Chapter 356: Helen Whitmore Smiled Faintly and Said No More

Helen Whitmore smiled faintly and said no more.

Daniel Whitmore strolled into the restaurant without a care in the world—until he opened the menu. His entire body stiffened.

"The cheapest steak costs four figures?"

Clara Whitmore quickly handed him a membership card. "We get a discount."

Daniel exhaled deeply and took a sip of lemon water. "How much of a discount?"

"Five percent."

He nearly spat out his drink.

"Dad! Manners!"

Sloane Bennett was already doubled over with laughter.

When the first bite of steak touched his tongue, Daniel had to admit—sometimes expensive meant exquisite.

Meanwhile, Donna Russo and her son choked down terrible fast food near the Imperial Citadel.

As soon as they left the tourist area, Trevor Russo demanded, "I want proper Western food! The most expensive kind! If you try to cheap out, we're going somewhere else!"

Catherine Holloway barely suppressed the urge to roll her eyes.

Fate had a cruel sense of humor. They chose the exact restaurant where Clara was dining.

Only a curtain separated the two private rooms.

A server handed them a tablet menu.

Donna stared helplessly at her son.

Trevor, however, leered at the server's curves with undisguised vulgarity.

The server subtly took two steps back.

Donna randomly tapped the prettiest-looking dishes without reading descriptions.

They ended up with nothing but appetizers and desserts.

Under the server's bewildered gaze, mother and son devoured the food with gusto.

Catherine wished the floor would swallow her whole.

Clara recognized the voices next door immediately.

She couldn't be bothered to acknowledge them.

"Dad, try this Beef Wellington."

She carefully cut a portion and placed it on Daniel's plate.

Helen immediately protested, "Where's mine?"

"I thought you hated food someone else touched?"

"My own daughter doesn't count as 'someone else.'"

Clara laughed and served her mother an even larger portion.

Watching this warm family moment, Sloane's eyes shimmered with quiet envy.

When Catherine excused herself to the restroom, cheerful laughter drifted from the next room.

The sight of Daniel and Helen's refined table manners twisted the knife in her heart.

Finally, she understood the magnitude of her mistake.

She'd rejected a priceless pearl—only to choose a worthless pebble.

And ended up shackled to these two grotesque creatures.