Married At First Sight Chapter 4547
“Grandpa, why are you asking my parents to look into River’s background?” Romina questioned. “I’m not marrying him. There’s no need to dig through his family tree.”
She added, “You’re not thinking River and I will actually end up together, are you? Sure, I admit he’s a decent guy, but we don’t get along. His Yantail and our Lafond family are business rivals. I’ll arrange two blind dates for him every day this month. I’m sure I can take care of his ‘life event.’ If I match him with someone, I’ll be his matchmaker—and the thank-you gift better be two major business deals.”
Romina looked pleased with her plan.
Old Mr. Lafond replied, “Do you really think River’s that easy to deal with? He agreed to those blind dates, but only on the condition that you go with him each time and treat him to dinner. So, basically, you’re dining with him every day for a month. Who knows what kind of rumors that’ll spark?”
Romina said confidently, “I’ve got a mouth. If people get the wrong idea, I’ll just clear it up.”
Her grandfather gave her a look. “And how exactly are you going to explain that? That you molested him and, to make up for it, you’re finding him a girlfriend?”
Romina was at a loss for words.
Old Mr. Lafond continued, “You’ve been sparring with River for years. You know him well. Doesn’t it strike you as odd how quickly he gave in this time? That kind of compromise means he’s planning something—or worse, he’s already set a trap, and you’ve walked right into it by signing that agreement.”
Romina exclaimed, “Grandpa, if you had concerns, why didn’t you stop me from signing it?”
“Because I didn’t have proof,” he said calmly. “It was all just speculation. What could I say? River’s terms made sense. Now, imagine if you’d refused and he really insisted that you take responsibility—what would you have done? Would you marry him or not?”
Again, Romina had no response.
After a moment, she muttered, “Grandpa, I think you’re overthinking it. He called Sister Seren to witness and said I should be responsible for him—I think he was just trying to annoy and disgust me. He doesn’t actually want to marry me. If I really tried to be responsible, he’d probably run for his life. He wouldn’t even sleep soundly, afraid I’d murder him in his sleep.”
Old Mr. Lafond was quiet for a while, then said, “I have to admit, I admire River. Romina, have you ever considered the possibility that he might actually have a thing for you? And maybe—just maybe—you’re interested in him too?”
“No way. Absolutely not. There’s no chance he likes me,” she shot back. “He’s just doing all this to get under my skin.”
Donovan interjected, “Grandpa, no need to talk to Romina about this. She and River have been competing for years. Even if there’s something between them, they wouldn’t know it themselves.”
“I’m not clueless,” Romina retorted. “I’m smart, okay? I might not be dating anyone now, but I’ve been in a relationship before. Back in college.”
Donovan snorted. “That half-month fling? Please. You got bored in two weeks. I’ve lost count of how many guys tried chasing after you. Didn’t work out for any of them.”
Romina mumbled, “I may not have eaten pork, but I’ve seen pigs walk. I know what love looks like. I’ve seen it all around me—I get it.”
Married At First Sight Chapter 4548
Romina wasn’t sure whether River liked her or not. But really, who wouldn’t? She had the looks, the figure, the background. In all of Eaglioncile, few rich girls could match her.
And the ones who came close weren’t nearly as capable. Most of them couldn’t even choose their husbands—they were arranged into marriages. It was just a slightly upgraded version of old-school matchmaking. Some of them were even paired with boys since childhood, raised as “future couples.”
But not her. Romina was truly free. When it came to marriage, she made the final call.
“Whatever, let’s wait and see,” Donovan said. “Just don’t come crying to me later.”
“Grandpa, I have dinner plans with a friend. I’m heading out.”
Donovan got up and left, too lazy to argue with his sister. In his eyes, Romina clearly had feelings for River—she just didn’t know it yet.
And River? He had a hunch, otherwise he wouldn’t be pulling all this.
After Donovan left, Mr. Lafond turned to his wife and asked, “Should we book flights for this afternoon or tomorrow?”
“Let’s do the day after tomorrow,” she replied. “No need to rush. After booking the flight, we’ll need to find a hotel and pack.”
Romina’s expression darkened. “Mom, Dad, are you seriously going to Wiltspoon to investigate River?”
“Wiltspoon has some nice sights,” Mrs. Lafond said cheerfully. “We’ll treat it like a vacation. It’s not like we go there often. We might as well enjoy ourselves before heading back. Romina, even if we’re not trying to marry you off to River, it’s still useful to learn about his background. You always say ‘know your enemy to win every battle.’ You know River well, but you know nothing about his family.”
Romina had no comeback.
She’d always focused on fighting River in the business world—not his family life. She just assumed he came from a regular background. Maybe a middle-class or farming family who’d pinned all their hopes on him. Now he was successful in Eaglioncile, so they must be proud.
Her parents were clearly set on their trip, and she couldn’t stop them.
Putting down the fruit plate, Romina said, “Can we eat now? I’m starving.”
“Alright, let’s eat. Does your head hurt?”
Grandpa Lafond stood up, and Romina hurried to support him.
“A little,” she admitted. “But it’s manageable. I’ll make some honey water later.”
Thankfully, it was Sunday. She didn’t have work. She’d only drunk so much the night before because she knew she had today off.
Her grandfather said, “Let’s see if you dare to drink like that again. Do you really think you can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk? That’s just a saying.”
“Even if someone could drink that much,” he added, “they’d end up with alcohol poisoning.”
Romina nodded, promising, “I learned my lesson. From now on, three to five cups max. No more than that.”
