Chapter 6 Because My Mother Never Befriends Mistresses

At the Wright family villa...

The hall had a rather unsettling atmosphere. Even with the bright lights and the crowd of people, a heavy mix of tension and mystery hung in the air.

Clara, the housekeeper, cautiously poured four cups of coffee, setting them carefully on a tray. Her hands, however, shook nervously, and as she carried it out of the kitchen, drops sloshed over the rims.

"Kailyn, don't touch that stuff. Be careful, or Adeline will show up again to bleed you dry!" Ronald Wright lounged casually on the sofa, his legs swinging idly as he watched his sister sort through the bottles in the liquor cabinet. His voice carried clear disapproval as he scolded her.

Kailyn exploded instantly in anger when she heard this. She turned to glare at Ronald, her eyes flashing with a strange, menacing glimmer.

"Why should I be afraid of her? More than half of the valuable things in this house are rightfully ours. She's the one who doesn't belong here, a parasite living off us! If I hadn't returned to help Annabel with business matters, I'd have already kicked her out and reclaimed my position as the true heiress of the Wright family!"

Clara, startled by her words, stumbled forward, almost dropping the tray.

Thankfully, the coffee table saved her from disaster, though the majority of the hot liquid spilled onto its surface.

Through the rising steam, Clara found herself staring into a pair of icy, penetrating eyes.

The eyes were bloodshot and belonged in a face that was well-kept yet ghostly pale, making it all the more frightening.

If Annabel hadn't let out a lighthearted laugh just then, Clara might have shrilled in horror.

"Clara, really! We've only been away for a little over a month, and now you're treating us like strangers?" Annabel teased as she rose to help her.

Still shaken, Clara nodded over and over, avoiding the hostile stares aimed at her. She rushed to offer her apology. "I'm terribly sorry; I didn't mean it. Miss Wright will be back very soon. I'll go and prepare fresh coffee right away..."

But before she could finish, the atmosphere tensed up.

Annabel still wore her polite smile, but her eyes had turned deadly cold, like a whirlpool that could swallow someone whole.

Ronald chuckled derisively, letting out a whistle as though watching an entertaining performance.

Kailyn reacted most violently. She darted forward, grabbed one of the steaming cups, and without hesitation poured it over Clara's head, snapping furiously, "What's that supposed to mean? Are you saying we don't count as members of this family?"

"Kailyn!"

Two voices rang out in unison.

Everyone turned as Adeline burst into the room, rushing straight to Clara's side to help her up.

"Clara, are you hurt?"

Adeline had hurried back as soon as she received Clara's message, but she was still a moment too late.

"I'm alright, Miss Wright..."

But Clara's trembling body, tear-filled eyes, and coffee-soaked hair told a different story. Seeing her like this, Adeline scowled, anger surging inside her. She flung a fierce glare at the four people in front of her, each wearing a different expression, and barked coldly, "If it's money you want, go to the company. What do you gain from turning the house into a circus?"

Confronted by Adeline's ugly face, Ronald felt his stomach twist in disgust, almost making him gag. He turned his face away. "This is my house. I'll come back whenever I want. Who are you to stop me?"

On her way back, Adeline had once again put on her plain disguise, hiding her real appearance.

Kailyn bristled, folding her arms and stepping right up to Adeline. "Exactly! Adeline, you're a Wright too, just like us. What gives you the right to act as though this place belongs solely to you?"

Adeline stared deeply at Kailyn, a daring look in her eyes.

As much as Adeline tried to make herself look ugly, her eyes remained clear and vibrant.

"Dad has said time and again-you are only allowed to stay in Duifsas. You have no right to set foot in Waemery! To use his illness as an excuse to break the rules and come here... Aren't you afraid everyone will discover that you're his illegitimate children?"

The word "illegitimate" struck like a slap.

Kailyn, sensitive about her reputation, snapped and lunged at Adeline, ready for a fight.

Adeline had no time to retreat and braced herself for the blow, but the impact never came.

"Ah!"

She had forgotten she had an ally right beside her.

Elijah stepped in without hesitation, shoving Kailyn aside. Her slender frame flew backward and landed with a heavy thud on the floor.

Elijah glanced coldly at every face in the room, a menacing, intimidating look in his eyes.

Haley Salazar, noticing Elijah's arm strapped protectively around Adeline, couldn't remain calm any longer and blurted out, "What exactly is the relationship between you two?"

It was only then that Adeline realized Elijah was holding her close. Elijah, too, glanced down at her.

Just as she moved to pull away, he tightened his hold, ignoring Haley completely, his attention fixed solely on Adeline.

"Is this the show you arranged?" he asked.

What was going on here?

Elijah actually seemed to be enjoying himself. Adeline leaned closer and whispered in exasperation, "I asked you to help me keep the peace, not sit back and watch the drama unfold!"

To Elijah, though, she was being naive.

He was clearly helping her assert her authority.

Annabel, watching the two of them whisper intimately, lost the last of her composure. The calm smile she had forced on her lips vanished. Now, she had a cold frown on her face.

She hadn't come to Waemery just to taunt Adeline for her ambitions; she and her mother and siblings had also intended to attend Elijah's thirtieth birthday banquet.

Annabel had admired Elijah for years, and her mother, Haley, had some ties with Elijah's mother.

Her father had acquired properties and a company in Duifsas for them, securing them a comfortable status.

She'd heard Elijah's mother was searching for a proper match for him, and Annabel had been confident her looks, talents, and careful scheming would make her the perfect candidate.

But now, all her hopes were being blocked by Adeline.

Damn Adeline! She wasn't just ugly but also cunning.

"Haley?"

Elijah finally spoke, interrupting Annabel's bitter thoughts.

He naturally had a way of making everyone else feel small in comparison.

Haley, however, managed to remain composed. After all, this was her lover's home, and she stood with her children.

The only one who didn't belong here was Adeline, the outsider with no mother to protect her.

Hearing Elijah address her, Haley felt a surge of triumph.

"Elijah," she said sweetly. "I knew you'd remember me. How's your mother? I miss her dearly. In fact, in a few days, I was planning to bring my children to celebrate your birthday..."

She acted friendly and familiar, as though she were an old family friend.

But Elijah wasn't interested in her pretense, so he cut her off coldly. He had an amused but disdainful smirk on his lips. "I don't know you. And you don't need to come. Because my mother never befriends mistresses."