Oh, good, so Rina hasn’t actually been found yet. But it seems as if Mom can’t wait to see her because why else would she bother decorating Rina’s bedroom before the girl is even located? At this rate, Mom’s attention will be stolen by her the moment she returns.

Tina’s hands curled into fists on top of her knees as she dwelled upon these thoughts. She lowered her head by a fraction and hid the dark look on her face.

After a pause, she looked up once more and feigned concern as she asked Julia, “Mom, what if—and this is a big what-if—Rina has a weak and cowardly character because she’d grown up in a poor family? Assuming that is the case, she would only embarrass you in public because she’s too afraid and too incapable of doing anything right. Would you still like her and look forward to meeting her?”

Julia shot her daughter an affronted look, her face no longer a picture of gentle compassion as she demanded, “Tina, why would you ask such a thing?”

 

Tina held her by the arm coquettishly and explained, “I was only curious because that’s how most soap operas go—you know, how the long-lost child from some affluent family is finally reunited with their parents. But they end up getting shunned by them because their incapability is humiliating. I’m just worried that you and Dad might treat Rina the same way.”

“Oh, is that it?” Julia batted away her doubts and smoothed Tina’s hair affectionately. “Pay no mind to things like that, seeing as they only ever happen in soap operas.”

“So you won’t end up treating Rina like an outcast even if something like that happens?” Tina narrowed her eyes slightly as an icy gleam lit up her depthless orbs.

Julia nodded firmly. “Of course not. I carried her and gave birth to her, not to mention she was the child your father looked most forward to. You have no idea how your father—” She broke off with a quick sigh, then added, “It doesn’t matter. The bottom line is that you have absolutely nothing to worry about. Your father and I won’t mistreat or sideline your sister that way, and even if she were to be in such unfortunate circumstances, it would only make us love her harder. We wouldn’t shun her or dislike her at all. In fact, we’d try to make it up to her even more!”

“I’m so happy to hear that!” Tina broke into a smile, looking as if she truly was relieved on Rina’s part.

and she was the only one who was

 

revealing her true feelings about her lost daughter. That had backfired, though, seeing as

to be my biggest hurdle next to Sonia. Tina grew mutinous, and a sinister gleam flashed in her

stepped out of the

came out of the house to greet Toby as soon as she heard the sound of the car pulling up. She had been so worried about her grandson that she decided to remain at the Fuller’s Residence and refused to return to the

as she made her

the cane the driver had handed him, then said, “I was stuck in traffic, Grandma. Shall we

about what happened at the restaurant earlier, fearing that she would

of course we shall,” Rose

house with their individual canes, which proved

was carrying out a platter of fruits from the kitchen when she saw Rose and Toby. “Oh, you’re home, Toby!” she exclaimed in

briskly in acknowledgment.

she hastily put the

got it.” There might not be any strength in his legs, but that didn’t mean he

as he slowly eased into his seat. Jean, on the other hand, pushed the fruit platter toward him and asked cheerfully, “Have

Toby lowered his gaze when he heard his mother but made no

how his every thought and emotion had been inexplicably swayed and manipulated because of

was willing to overlook all that he had done for her before the accident—regardless of whether he was being manipulated at the time—given that he really was in love

been pretending to be Maple all along, then there was no way he would

grabbed his cane and rose from his seat. “Grandma, Mom, if you’ll excuse

wanted to return to his bedroom so that he could find out for sure if Tina was Maple, though he already knew the answer to that. Having said what he did, he

the untouched platter of fruits, then at Toby’s

pointedly, then stalked into her own bedroom without another word. She found it pointless and grating on the nerves to continue sharing the same space with this daughter-in-law of hers, seeing as Toby had already left. If it weren’t for the fact that this woman has been good to Toby and Tyler, I would have kicked her out of the Fuller Family long

his drawer, intending to take out Maple’s past letters to him and read through them once more. However, he froze

if his own heart had been emptied

downstairs and summoned all the household servants. With a voice like thunder, he

servants exchanged helpless and bewildered looks. They shook their heads slowly and denied opening the

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