Chapter 16
Quinlyn’s words came as a bolt from the blue, making everyone’s mind race.
Graham fell silent, weighing his options. Whichever of his two daughters married into the Fletcher family, he stood to benefit either way. He also figured that it seemed Logan had a clear preference for Quinlyn.
He thought, ‘If Quinlyn marries into the Fletcher family, it would definitely be a better match than Yalena. However, given the current situation, it’s clear that Quinlyn isn’t on my side. It may not be as beneficial as I hope if she is the bride.
Meanwhile, Evelyn, Yalena, and Beatrice wore nearly identical expressions. However, Yalena’s was subtly different. It carried a trace of delicate fragility, the kind that came from having something rightfully hers ripped away.
Zachary caught that look from Yalena, and suddenly, a surge of indignation washed over him. All his previous hesitation. disappeared. With a mocking sneer, he confronted Quinlyn. “So, Ms. Guzman, what exactly did you say up there on stage just now?”
The moment he finished speaking, Logan struck him with his cane and scolded, “Who taught you to speak with such disrespect?”
Zachary’s tough-guy act was over before it even had a chance to start.
Yalena took a tentative step forward. In a timid whisper, she called out to Quinlyn. Then she lifted her head, and her sparkling, charming eyes glanced around, from Logan, before finally settling on Quinlyn.
She said, “Quinlyn, I know you feel wronged. I really do. This engagement was always meant for you. It’s all my fault for harboring feelings I shouldn’t have. Please don’t blame anyone else. Just blame me.
“How about this? Today, I’ve come of age. I’m eighteen now, and I…”
Yalena took a deep breath, biting her lip hard as if appearing to bear immense pain. Then, as if making a resolute decision, she declared, “I’ll leave the Guzman residence. I just hope you won’t act rashly out of resentment.
“I know you don’t like Zachary, and you never intended to marry into the Fletcher family. It’s all because you feel wronged. Once I’m gone, you’ll be the only daughter left in the Guzman residence. Mom, Dad, and our brothers will only dote on you.”
As soon as Yalena finished speaking, Evelyn’s face crumpled in distress. She rushed to her side, wrapped her arms around Yalena, and broke down in gut-wrenching sobs.
The scene felt both eerily familiar and absurd to Quinlyn, leaving her momentarily dazed. Then, her long-buried memories. came rushing back.
Quinlyn thought to herself, ‘Time and again, Yalena would put on her perfectly-timed sweet and innocent act, winning everyone’s sympathy, while I, as the designated villainess, always seemed to explode.
‘Yeah, why did I always explode so easily? Anyone with half a brain could tell there was something off about Yalena’s words!
The Narrator said, [Ding! Every character follows their set role. The beloved female lead, Yalena, is universally adored, so everyone will naturally feel for her.] The Narrator was unusually chatty today, even going so far as to offer an unsolicited explanation.
Quinlyn nodded and thought, ‘As expected of the female lead. She’s really in a league of her own.’
Yalena and Evelyn wept for what felt like an eternity without a response. With tears still glistening in her eyes, Yalena slowly lifted her head and timidly called out to Quinlyn again. “Quinlyn, do you really want me to leave now?”
Quinlyn’s brow twitched, but she quickly reined it in. She forced a professional smile. Her crimson lips curved with poise and composure, not showing the slightest hint of being cornered.
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Logan sized her up and became more satisfied. This is exactly the kind of granddaughter-in-law who can keep my spoiled grandson in check,’ he thought.
However, Quinlyn arched an eyebrow and asked Yalena coolly, “What exactly do I want?”
Yalena’s voice faltered. She hesitated and then whispered, “You hope I’ll leave?”
Quinlyn replied, “Where do you think you’re going? If you leave, won’t the whole Guzman family come after me? Didn’t you hear? Mom said she’d follow you wherever you went. Your two brothers treat you like their precious jewel, and Dad loves you even more.”
Yalena was about to blurt something out when Quinlyn calmly held up her hand, cutting her off.
Quinlyn said mockingly, “Let me think. If you leave, Mom will follow, and our two brothers will never let you suffer. Dad would definitely chase after Mom, too. So it looks like you’d come out just fine if you left, wouldn’t you? Works for me.”
She clapped her hands together and asked, “So, when exactly are you planning to go?”
Yalena froze, completely thrown off by how Quinlyn had twisted the conversation. In that instant, she was at a total loss for words.
Just then, Chancey stepped forward, his tall and sturdy frame carrying a sense of reassurance. “Alright, that’s enough. Why are you two sisters bickering?” Then, turning to a servant, he added, “Escort Yalena to the back to freshen up.”
With that, Chancey walked over to Logan and said warmly, “Mr. Fletcher, please, let me escort you to your seat.” With this, he skillfully smoothed things over, deftly downplaying the whole incident and moving things along.
Logan had seen enough of this drama. Any further, and it would be hard to wrap things up. Without another word, he waved his hand dismissively and said, “I’ll go with Graham.”
Chancey gave a slight bow and watched as Logan took his seat.
With a quiet understanding, the other guests dispersed to find their seats.
Chancey stepped in front of Quinlyn, looking down at his sister with a deeply furrowed brow. After a long pause, he finally said in a low, measured tone, “You’re still young. When you grow up, you’ll understand that family is important.”
There was the faintest trace of reproach in his tone, almost imperceptible. Yet more than that, his words carried the steady, paternal warmth of an elder brother. He seemed to make clear he treated everyone with impartiality.
Every time Chancey said something like this to her before, Quinlyn would spiral into self-blame. ‘It’s my fault,’ she always thought. ‘I’m the one who’s done something wrong!
She gazed at him with her big eyes calmly. Those clear eyes always seemed to see right through a person. Yet now, they held none of the emotions Chancey so desperately wished to find.
Quinlyn wasn’t confused or guilty. She found no truth in his words. Instead, she looked at him with the detached calm of an observer and then responded flatly, “Well, I also think family is important.”
She didn’t spell it out, leaving it open to interpretation. Maybe she truly believed there was some truth in those words, or maybe, deep down, she thought they were their own tight-knit family, the one she could never truly belong to.
Chancey thought that Quinlyn probably fitted the latter description. He squinted his deep eyes and stared at his troublemaking sister for the first time after she entered the Guzman residence. “You seem to harbor quite a bit of resentment,” he said.
Hearing that, Quinlyn shook her head decisively. “Not at all.”
Resentment only comes when you care,’ Quinlyn thought. ‘Right now, I just want to stay alive and not get myself killed here’
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Chancey didn’t push the matter any further, but the look in his eyes grew more thoughtful. He felt that Quinlyn was turning out to be quite the handful.
Standing nearby, Yasin was impossible to ignore. Chancey shifted his gaze and politely extended his hand to Yasin. “I just heard you’ve acquired Acme Group. Looking forward to working with you,” he said.
Yasin glanced at Chancey’s outstretched hand but remained silent. He merely stared at Chancey as if he were part of the background or as if Chancey simply didn’t exist.
