Chapter 18

Horace suddenly chuckled from the sidelines, amused by Winnie’s sharp retort.

Hobson’s face darkened with irritation. “You’re talking nonsense! How can that be possible?”

Winnie looked at him, unimpressed. “Isn’t it the logic you use? I’m applying your standards to set my terms. What’s wrong with that?”

“A national museum’s artifact and a bedroom are hardly the same thing Hobson nearly laughed in anger.

Springer couldn’t help but jump in. “Winnie, why must you be so petty? It’s just a bedroom. It’s not like you’re being kicked out. Is it worth all this fuss?”

Winnie just smiled. Indeed, with so many rooms available, why did everyone want her room?

Cutler Bryant, from the third branch of the family, stepped forward. “Hobson’s right. That fairy–tale princess decor is for little girls. You’re not that into it, so why fight over it with a child? If it’s that big a deal, I’ll give up my room to you, and Nadine can have yours. Let’s drop it. All this bickering over a room has turned into a real circus from yesterday.”

Springer muttered under his breath, “It’s all since someone returned. Never had this much drama before.”

His words, veiled as they were, blamed Winnie for the upheaval.

Even though Leonie had arranged the room from the start, everyone thought Winnie was the problem.

Horace listened to the back and forth, his smile slowly cooling into a thin line. But before he could speak up, Hobson interjected again, impatiently, “All this talk, and you don’t want to give in…”

“Yes, I won’t give in.” Winnie’s clear voice silenced everyone, and Hobson and the others were stunned by her bold refusal.

But Winnie had said it, staring them down, her eyes calm and clean to the point of indifference.

She’d grown up with similar accusations hurled at her.

“You’re the elder sister to Kathryn, and you should be more accommodating!”

“How can you keep a fox as a pet? What if it scares Kathryn? Get rid of it now!”

“You live here for free and want to keep a pet now? Winnie, are you trying to upset the family on purpose?”

She couldn’t be more familiar with such “criticism.” But being used to it didn’t mean she accepted it.

Why should she always give in just because someone was younger?

Her parents had decorated that room, filling it with the hope and anticipation of her birth.

Her parents once eagerly awaited her arrival, a fact she only learned the day before.

Nadine had thought the bedroom would be hers with her brothers stepping in. But to her surprise, Winnie, the bad woman, wouldn’t budge!

Amber was right since Winnie returned, Nadine was no longer the only girl in the family and no longer received everyone’s undivided affection. Even Horace wasn’t on her side anymore.

The more Nadine thought about it, the angrier she got, and she burst into tears again.

“I hate you! Get out of my housel Out!” she shouted.

The hallway fell into a brief silence after her outburst.

Winnie’s eyelashes fluttered slightly as she stood there, her emotions unreadable.

Springer and the others were also stunned.

They fought, but even Springer, the most hot–headed in the family, knew there were lines you didn’t cross.

Sure enough, a stern voice laced with warning broke the silence. “Nadine!” Horace looked at Nadine with an unprecedented sternness silencing her mid–tantrum.

The crying stopped instantly.

Just then, Clifford and Terrell, the two eldest brothers, appeared, having just returned from the office. Clifford’s face bore its usual stern authority.

“What’s all this commotion about?”

Leonie felt a pang of worry. Before anyone else could speak, she hurriedly pulled Nadine over and offered a strained smile in explanation.

“The kids are having a little dispute. It’s my fault for not considering everyone’s needs whent preparing Winnie’s room. Nadine wanted to switch with her cousin, but Winnie refused.

She deftly turned the narrative, making it sound like Winnie was unreasonable.

Horace frowned upon hearing this and was about to clarify when Terrell interjected, “Isn’t it just about a bedroom? Didn’t we sort it out yesterday?”

Clifford’s brow furrowed as he turned to Winnie. “Let’s put the room issue aside for now. Winnie, I have a question for you.”

Winnie looked at Clifford instinctively and heard his deep voice, “Did you visit the Sanchez family today?”

Winnie’s eyes flickered but quickly returned to normal, and she nodded. “Yes.”

Clifford’s frown deepened, his face growing more solemn. “Didn’t I tell you to stay out of the 16:38 Sanchez family’s affairs yesterday? I’ll handle it with them.”

Horace sensed something amiss in his father’s tone and stepped before Winnie, asking. “What happened?”

Terrell explained. “The Sanchez family called Clifford, saying Winnie had some strange conversation with Carola this afternoon. They were asking what it was all about.”

At this revelation, all eyes turned sharply to Winnie. Their looks of shock and reproach were clear – they all blamed Winnie for meddling, Because of her previous talk of changing fate and the sensitive dealings with the Sanchez family, the Bryant family had to tread carefully. Yet, she went to the Sanchez family and talked nonsense. Was she trying to sabotage the relationship between the Sanchez and the Bryant families?

“What are you playing at? Talking about superstitious nonsense at home is one thing, but running off to the Sanchez family? Did you not take Clifford’s words to heart yesterday? Winnie, you lack common sense. Do you know that? The Sanchez family has a joint venture with us ” Leonie chastised with a tone that betrayed her disappointment.

Springer cut in, fanning the flames. “Look at you, just got home and already stirring up a hornet’s nest!”

Winnie stood there, ignoring the scorn from the people around her, and kept her gaze fixed on Clifford. “I didn’t say I was a Bryant.”

Terrell interrupted, “When the Sanchez family wants to dig up dirt on someone, they find it. I heard you even hitched a ride with the Patterson family.”

Winnie pursed her lips, realizing she had indeed been thoughtless.

Clifford pressed her on what she told the Sanchez family because Mr. Sanchez sounded like he was holding back something. Maybe he was angry when he called.

Winnie kept it brief, explaining her visit to the Sanchez family, including her suspicion that something might happen to Lucy.

Everyone was even more shocked, their eyes wide as they stared at Winnie.

Telling someone to their face that trouble’s knocking at their door was practically a curse!

That Winnie was seriously lacking in tact!

Clifford looked at Winnie, his expression turning grave as he said, “You were reckless. Even if you were right, you had no business showing up and saying such things. I’ll smooth things over with the Sanchez family, but stay out of Ms. Sanchez’s business.

He didn’t want his long–lost daughter tangled up in trouble.

Winnie opened her mouth to speak, but Clifford cut her off. “As for the room situation, if Nadine likes it, let her have it. I’ll have the staff pick out a new one for you. Feel free to redecorate to 16:38 your taste.”

To Clifford, It was a room. The old one was a placeholder for his for his daughter. but she was back, and it didn’t matter. What mattered more to him was not having Winnie at odds with the family making it hard for to get along with the others down the line.

Unbeknownst to him, his offhand remark had caught Winnie off guard, her beautiful eyes dimming. There was a flicker in those eyes like a shooting star in the night sky, vanishing as quickly as it appeared into the darkness.

Catching the undertone, Horace hurriedly interjected, “Dad!”

He was about to explain that things weren’t as simple as his father assumed, but Winnie’s cold and calm voice cut through the tension. “No need.”

Her tone was indifferent, more distant than the day before.

She looked straight at Clifford and stated, “I’ll move out.”