Everyone looked toward the sound and met Albert's cold, indifferent eyes. Mary felt a wave of guilt wash over her at that instant. Zelda was easy for her to deceive, but Albert, on the other hand, wasn't a fool.She immediately smiled and said, " Oh, Albert, you know how I always speak before I think. You know how well I treat your family for sure."How well she treated his family? Albert sneered. He hadn’t forgotten what Mary had done.Mary had been nagging Zelda about how she had married the wrong person during Albert's early years when his parents were still working hard on their careers. She kept complaining that Zelda should have listened to her elders instead so she wouldn't endure all the hardships. She kept emphasizing how unfortunate Zelda's life was.Albert was disgusted with her remarks. She even questioned Zelda and asked her why she married a laborer instead of someone else because the Stiggs were one of the well-known families in Rookfort.Unfortunately, Mary had
The woman's voice, which came from behind the trees, instantly dissipated the tense atmosphere of the standoff.Everyone couldn't help but look toward the source of the voice, especially Daniel. He quickly looked in the direction of the familiar voice. He attempted to catch a glimpse of the face that would only appear in his dreams, but the trees were in the way.Mary was also curious about her niece, whom she had never met. She couldn't be bothered to notice how impatient Daniel looked and leaned forward with curiosity.Serena, on the other hand, wasn't being as obvious as they were. She looked impatient instead. She couldn't understand how Rebecca could get so much attention from them as the Johnsons had just found her.She thought Rebecca wouldn't be of one mind with the family either because she hadn't stayed with her family for twenty years. She couldn't understand why the Johnsons were so willing to show affection to her. She thought they did not need to do so because Rebecca
Rebecca never thought a person’s expression could change so many times within a minute. This cousin of hers was really something!Without wanting to stay and let Daniel continue ogling at her, Rebecca tugged her eldest brother's sleeve. "Albert, Sam said he's arriving soon. Shall we go and receive him?"Albert grunted in agreement. He also didn't wish to continue speaking with them. Just as he was about to excuse himself, Mary lightly pulled Serena's arm."You should hurry along to get Sammy. Serena and I are familiar with the house. We can guide Mr. Winston and Mr. Jenkins without an issue," Mary blurted. She gave her plus-ones a knowing look, and the four of them vanished behind the lush foliage soon after.Rebecca was taken aback. She never knew Daniel could be that brazen. She started dragging Albert to the main gate as she huffed, "It's my home. I don't need to be afraid of him."About a minute later, Rebecca asked, "Albert, why is he here?""I'm not sure. Aunt Mary brought
"We wouldn't dare—" Sam stopped abruptly. His gaze turned sharp instantaneously once it fell onto a certain someone. Daniel Winston!"What is he doing here?" Sam asked in an icy tone.Rebecca put her hands in her pockets and replied, "Aunt Mary brought him along as her plus-one. Albert had wanted to chase him away earlier, but he's so thick-skinned that we couldn't stop him from joining."Her attitude towards Daniel was ambivalent compared to Sam's cold demeanor. She no longer felt anything for him and refused to continue looking at him. She felt that it was a waste of time to entertain him.When she left Riverwood, she thought it would be hard to forget a past lover. She worried she might be attracted to him the next time they met. However, that didn't happen. She had gotten used to better things, so the past didn't matter to her anymore. She had also started to forget what he looked like after spending so much time with her family.She thought she could’ve gone the rest of her
Kenneth didn't want to be petty with the younger ones. Although he was extremely dissatisfied with his former son-in-law, he still had basic manners and gave Daniel a curt reply. Markus, who was playing chess with Dr. Manson, had the opposite reaction. In his anger, he slammed his knight on the chessboard and checkmated his opponent. In an aggressive tone, he said, "Mr. Johnson is really a gentleman. If I were in his shoes, that guy wouldn't even make it past the main gate!"Although no names were said, everyone knew who he was referring to.Daniel didn't mind it, as Markus had hurled much worse insults at him in Riverwood. This time, he was kind enough to omit his name.Daniel left after receiving permission. His whole demeanor exuded class and elegance, with none of the authoritative posture from Riverwood to be seen. He may have lowered his status, but he didn't lose it.Kenneth looked at Daniel's retreating back and sighed lightly. "What a waste. He would've been an admirable
A person's capacity for healing on their own can be quite strong. Daniel started to regain his consciousness after the physical pain had subsided. The melodious voice from his memory resounded in his ears once again. Daniel never thought that the most effective medicine for him in his current state would be her voice. It made the pain disappear.Rebecca had actually come running from the kitchen. The birthday cake she had baked was ready, and she wanted to get Sam to try it. However, she saw Sam punching someone on the grass.Each punch that Sam landed on that guy caused the surrounding dust to fly. She was afraid that her brother would cause serious damage, which could tarnish his reputation. So, she hurriedly went up and stopped the one-sided fight.Sam saw the worried look on Rebecca's face and got up. He gestured at Daniel and said sarcastically, "You don't need to worry so much. He's not dead yet.""Becca, do you feel sorry for him?" Sam asked, and he sounded a bit angry."
"You—" Sam was so mad to hear Rebecca snap at him. He wanted to rebut but only managed to get one word out."What about me? Did you think of the consequences of your actions? This happened at our house. Let's put aside the fact that you threw the first punch. What do you think would happen if things escalated? Do you think that you'll be safe even if Daniel doesn't plan to pursue this?"Putting everything else aside, even that aunt of theirs didn't seem like a good person, not to mention the sly foxes of the business circle. Everyone wanted a piece of the pie and would be more than happy to oust Sam, a person who stood at the apex of his professional circle.Daniel might not press charges for what happened today, but there was no guarantee that rumors wouldn't spread. Someone might even use this to bring Sam down. Others might even use this to attack the artists under his company.Sam's expression changed from rage to embarrassment after listening to her. "What's done is done … and
"Both of us are the lucky ones. We won't know when that girl might get lazy and stop cooking. So, we're thanking our lucky stars that we still get to eat her food," they answered politely. Both Dr. Manson and Markus were food aficionados and had made the trip to Rookfort to taste Rebecca's cooking. They were focused on waiting for everyone to arrive to start the meal and didn't pay attention to what Mary insinuated. The two distinguished guests might not have minded, but the Johnsons didn't know how to hide their embarrassment, especially Zelda, whose face was becoming redder. "That's some strong praise from you. It's only natural that Becca treats you well when you are here. She'll be more than happy to cook your favorite dishes to keep the both of you here.""Come, have some food. There's no need to wait for the kids. We are not that rigid with etiquette," Zelda said and served the two guests some food. Zelda was extra polite and courteous towards them as they had taken care of Re