Heiress Unmasked: Shaking the World With Geomancy novel Chapter 5

Adam sat on the couch with a poker face. Before him was a glass with water trickling down the sides and pooling on the table. After a brief silence, he looked at Scott and said calmly, "Shannon is my daughter. Are you saying my daughter isn't worthy of being your cousin?"

Scott's earlier stubbornness had disappeared. He looked scared as he shrunk back. "I-I didn't mean it like that, Uncle Adam…"

Hector smiled as he watched Adam subdue Scott with a single look. He turned to Cecily. "Do you think you've suffered many grievances while staying at the Jensen residence, Cecily?"

She paled and hurriedly said, "No, of course not. You've gotten me wrong, Hector."

"If that's the case, you should stop saying things that will give people the wrong idea." Hector's smile remained in place, and his tone was as gentle as could be. Still, there was something in his voice that made one afraid to go against him.

Cecily parted her lips but ultimately lowered her head without saying anything. As soon as her head was bowed, she bit her lip.

Linda took this opportunity to ease the tension. "It's my fault for not making the proper arrangements. There's really no need to argue over a bedroom."

"It's true that you didn't arrange things properly, Aunt Linda." As the oldest grandchild, Hector had never shied away from telling his elders off. "Shannon is my sister and the daughter of the Jensen family. Other people will laugh at us when they hear we've allowed her to stay in a spare room that someone used to keep dolls in."

As he spoke, he wrapped an arm around Shannon's shoulders, looking protective of her. "My sister hasn't returned home to be bullied like this."

It was hard to tell whether he'd said those things on purpose, but they made Cecily's face turn red. She'd hinted to everyone that she'd suffered a grievance, yet here Hector was, bluntly pointing out that Shannon was the one suffering the grievance by sleeping in a room Cecily had used. He was shaming her!

Meanwhile, Shannon stiffened when Hector placed his arm around her shoulders. She didn't know whether it was because of his actions or his words. She wouldn't say she'd suffered any grievances, really. Compared to the things she'd experienced while living with the Gray family, Cecily's words were nothing.

Still, this was the first time someone had cared whether she'd felt wronged. It warmed her heart—this was probably her first time experiencing what it was like to have a real family.

Linda looked a little awkward. In her heart, she cursed Hector for humiliating her as he always did. She glanced at Adam and George. When she saw them sitting there silently, she had no choice but to suppress her humiliation and try to remain poised.

"You're right, Hector. It's my fault for not thinking ahead. I'll have someone prepare another room, then," she said.

Hector smiled and nodded at her. "Thanks, Aunt Linda."

Then, he turned to everyone else and said, "I'll show Shannon around the garden."

With that, he led Shannon to the garden without a care for what everyone else thought. Once they were gone, the atmosphere turned a little awkward. Linda, feeling aggrieved, wanted to explain herself.

Just then, the butler, Thomas Holt, entered the living room. He said to George, "Mr. Jensen Senior, the security guards called to say that a certain Mrs. Gray has come to visit."

Mrs. Gray? Everyone immediately thought of Shannon. Hadn't she just left the Gray family? Why were they coming over to visit her so soon?