---- Chapter 136 Soren had mentioned several times that his family wanted to meet her, but Tara still wasn't mentally prepared. So, she had always turned down the invitation. Tara took a deep breath and walked toward the office Kieran had pointed to. He opened the door for her, and she stepped in slowly. The conversation inside immediately came to an abrupt halt. Oscar was seated directly across from her, and the three men sitting diagonally from him made Tara's heart pound uncontrollably.

It felt like something was gripping her so tightly that she could hardly breathe. She had no idea Jonah, Shawn, and Lance would also be in the office. If Jonah still had his memory, it might have been easier. But unfortunately, his memory probably remained stuck at the point when the original host tried to seduce him and got thrown out. Oscar was quite pleased the moment he saw Tara. She was very different from what they had initially imagined her to be.

He had a good eye for people, and he figured that Tara was probably a decent person. "Hello, Mr. Farrell," Tara greeted politely. ---- Oscar smiled and waved her over. "Tara, you're finally here. Come, sit over here." He had her sit facing a different direction, separate from Jonah and the other two. A little stiff in her movements , Tara sat where Oscar had indicated . She didn't dare glance even once at the three men sitting nearby.

Nervousness consumed her entirely, leaving both her body and mind on edge. Lance leaned against the couch and lifted his eyes to look at her. He recognized Tara. He had seen her a year anda half ago. A smile formed on his face. So, this was Soren's girlfriend. Shawn had already withdrawn his gaze, his expression turning cold. For once, he dropped his usual gentle facade. Though he didn't say anything, his expression had already betrayed his displeasure.

Jonah furrowed his brow slightly, as if surprised that Tara had become Soren's girlfriend. The scene of her trying to seduce him two years ago flashed through his mind. Each of the three men wore different expressions, ranging from grave to vaguely entertained. Tara had only prepared herself to face Oscar. She hadn't expected the other three men to be there as well. She was so nervous that it gave her a headache, and her hands ---- were clenched tightly in unease.

"You all know each other, right? I heard from Soren that you used to work as a live-in housekeeper at Bayheaven Villa." Tara nodded. "Yes, Mr. Farrell, that's correct. I still remember Mr. Swain, Mr. Wilhelm, and Mr. Pearson." Oscar was so focused on getting to know his future daughter - in-law that he didn't notice the expressions of the three other men. "Where do your parents work?" he asked. "They run a small convenience store back in my hometown," Tara answered, not hiding anything.

Oscar already knew that, but he continued asking, "Ever thought about starting your own business?" Tara shook her head with a polite smile. "Not at the moment." Oscar could tell she had an honest, down-to-earth personality . There wasn't a trace of pretentiousness in her, and she wasn't the type to come up with flashy plans just to earn others' approval. At the very least, she had a good, gentle, and graceful temperament.

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After chatting with her for a bit, Oscar became increasingly pleased with her. He couldn't help but ---- imagine how stunning the children between Soren and Tara would be. She had a good personality, and her manners and speech were genuinely pleasant. The more Oscar saw, the more satisfied he felt with his future daughter-in-law. Throughout Oscar and Tara's entire conversation , Lance kept his gaze down, a faint look of amusement flickering in his eyes. What truly worried Tara was Shawn.

After all, she had promised to disappear from his life for good after taking the money. Yet, here she was showing up as his close friend's girlfriend -someone as shrewd and calculating as he would never just let that slide. Outside the office, Soren emerged from another room and saw Kieran standing near Oscar's door. "Have you delivered the contract?" he asked. "Mr. Soren, Mr. Oscar asked Ms.

Thayer to bring the contract from the villa, and she's already in the office," Kieran replied with a troubled expression. Soren's expression tensed sharply as he pushed open the door and entered the office. Contrary to what he feared, the atmosphere inside wasn't hostile. In fact, Oscar was laughing heartily. ---- When Tara heard the door open, she turned and saw him. "Hey, Soren," she greeted him softly. His expression was grim as he pulled her into his arms.

Startled, Tara quickly struggled to free herself. "Soren, your dad's here. This isn't appropriate," she whispered urgently. Soren actually listened to her and instead took her hand firmly in his. Seeing Soren holding Tara so tightly, Oscar couldn't help but smile. Yet, he didn't dare tease him, as he was afraid it might make him angry. "Relax. I just wanted to meet my future daughter-in-law. There's no need to be so tense," Oscar said. "Dad, this is a serious matter.

Next time, don't do this without my permission," Soren warned stiffly. His stern tone surprised not only Shawn and Lance, but even Jonah raised his eyebrow. It was obvious how much Soren cherished Tara. Tara immediately stood up and tugged at him when he heard Soren talk back to his father like that. "Don't talk to your dad like that, Soren," she said softly. "He just wanted to meet me, that's all." ---- Seeing this only made Oscar happier -his son had clearly chosen well. "It's fine.

We're all used to his bad temper by now, though we have no idea who he gets it from." Soren's handsome face remained cold as he led her out of the office. Oscar smiled and said, "Tara, come by our place with Soren sometime to meet his mom and grandpa." As Tara was being pulled away, she turned her head to reply, "I will. Thank you, Mr. Farrell." After forcibly dragging her into his office, Soren embraced her tightly.

Tara knew exactly what he was nervous about -it was nothing more than the fact that she had once tried to seduce Jonah and the other two. "Soren, I'm fine," she whispered. Soren kissed her and said, "I can't live without you." She said nothing. Instead, while still in his arms, she kissed him back as a form of silent comfort. That night, Shawn sent her a message asking why she was with Soren. ---- His message was simple and direct, so she easily understood the implication.

"It was pure coincidence we ended up together . There's no need to overthink it," she replied. He soon responded, "Let's meet. I have something to discuss with you." Pretending she hadn't seen the message, she deleted it and blocked his number. In the two weeks that followed , Tara didn't receive any more calls or messages from Shawn. If he had truly wanted to reach out, blocking his number wouldn't have stopped him. Thus, Tara guessed that he probably didn't want to ruin his friendship with Soren, so he had chosen to let the matter quietly fade away.