Chapter 558
Chapter 558
A moment later, he picked up his work bag. “If anything feels unusual at home, call me right away,” he said.
Riana nodded. “Drive safely p>
Nathan gave her a faint smile and stepped out of the room. In the main corridor, they walked side by side toward the front of the house. It didn’t take long for the car that usually took him to the office to pull up, ready to depart.
Even after the vehicle passed through the gates and disappeared beyond the tall perimeter wall, Riana remained standing there, watching.
Only after she was certain it was gone did she turn and head back inside.
For some reason, her heart refused to settle.
If Cale had asked for something to be kept from the family, then today was no ordinary day. And whatever was coming… was already on its way.
Still, she forced herself to act as usual. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to notice her unease and start asking questions. Keeping her expression calm, Riana walked steadily into the main living area of the house- when suddenly p>
Selena appeared from the staircase.
The woman looked noticeably brighter than she had at breakfast. There was no trace of anger left on her face. If Riana were being honest, Selena looked… unusually pleased.
What happened to her? Riana wondered silently.
“Good morning, Mrs. Miller,” Selena greeted lightly, as if there had never been any tension between them.
Riana gave a small nod in return.
“I’m planning to step out around lunchtime,” Selena continued casually. “Just to get some fresh air. Honestly, the atmosphere in this house is a bit… dull.” She offered a faint smile, though the subtle edge in her tone was impossible to miss.
“Besides,” she added, “lately no one really talks to me anymore. When you think about it, my status in this house isn’t any different from anyone else’s p>
Riana didn’t respond.
Selena studied her for a few seconds before speaking again, her voice softer now, but deliberate-almost as if she wanted to remind Riana of something, to make her fully aware of her place.
“I’m the mother of this family’s biological child too. It just feels strange… when someone who came later ends up being treated like the center of attention p>
Riana remained silent, her expression unchanged. Instead of entertaining Selena’s nonsense, she chose to continue walking toward her room.
But Selena clearly wasn’t ready to let her go.
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She kept talking-about anything she could think of, even the way the servants had served her breakfast -unti they reached the main garden area, where a large gazebo stood surrounded by shaded seating beneath thick
trees.
Selena’s gaze shifted toward the front garden.
On a long bench near the main lawn, Althea sat with Lydia and Felicia. The three of them were chatting comfortably, soft laughter drifting between them.
Selena’s eyes sharpened.
“How interesting,” she murmured. “People who live in someone else’s house can look so comfortable. Not even a thought to invite the homeowner to join them p>
She turned back to Riana, this time wearing a smile that seemed to be waiting for agreement.
“Do you think that’s appropriate?” Selena asked, her eyes fixed on Riana. “I just think that if someone truly understands their position, they should show a little more respect to the people who actually belong here p>
Her tone was calm, but there was a quiet push beneath it-an expectation, as if she wanted Riana to agree with her, to validate her view.
But Riana didn’t react the way Selena hoped.
She simply looked at her, her gaze flat and unreadable. “If you want to join them,” she said evenly, “you can go over to them yourself p>
There was no encouragement in her voice. No sign that she was taking Selena’s side. The response was neutral— yet laced with quiet dismissal.
Selena fell silent for a moment.
Riana didn’t wait for a reply.
“I need to take care of a few things inside,” she continued, already turning away. Then she added calmly, without looking back, “If you’d like to join them, feel free. In this house, anyone is welcome to sit together-if they come without the intention of making things uncomfortable p>
And with that, she walked off.
She didn’t notice-or perhaps didn’t care-that the smile Selena had been wearing vanished almost instantly.
Selena remained where she was, her hands curling tightly into fists. Her gaze shifted back toward the garden bench, where Althea and the others were still chatting, their laughter light and easy.
Slowly, a thin smile returned to her lips. 1
Fine.
If no one was willing to acknowledge her place on their own, then she would make sure they remembered it.
Besides… Harold must already have a plan. A plan that would bring everyone there-especially Althea– crashing down beneath her.
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Her eyes narrowed slightly.
I’ll make sure it happens, Althea.
Just wait.
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