Married At First Sight Chapter 4549
After what happened—and especially since it happened with her nemesis—Romina was genuinely shaken.
She didn’t dare get drunk again.
Even if she ever drank, she’d have to control her intake. After all, too much alcohol could damage her health.
Grandpa Lafond said, “After lunch, if your headache’s not too bad, you should set up a meeting with Maddox. He really helped you last night. If he hadn’t stepped in and contained the situation, everyone would be gossiping about it today. Maddox is a good kid—I’ve always thought highly of him. But I’ve noticed you never really had feelings for him. He didn’t seem to feel anything deeper for you either. You met once on a blind date and didn’t follow up. Now you’re meeting again, and it’s going nowhere.
Romina, you’re almost thirty. You need to start thinking seriously about your future. If you’re too busy to focus on your personal life, then I’ll take away a few of the roles you’re juggling and give you time to relax—like other girls your age, going shopping, eating out, catching movies with a boyfriend.”
Romina quickly said, “Grandpa, please don’t take away any of my positions. I can handle everything. It’s not that I’m not thinking about settling down—I am. If you want me to go on a blind date, I’ll go. If you want me to invite someone to dinner, I’ll do that too. I just haven’t met someone who makes me want to give up being single. What can I do? Marriage is for life. I want to marry someone I truly like, and who likes me back.
Only then will I be happy—just like my parents. After all these years, their relationship is still as sweet as when they first fell in love. As their daughter, I really envy that.”
Mrs. Lafond immediately linked arms with her husband and smiled warmly. “Of course. Your father has treated me like his first love for decades. We’re still just as close as we were back then.”
The family headed into the dining hall and took their seats at the table.
The servants started serving food.
There were only four people dining, so the meal was simple—just four dishes and a soup—one favorite dish for each of them.
Meanwhile, River left the Lafond residence and rode home with his sister-in-law.
On the way, Serenity asked, “River, are you really going to just let Romina go? I thought you were serious about forcing her to marry you.”
River replied, “Sister-in-law, like you said, it would’ve been forced. Can anyone really be happy in a forced marriage? That never works. I only asked you to go with me to ‘propose’ because I wanted to irritate Romina, not to seriously propose. If I was really going to propose, I wouldn’t rush into it. I’d prepare a generous dowry, and my parents would definitely be involved.
You didn’t see her face—it was priceless. She was totally thrown off. She was so passive, and I was completely in control.”
Serenity laughed. “You’re definitely a little into her. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have gone through all that trouble.”
“No way. I don’t like her. I just wanted payback. She called me her husband in front of people, made it look like we were a couple—why can’t I mess with her the same way? Her family probably thinks I’m seriously interested now.”
Serenity said, “…If you won’t admit it or even recognize it yourself, there’s nothing I can do. But as long as I’m still in Eaglioncile, you better call me when you pull something like that again. I can’t miss a good show.”
Married At First Sight Chapter 4550
River smiled. “You still love watching drama, huh?”
Serenity grinned. “Of course. Drama’s the best—especially when it’s yours. Your sister-in-law lives for it.”
River was speechless.
Then Serenity asked, “By the way, River, are you actually going to go on those blind dates? Two every day?”
River said, “Of course. It’s in writing—signed and fingerprinted. I have to.”
Serenity tilted her head and studied him. After thinking for a bit, she asked, “Are you planning to act affectionate with Romina during those blind dates, so your dates get the wrong idea and back out? Then, those same people will go around gossiping about the two of you. Sixty blind dates means sixty people spreading rumors. You’ll have dinner with her every night, play nice, and ease the tension between you two. Who knows? She might even fall for you.”
River was sly.
He chuckled. “You see right through me, sister-in-law.”
She’d probably seen enough love drama among the brothers to become a relationship expert.
But she was sharp. The kind of woman who could win his eldest brother’s heart had to be.
Serenity teased, “Then why not just admit you have feelings for Romina?”
River fell silent.
After a while, he smiled and said, “Maybe I do, I’m not sure. But when I saw her show up at the banquet with Maddox, I was so pissed. I felt jealous. I couldn’t let them be together. She hit on me last night when she was drunk—though I know it wasn’t on purpose. Still, I didn’t want her to end up with Maddox. When she’s drunk and sees me, she forgets Maddox. I’m more handsome, and she has a weakness for handsome guys when she drinks.”
Serenity narrowed her eyes. “And how exactly do you know she flirts with handsome guys when she’s drunk?”
River said, “We’ve been fighting for years. I’ve learned a lot about her. This isn’t the first time she’s acted out when she’s drunk. It happened years ago, and most people in Eaglioncile’s upper circle knew about it, though it’s mostly forgotten now.
Her drinking habits are bad. When she’s drunk, she loses control. She rarely drinks heavily because she can actually hold her liquor. Honestly, if we had a drinking contest, I’m not sure I could beat her.”
Serenity shook her head. “And you say you’re not interested in her. You’ve studied all her flaws, got jealous when she was with someone else, and now you’re setting up a whole scheme to get close to her. You’re obviously into her, River. You’re usually so smart—how are you this blind about your own feelings?”
River looked embarrassed. “Sister-in-law, I’ve never been in love before. At first, I was just going head-to-head with her. We’ve been rivals for years. I never imagined I’d actually start liking her.”
Serenity reassured him, “Romina’s a great girl. If you like her, that just proves you’ve got good taste. Grandma would be happy too. Honestly, I’m really fond of Romina. We get along great.”
River smiled instinctively. “When us brothers get married, we always make sure our wives get along with you first. That way, you can all be like sisters, and our York family can stay tight-knit and happy.”