A Second Life, A New Power novel Chapter 41

Demi stayed quiet.

She didn't want to talk about the Pitt family.

"Mrs. Blanton, one day, when I'm rich and have a big house, I'll invite you over for a few days. Then you'll understand," Demi said, skillfully dodging the question.

"Really? Well, I'll be waiting for that!" Audrey laughed out loud, clearly delighted.

After chatting with Audrey for a couple more minutes, Demi helped Margaret into the house.

"Don't hold me. I can—oh, wait…" When she tripped, Margaret had just turned around and was about to take her second step.

Looking down, she realized someone was crouched there in the dark.

There was no need to ask, it had to be Timothy.

"Timmy, why are you crouching here? If you wanted to wait for Demi to come home, why not stand outside with me?" Margaret asked, sounding exasperated.

Timothy stood silently, took Demi's suitcase, and carried it toward her room.

Despite his small, scrawny frame, Timothy was surprisingly strong.

"Our Timmy is already such a little gentleman," Demi said with a smile, her eyes warm with pride.

…

During dinner, Demi noticed that Margaret seemed distracted.

"Grandma, is something wrong?" Demi asked as she reached for another dish.

Before coming home, she had bought two pounds of meat and several types of vegetables. Now, the table was covered with freshly cooked dishes.

"Uh, no, no," Margaret instinctively shook her head.

She had been thinking about the neighbor who'd had a stroke.

But the next moment, another question popped into her mind. "Demi, why did you say on TV that you didn't have parents? You do have parents! Lying on television is going to make people mad at you!"

Demi calmly picked up some food. As she chewed, she thought carefully about explaining it to Margaret in a way she'd understand.

"Grandma, the Pitt family… they're not my real parents," Demi said evenly.

"They're not? What do you mean, they're suddenly not?" Margaret's eyes widened in shock.

"No, they're not. From now on, let's just act like we don't know them," Demi said, her tone steady.

"What do you mean they're not?" Margaret murmured, looking visibly unsettled.

Her heart ached. Demi had finally managed to create a good life for herself, and now this? They weren't her real family?

She must feel awful about it.

The four of them were eager to hear about Thomas's progress, but they knew it wasn't appropriate to discuss such matters out in the open.

"Let's talk inside," Stephen said.

…

In Thomas's hotel room, the four of them sat down.

"I'll boil some water for you," Thomas offered as he moved to prepare hot drinks.

He had brought his own mug and coffee, preferring not to use the hotel's.

"Forget about that for now. Just sit down," Stephen said, pulling Thomas back to his seat.

"So? How did it go, Thomas? What did Demi say?" Michelle asked, her tone sharp with curiosity.

At the mention of Demi's name, Thomas's expression immediately darkened.

"She refused to talk to me at all, and she's staying with an older mentor. I didn't feel it was appropriate to disturb them," he said flatly.

The room fell silent.

"Forget it. This whole thing is the fault of you three. If she's angry and hurt, it's completely understandable," Stephen finally said, breaking the tension.

"Tomorrow, we'll go to her grandma's place and properly apologize to her."