Chapter 3173
Chapter 3173 I Didn't Know He'd Come
Still, having a child was Vivian's wish now.
Vivian thought that she could wait until after she graduated and had a stable job. Then, she could adopt a child from an orphanage.
The thought brought a smile to her face, deepening her anticipation for a bright future.
After the kids delivered their gifts, they sat down quietly to read.
Around five in the afternoon, the invited guests began to arrive.
Luke also wrapped up his work and came downstairs to greet the guests.
Even though he was the esteemed Mr. Crawford, the attendees were all his friends and family. Hence, he did not put on airs. Instead, he chatted with a few friends while accompanied by Lanie.
The men mainly talked about work. There had been quite a few developments in A City recently.
For instance, the bidding for the suburban development was about to start, and they were determined to win this project. Luke had not invited the Norman family to avoid any conflicts of interest because of the bidding project.
Moreover, Matysh's case was about to go to trial. With two cases back-to- back, the Norman family would be preoccupied with their own court proceedings.
At the thought of the emotional toll Leia's situation would take on the elderly couple, Luke chose not to invite them to the gathering.
While the men discussed work, the women talked about family and children.
The atmosphere was harmonious.
Luca and Aunt Neile were bringing out the ingredients and preparing to ask the men to help light the charcoal when someone walked in through the door. It was Louis.
"You're here." Luke nodded at him.
"Hey, Luke." Louis nodded back.
"Why are you alone? Where are your wife and Thea?" asked Luke. Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.
"The Dunn family is hosting an event that requires their presence, so they couldn't come," explained Louis. Then, he greeted Luca and a few of Luke's friends.
They returned his greeting.
Luca listened to their conversation. When she saw that everyone had arrived, she was about to ask Luke to start the grills when another person walked in.
"Everyone's here," said Gordan with a lazy smile as he waved at them. His smile froze the moment he saw Vivian.
Luca was also stunned for a moment. What was Gordan doing here?
She had not heard Luke mention inviting him. If she had known, she certainly would not have invited Vivian.
It would be so awkward for them to meet...
Everyone else had the same thought, glancing between Gordan and Vivian.
Vivian stood frozen in place, holding two plates of ingredients...
Why was Gordan here?
This question was on everyone’s mind, including Vivian's.
Even Luke wondered the same thing.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Norton." The air was filled with silence. Luca was the first to break it when she greeted Gordan.
"Good afternoon, Dr. Craw," replied Gordan. He quickly regained his composure despite his surprise at seeing Vivian.
Luca smiled, considering whether to check on Vivian. However, she felt it might be too abrupt. As for Gordan, he was already here and could not be sent away.
Louis felt a bit awkward too. He did not know Luke had invited Vivian or he would not have agreed to bring Gordan along.
Since he was a property owner here, they managed to get in smoothly without ringing the doorbell. Hence, no one knew he had brought Gordan.
Louis was not a fool and understood the situation immediately. He realized that Luke had not invited Gordan. He explained, "I came with Mr. Norton."
"Oh, have a seat." Luke's voice was icy cold. He cast a warning glance at Gordan.
It was to signal him not to cause trouble.
Gordan shrugged nonchalantly when he saw Luke's gaze. He was here for the free food and drinks, not to stir up trouble.
Therefore, he sat down with the men and greeted some familiar faces. He held a certain status in this circle.
The reason everyone found it awkward this time was because he and Vivian showed up simultaneously. Everyone knew about their history and how messy things got when they divorced.
When the two of them came face to face again without exchanging a word, it confirmed that being friends was out of the question after divorcing.
Everyone knew that Gordan and Vivian did not have an amicable divorce.
Without any children to tie them together, they truly had no contact after the divorce.
Luca put down the plate she was holding and approached Vivian. She explained, "I invited you. That's why I didn't invite Mr. Norton. I didn't know he would come."
Vivian forced a weak smile. "I know. I won't misunderstand."
She was not stupid. When she saw Luke's and Luca's expressions, she knew Gordan was not invited.
Furthermore, Louis also admitted that he brought Gordan.
He was likely unaware that Luke and Luca had invited her. Otherwise, he would not have brought Gordan.
As for why Gordan came...
Vivian did not flatter herself by thinking he came for her. They must have coincidentally run into each other.
Their personal matters should not make things difficult for others.
Even though she did not know how to face Gordan, she acted like nothing was wrong to avoid making the hosts uncomfortable.
After all, Gordan was also their friend.
Vivian understood the need to consider the bigger picture. Even if she did not want to see Gordan now, she could not leave or ask him to leave. She could only ignore his presence.
Luca waved to Luke. "Can you help light the charcoal?"
"Sure." Luke nodded, taking the tools she handed over.
Louis, feeling awkward and realizing he might have made a mistake, followed Luke to light the charcoal. Using a small fan on the charcoal, they soon had one grill ready.
Then, they moved on to the next grill.
Luca encouraged the guests to help themselves, telling them not to be shy and to grill whatever they wanted.
The men gathered around one grill while the women and children gathered around another.
Each group kept to themselves, but the couples would occasionally share food with each other.
Their interactions made the single guests envious.
Gale was no exception. He nudged Gordan with his elbow, who was sitting and drinking beside him. "You came to a barbecue. You shouldn't just be drinking."
"I don't know how to grill stuff," replied Gordan, slightly narrowing his eyes. As he watched how clumsy the men were at grilling the food, it was clear they were unused to kitchen work.