get it, though. His face hardened with rage, declaring, "I want to make this perfectly clear, with Gloria, Richard, and Stephanie as witnesses—Gloria is the only woman who will ever be welcomed into the Dawson family as my daughter-in-law for as long as I'm still alive! You can try me if you don't believe me, Matthew!" Matthew's lips curved into a