Chapter 74

Calliope was the first to step out. When she spotted Emily, she beamed and said, "Emmy, there you are."

"Mom." Emily walked up and naturally hooked her arm,leaning in close.

Calliope had always worried that John might cause a rift between them and Emily. But now, it seemed she had worried for nothing.

Calliope gently patted her head and noticed the hair clip she had given Emily, lazily pinned in her hair. It made her smile even wider.

"Mr. Smith, it's so good to have you here.Please,come in."

James said. "Just call me James."

Being called Mr. Smith felt too formal and a bit awkward.

He handed Calliope a card. "This is a VIP membership card for Golden Birch Group's spa services. Feel free to use it at any of our location. But honestly, your skin is already looking fantastic, so a spa visit would just be the icing on the cake."

That last bit made Calliope really happy.

Emily looked at James, surprised, her eyes saying,'Are you the same James I know?The way he was buttering up Calliope was something else. Calliope knew about the spas. The Golden Birch Group had tons of top global brands, and their spa was the most famous. These spas weren't for just anyone. They had the world's top medical team, known for effective scar removal and skin tightening. Calliope had been invited by a wealthy friend once and spent a day there.

For quite a while after that, she felt physically refreshed, slept soundly at night, and her complexion improved a lot. But without a membership,she couldn't go back. Now she could go for free,which was a nice surprise.

Calliope asked, "Can I bring my friends?"

James smiled humbly. "Of course."

Calliope was thrilled. Emily hugged her arm tighter and coughed softly,"Mom,calm down."

Calliope tried to compose herself. As Emily's family, she had to stay cool and not act like she had never experienced anything. She quickly invited James in.

Wilder and Hayden were sitting in the living room, both looking serious.

Juliet Williams, John's sister, had just gotten back from school.When she saw Emily, she rushed over and hugged her tightly.

James brought gifts for everyone. He gave Wilder two large boxes of coffee with twenty different varieties. Wilder just glanced at it and felt a bit overwhelmed.

This must have cost a fortune. How could he afford all this?

Wilder looked at James's gifts and didn't dare show any displeasure.

Accepting Emily as his daughter was one thing, but her bringing back a son-in-law in less than two months was a lot to take in. This change wvas really hard for him to process. Hayden liked chess, so James got him a ruby chessboard,which looked pretty valuable,making Hayden grin from ear to ear.

Hayden asked, "James, do you play chess? How about a game later?"

"My skills aren't great, so please go easy on me."

Emily looked at James, hersmile growing wider.

Before James could even mention her gift, Juliet was already there with a gleam in her eye, asking, "James, as my brother-in-law, do you have a gift for me?"

She tried to keep her cool, but her eyes gave her away. She blinked eagerly.

James was a bit surprised but pleased with how she addressed him."Of course, I have something for you too. This is a VIP front row box ticket for Carlton Griffin's concert."

Juliet took the ticket and squealed. She jumped up, hugged Emily,and kissed her cheek. "Emily, James is awesome!"

Juliet had been trying to get that ticket for ages but had no luck. Not getting it had almost driven her nuts.

James smiled warmly. "I'll connect you with Carlton on Facebook."

For a second, Juliet thought she was hearing things.

But when the Williams family processed what Juliet said, their expressions shifted a bit.

Calliope nervously pulled Juliet, who was busy exchanging Facebook info with James, and whispered in her ear, "Don't speak out of turn. They're just dating right now." Juliet was always carefree and really admired Emily for being straightforward and honest, always standing up for herself. Emily never held back her words or actions.

The two had been close since they were kids, so Juliet quickly accepted Emily as her sister. And she thought it was pretty cool.

Juliet was a bit taken aback by the scolding but quickly smiled. "I think James is serious, and he's not a stingy guy, right?"

Emily sighed and rubbed her forehead.

James smiled, not offended at all. He looked at Emily with a hint of pride,as if to say,'See how sensitive and tactful Juliet is!'

Calliope thought about how they weren't married yet, and with such a big gap in their backgrounds, who knew if they'd last. If the Williams took too many perks from James now, Emily might find it hard to hold her head high around him later.

Actually, Calliope was a bit swayed too. Having a son-in-law felt pretty good. She was happy for Emily but also a bit worried.

But when she thought about the dumb things John had done, Calliope felt it was okay for Emily to date James. At least James could protect her.

Emily had been through a lot, and Calliope hoped her future would be smooth sailing. Before dinner was ready, James and Hayden were playing chess.James lost the first game, making Hayden grin. In the second game, James lost again. Emily just glanced at him,thinking James was so sly. He could easily beat Hayden, but he subtly let him win.

Hayden couldn't tell. James's chess skills were pretty complex.

During dinner, Hayden kept praising James. He couldn't stop smniling.

Juliet kept asking Emily, "Emily, when are you getting married?"

Emily poked her forehead and asked, "Did Carlton accept your friend request?"

Juliet's lips curled up. "He did, and we just chatted. I'm so happy.He's my idol!"

The family was having a great time at dinner, and Wilder even had a drink with James.

Then John came back.