Chapter 589 - 585: What Perfect Timing

Watching the two of them play off each other, Emeric Grant let out a silent sigh.

The truth was, he wasn’t very good at lying. His earnest and straightforward personality was proof enough of that.

The last time he’d sought out Cecilia Sterling, he had indeed intended to lie, but they had ended up agreeing to be a real couple for a day. So, that day didn’t really count as lying.

But now, he had no choice but to tell a real lie.

"Dad, Cecilia is still in college. It’s a bit too early to bring her home," Emeric Grant said, deliberately using Cecilia’s student status as an excuse.

But Mr. Grant wasn’t buying it. "You already took her to your great-grandfather’s birthday banquet. How can you not bring her home?"

"Others might not understand you, but I do. If you decided to take her to the banquet, it must mean you’ve decided she’s the one. That’s why Mrs. White and I are taking this so seriously."

"I brought her to see Great-Grandpa because he’s getting on in years and always worrying about these things. I just wanted to make him happy. Besides, I only did it because you all pester me about it every day," Emeric Grant said resignedly. "I really have to get to work. You should go now."

As Emeric Grant spoke, he picked up a file folder and made a show of getting up to do his rounds.

"Just relax. Rounds are a morning task. What kind of rounds are you doing in the middle of the day? Don’t forget, your father is a doctor too." With one hand, Mr. Grant pushed Emeric Grant back into his chair.

He knew a doctor’s daily work schedule better than Emeric did. It was obvious his son was just making an excuse to get rid of them.

Mr. Grant was no fool. He looked at his son with growing suspicion. "Mrs. White and I are being so enthusiastic. Shouldn’t that be a good thing for you two lovebirds? Why are you being so evasive? Don’t tell me you cooked up a fake girlfriend just to fool me?"

Emeric’s heart leaped into his throat.

But Mrs. White immediately jumped in. "No way. It’s not in Emeric’s nature to do something so absurd."

"That’s true..." Mr. Grant muttered, nodding. He then looked at Emeric impatiently. "Then what’s the problem?"

Emeric had just been given a fright, but to his surprise, his father had already talked himself out of his own suspicion. He could only press on. "Cecilia really has been busy lately. Why would I lie to you?"

The words had barely left his mouth when a knock sounded at the office door.

All three of them turned to look. Today, Emeric wasn’t an attending physician seeing outpatients; he was a resident working out of the inpatient office, responsible for the mothers and patients in the OB/GYN ward.

That meant whoever was knocking was probably a nurse or a patient’s family.

Emeric instinctively called out, "Come in."

The door opened, and Cecilia and her sister appeared in the doorway.

A bright smile had graced Cecilia’s face, but to her surprise, the first people she saw upon opening the door were Emeric’s father and Mrs. White. Only then, through the gap between them, did she spot Emeric sitting in his chair.

Her smile froze. "Mr. Grant? Mrs. White?"

She greeted them instinctively. Meanwhile, Emeric’s impatient expression, a result of dealing with his father, visibly lit up with joy at the sight of Cecilia.

"Cecilia!"

Mrs. White cried out excitedly, beckoning her in. "Quick, come in! Your timing is perfect."

Mr. Grant chuckled in agreement. "That’s right. We were just talking about when Emeric should bring you home for dinner."

Cecilia stepped into the office, her gaze instinctively flicking toward Emeric. He looked back at her with a helpless expression and gave a slight shake of his head.

As if they shared a silent understanding, Cecilia immediately grasped his meaning from that one subtle gesture. He was telling her it was okay to say no.

At her side, Lily was still in a daze. It was only after she stepped into the room that her gaze locked onto Emeric.

One look was all it took for her to understand. ’Her big sister is still her big sister, alright. She’s always had a thing for handsome guys.’

Before Cecilia could speak, Mrs. White smiled warmly and asked, "Emeric was saying you’ve been busy. You’re a junior in college, right? Surely you’re not too busy to come over for one meal?"

"Are you busy with your thesis? Or studying for grad school exams? Don’t tell me you’re already busy sending out resumes?"

"What kind of job are you looking for? You can tell Mr. Grant. He can help!"

Hearing this, Mr. Grant quickly nodded and chimed in. "That’s right. I still have a few connections."

’This conversation is moving way too fast,’ Cecilia thought, stunned. ’Mr. Grant and Mrs. White have clearly accepted me as their future daughter-in-law. Why else would they be so eager to take charge of my job search?’

But that was exactly the case. From what Mr. Grant knew of his son, Emeric, any girlfriend he brought to a family event had to be "the one." As a father, he was determined to give his full support.

After all, in all these years, his son had never brought a girlfriend home before.

That was what made Cecilia seem so special, and why she was receiving so much attention from the whole family.

Cecilia was a little overwhelmed by the attention. Fearing she wouldn’t know how to handle this sudden predicament, Emeric was about to get up to help smooth things over. But in a flash of inspiration, Cecilia blurted out, "You’re both thinking too far ahead. I’m not writing a thesis, studying for grad school exams, or looking for a job."

"I am really busy these days, though. The National Collegiate Olympiad is coming up. I’m on the university team, so I spend all my free time training."

’It was the perfect, ready-made excuse.’

"An Olympiad?" Mr. Grant’s eyes lit up. "Wow, if you made the university team, you must be very smart! I used to compete in them too when I was a student."

He added, not forgetting to point at Emeric, "So did Emeric! He even won a gold medal."

"Dad, it was a silver medal," Emeric corrected.

"Same difference," Mr. Grant said dismissively.

Cecilia couldn’t help but smile at the exchange. "The university is taking this competition very seriously, so our team’s training schedule is quite intense. I really don’t have much free time."

"I only had a moment to spare because I was bringing my sister to the hospital today, so I thought I’d pop in to see Emeric. I never expected to run into you both! Let’s just count this as another nice visit, shall we?"

"As for dinner at your home, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future. There’s no need to rush."

She handled the sudden turn of events with a soft-spoken and graceful composure. Watching her, Emeric’s own expression softened unconsciously.

Since Cecilia had put it that way, Mr. Grant couldn’t very well force the issue. He was happy just to have seen his son’s girlfriend again, so he nodded cheerfully. "Alright then. But you must come over with Emeric after your competition is finished."

Cecilia smiled and agreed. "Of course, Mr. Grant."

Mrs. White, meanwhile, turned her attention to Lily. "So this is your sister? Your biological sister?"

At this, Lily quickly and politely greeted them. "Hello, Mr. Grant, Mrs. White."

"Huh? You look familiar." Mrs. White enjoyed watching TV shows in her spare time, and looking at Lily’s makeup-free face, she felt a nagging sense of familiarity. "I’ve seen you somewhere before, haven’t I?"