Chapter 7

Horace’s voice pulled Suzan back from the brink of losing her composure as if a bucket of ice water had drenched her fiery head, instantly halting all her actions.

Meanwhile, the commotion finally drew the attention of those inside the house, and Clifford strode out.

“What’s going on here?” he asked, frowning.

As the head of the Bright Group, Clifford was a figure well–known in the media and financial reports, and Suzan recognized him almost instantly. Forgetting her previous altercation with Winnie, she quickly switched gears, smiling as she approached him and said, “Mr. Bryant, I’m Suzan, the wife of Barton, CEO of the Henderson Group. I didn’t realize you were home. What a pleasant surprise.”

Clifford’s gaze shifted across the faces of Suzan, Winnie, and Horace without betraying any emotion, and he asked, “Mrs. Henderson, how do you do? Are you here for anything?”

Given Clifford’s status, he didn’t need to be so polite and was not one for small talk. knowing this woman had played a role in raising Winnie, he afforded her extra patience and courtesy, assuming she might be there to discuss something about Winnie’s living habits.

Oblivious to his assumptions, Suzan swelled with vanity when he humbly inquired if there was anything she wanted to communicate. After all, here was the head of the Bright Group, allowing her to instruct him in his duties, an indication of her own company’s importance in his eyes.

Her irritation from her earlier encounter with Horace finally subsided, and she instinctively puffed out her chest with pride. “Indeed there is something I need to discuss.”

With a self–satisfied glance at Winnie, Suzan quickly pulled her daughter Kathryn closer. “Mr. Bryant, this is my daughter Kathryn.”

Kathryn dutifully greeted him sweetly. “Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Bryant.”

“The thing is,” Suzan began, “I know for Emerald Bay’s landmark project, the government plans to select eight students from the top universities as city ambassadors for a promotional campaign. The final list is to be handled by the Bright Group Suzan continued, “Due to certain circumstances, someone else has taken the spot that should have belonged to my daughter. So, I’ve come to ask for Bright Group’s assistance in rectifying this matter. It should be a trivial task for you.”

Clifford frowned slightly. He heard about that, but his brother Terrell was on it, and he hadn’t inquired further.

He wasn’t fond of mixing business with personal favors, but given that this woman was part of the family that raised Winnie, he felt obliged to consider her request.

Well, he would consider it as repaying their kindness to Winnie.

Chapter Thinking so, he relented, “I’ll look deal with it. Who took your daughter’s place? I’ll have my secretary check.

“Winnie.” Suzan blurted out almost too eagerly.

Clifford paused the act of reaching for his phone, looking up at Suzan with a momentary flash of shock. “Who did you say?”

“Winnie,” she repeated, thinking he hadn’t heard her, and pointedly indicated Winnie, saying, “It’s her. We once fostered this child, but she’s an ingrate. She’s ill–tempered and a liar. I had not idea that her birth parents worked for the Bryant family. I don’t mean to speak ill of a child, but character is innate, and no matter how hard I’ve tried to teach her, she didn’t learn…”

Suzan went on tirelessly smearing Winnie while Horace’s face darkened. He understood what Winnie meant by ‘giving a hard time .

The butler and maid were stunned.

Had this woman lost her mind to criticize Miss Winnie in front of Mr. Bryant?

Winnie couldn’t be more familiar with Suzan’s disparagement. Even Suzan’s earlier tirade to the butler hadn’t bothered her. But in the presence of Horace and her newly met biological father, Suzan’s words ignited an inexplicable anger within her.

Winnie had started to harbor a sliver of hope for this newfound family, so why did this woman seem intent on ruining it for her? Did Suzan not realize the impact her words might have on others‘ opinions of her?

Suzan knew it, of course. But she didn’t care. She only wanted the whole world to dislike Winnie.

As a child, whenever a teacher showed affection or praised her, Suzan would find ways to tarnish her image in their eyes, convincing them she was a bad kid.

Teachers never imagined a mother could speak so ill of her daughter, and almost all believed Suzan’s words, seeing Winnie as a problem child.

For Suzan, the disdain and slander seemed to have become habitual, as evident as ever.

Winnie’s hands clenched at her sides, listening to the endless litany of criticism until she could take no more, “Stop it!” she shouted.

“Stop it!”

Two voices rang out in unison, and Winnie instinctively turned to the other speaker.

It was Clifford, his face set in a cold fury. He had always appeared austere but was even more formidable, with his anger barely contained.

His sudden outburst had immediately silenced Suzan.

With an oppressive stare, Clifford addressed her. “The daughter of the Bryant family is not a topic for an outsider like you. Butler, show this woman out!”

16:35 Suzan was so shocked by his sudden change of demeanor that she didn’t fully grasp his reference to “the Bryant family’s daughter” and was about to argue further when the butler efficiently began ushering her away.

With a steely gaze, Clifford watched the two women promptly escorted off the manor, then turned to Winnie and asked, “Did they ever treat you like that before?”

No sooner was the question out of his mouth than he pursed his lips, instantly regretting asking something so apparent.

If they dared slander Winnie before him, they must have bullied her like hell when he wasn’t there.

He had thought his daughter would have at least been –cared for when the Henderson. family took her in. But the Henderson family were such low characters!

The more Clifford thought about it, the angrier he became. He turned briskly to Horace and commanded, “Call your Uncle Terrell. Tell him to pull the plug on our deal with Henderson. Group!”

They agreed to set up the partnership to repay the Henderson family for taking care of Winnie. offering favorable terms that allowed the Henderson Group to profit by millions and aimed at boosting them to the next level. But after he saw how they had treated Winnie, there was not way he would keep supporting them. They didn’t deserve it!

Regaining his usual cheerful demeanor, Horace promptly whipped out his phone and said, “Got it, Dad.”

Winnie watched Clifford’s outburst with a stunned expression, then a tiny, unconscious smile curving her lips.

Her new brother and father seemed different from the Henderson family.

It felt good.

Outside at the front gate, the butler had shown Suzan and Kathryn out of the Bryant Manor indifferently.

Both were puzzled, not understanding why Clifford had suddenly lost his temper. And what did he mean by his last remark?

The Bryant family’s daughter? Who?

The butler watched them clueless, wondering how the Henderson family could be so dim–witted.

They had raised Winnie who, by their kindness, would have brought them benefits from the Bryant family in the future. But it seemed the Henderson family still had no clue about the true identity of Winnie, the girl they mentioned as an ingrate.

He valued his professional conduct as a butler and wouldn’t curse or sneer.

1476 He decided to give them a pollte reminder. “Mr. Bryant lost a daughter eighteen years ago, and today is the day our young lady returns home. Naturally, Mr. Bryant cannot tolerate any disparagement of her. Please excuse us for today. You must leave.”

With that, he instructed the gate to be closed, leaving Suzan and Kathryn standing outside, utterly bewildered.

Supporting her daughter’s arm, Suzan asked blankly, “Kathryn, what did he mean? Which young lady? Who?”

Kathryn struggled to take what she had heard. Or rather, she didn’t want to believe it.

“It can’t be… we must have misunderstood.” she replied.

The Bryant family’s daughter they spoke of couldn’t be Winnie. No way!

Suzan turned slowly to look at her daughter, and after a long moment, her knees buckled, and she began to collapse to the ground.

“We’re doomed! We’re doomed!”