Chapter 50
Quinlyn felt the summon from Romilly and looked up, confused.
Mandy was anxiously pulling at her arm. “Romilly is looking for you. Hurry up,” she urged, her voice filled with urgency.
Quinlyn touched her slightly rounded stomach. She figured she could manage to eat a bit more later, so she turned back to Mandy and said. “Please save some food for me.”
She set off toward the table ahead. As she approached, the Anderson couple paused in surprise. In just two weeks, they barely recognized the Quinlyn standing before them.
She had grown quite a bit and she no longer looked so pale from malnutrition. Her cheeks were slightly plump, and her features were becoming more refined.
“Quinlyn?” Maurice murmured, as though trying to convince himself she was real.
Quinlyn met his gaze and nodded slightly. Although they had spent some time together before, being apart made them feel like strangers again.
That sense of distance reminded Maurice of their first encounter in the borderlands, where he had seen a hint of wariness lurking in Quinlyn’s eyes.
This troubled Maurice, prompting him to ask sharply, “I heard you’ve been neglecting your studies lately, and you blamed Harriet for that?”
Quinlyn had never said such a thing, so she shook her head in response. “No, it’s my own issue.”
“Since you acknowledge your fault, you must correct it. Attending a prestigious school like Manldon International School is not just a way to pass the time.”
“Yes, I understand,” Quinlyn replied.
“Harriet is preparing for university. You should act properly in school and not hold her back,” Maurice continued, his tone
stern.
“Alright,” Quinlyn said.
Romilly, sensing the odd tension between them, wanted to intervene and soften Maurice’s harsh tone. But before she could speak up, she noticed Quinlyn calmly agreeing to everything.
Once Maurice finished speaking, he waved his hand dismissively. “That’s enough. You may go.”
“Okay.” Quinlyn nodded and turned to head back to her meal.
A smooth voice called out from the side, “You are Quinlyn, right?”
Turning her head, she found Warren’s gentle yet handsome face. She nodded slightly.
Warren’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. Before this meeting, he had heard plenty about Quinlyn while in the hospital. Most of it was negative–stories about a headstrong child who caused her parents grief and bullied her sister, Harriet.
So when Harriet had expressed her desire to participate in the selection process, he thought a change of Harriet might do Quinlyn some good. He believed it could help Quinlyn understand her situation and mend her ways,
When Quinlyn had approached earlier, he expected chaos. But the atmosphere was surprisingly calm.
She showed a level of composure and indifference beyond her years, facing critique and adversity without a hint of tears-
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not out of submission, but perhaps because she simply didn’t care.
Warren wondered, ‘Is she tuning them out, allowing their words to pass by? Can she truly act as poorly as Harriet has described? Or is she acting right now?
With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Warren smiled slightly and said, “Harriet is your sister; she is headed to university. Do you want to attend as well?”
Before Quinlyn could reply, Harriet almost leaped out of her seat in protest. If it hadn’t been for Tina’s timely intervention, she would have shouted, forbidding Warren from showing any preferential treatment to Quinlyn.
The gifted child should only be her.
However, before she could express her concerns, Quinlyn spoke up without hesitation. “I don’t want to.”
“Why not?” Warren asked, leaning back in his chair with interest. “Don’t you want to outshine Harriet?”
Quinlyn’s brow furrowed in confusion as she retorted, “Why would I want to outshine her?”
Warren was taken aback by her question. Once he regained his composure, he chuckled. “If you don’t care about winning, then please don’t bully Harriet in the future; she’s my savior.”
His words clearly indicated that he was on Harriet’s side. Quinlyn fell quiet for a moment, glancing at Warren’s head, reminding herself that he had been injured.
She sincerely suggested, “You should have your brain checked at the hospital.”
Quinlyn thought, ‘How could he have misidentified his savior and been fooled by a mere child if his mind was unharmed?‘
At least that was how Quinlyn saw it; the tactics used by Tina and Harriet didn’t seem particularly clever and had many flaws. But her remarks came across as offensive. A hush fell over the table, guests sharing stunned glances.
In an instant, Maurice slammed his hand on the table, seething. “Quinlyn, how dare you? Who gave you the right to be so rude? Apologize to Warren right now.”
Quinlyn looked innocent, as she didn’t see her comment as wrong, so she stood there in silence. Her silence only fueled Maurice’s rage.
He stormed toward her, reaching out to grab her arm. But she skillfully dodged his grasp. He shouted, “You’ve gone too far.”
Quinlyn sidestepped, frowning as she said, “I just don’t want to hurt you.”
After all, he was Stanley and Edward’s family. Having benefited from their kindness, she had no intention of harming their family.
“Do you think you’re in the right here?” Maurice seethed, his temper flaring. “Stay still. If not, you’ll regret it today.”
Quinlyn paused for a second, pressing her lips together before choosing to comply. Seeing her yield, Maurice felt slightly satisfied and approached her, gripping the back of her neck to force her to face Warren. “Apologize.”
Many onlookers had turned their attention to the scene, astonished by what was unfolding.
“What kind of mistake has she made for Mr. Anderson to act like this?”
“It seems like Quinlyn truly isn’t favored in the Anderson family.”
Amidst the murmurs, Warren was equally surprised.
In high society, people took pride in their manners. No matter the misbehavior of a child, adults rarely resorted to direct
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Chapter 50
confrontation, let alone physical intimidation. The scene before him was a shock.
Noticing Maurice’s tight grip on Quinlyn’s neck, Warren quickly interjected, “Mr. Anderson, there’s no need for this. Just let her go; be careful not to hurt her.”
Wealthy families see every child as precious. But Maurice had faced countless humiliations at Quinlyn’s hands and held onto grudges from past encounters. “Warren, she is tough; without a firm hand, she won’t learn,” Maurice snapped.
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In that moment, Warren saw a flicker of resentment in Maurice’s eyes. This only deepened his confusion regarding Harriet’s earlier comments, leaving him unsure about the right and wrong of this situation.
Just as tensions escalated, Mandy suddenly rushed in, lunging toward Maurice. “Do not bully Quinlyn. Let her go!”
AD
