Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed
Chapter 649

The Dixon estate wasn't your typical modern Western-style mansion but rather an old, sprawling Victorian house that seemed to hark back to a bygone era.

The entrance led through a somewhat gloomy courtyard, its color a dull gray, with patches of plaster peeling off the walls here and there. The front was laid with cobblestones that spoke of its age at first glance. However, as you moved further inside, a warm and inviting atmosphere enveloped you. The deep red wooden beams gave off an air of elegance and history, and the ornate gables possessed an imposing charm. Beside the cobblestone path, small plots of land were dedicated to a vegetable garden.

To have such space for gardening right in the heart of Lumina City, near the historic district, was quite a statement of luxury.

Scales came out to greet them in person.

"Come on in; it's warm inside. Let me introduce you to my folks..."

Laird, dressed in a tailored grey suit, exuded a gentle and scholarly charm, his demeanor marked by the dignified grace that comes with age.

Helga wore a beige knit dress with a light coffee-colored shawl draped over her shoulders. Her complexion was fair and radiant, her age indiscernible, her long hair elegantly pinned up, exuding an effortless warmth and grace. Roseanne immediately thought of two words: dignified and elegant.

If they were still reeling from meeting Scales' parents, the sight of his grandfather, Lamont, left Roseanne and Mamie utterly speechless.

Mamie, feeling like a deer caught in headlights, was ushered by Scales to greet the elders before being seated.

Hardly settling down, she couldn't help but tug at Roseanne's sleeve, her words tumbling over each other, "Roseanne, did you...I mean, did you see Lamont? I almost thought I had stumbled onto a live broadcast of some grand event!" Roseanne knew what she was trying to say and soothed her, "Stay calm. Didn't we prepare ourselves for this?"

"Well, yes, but I didn't expect it to be so... so..."

She trailed off, lost for words.

Roseanne and Mamie presented their gifts.

With time tight, neither had managed to prepare anything elaborate, choosing their gifts during a quick shopping trip the day before. Roseanne chose a state-of-the-art VR headset, the latest model.

Mamie picked out a pair of limited edition sneakers.

Scales was genuinely pleased with their gifts.

"Thank you both for coming."

Mamie, grinding her teeth softly, muttered, "You could have given me a heads-up about your grandfather being..."

She didn't finish her sentence, a bit intimidated.

Scales, seeing that her attitude towards him hadn't changed despite his family background, simply shrugged, "You never asked." Mamie: "..."

The gathering wasn't large, just two tables set up in the spacious yard.

One table was reserved for the Dixon family's relatives and friends, white the other was for guests personally invited by Scales, including Roseanne and Mamie.

Even so, their table wasn't full, with two seats conspicuously empty.

Among those present, aside from them and Scales being classmates, the rest were children from influential families.

Scales went around introducing them: "These are my childhood friends, Driscoll, Conroy, Kenney..."

These were the people Scales had

grown up with, all aware of his

reserved nature and his family's

cautious approach to friendships due to their political background.

leet

It was rare for them to see Scales bringing outsiders to the house, let alone two young women, sparking a mix of surprise and cong them.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Kenney," said one of the boys, extending his hand to Roseanne. "Like the penmanship style."