Chapter226
“Whatdoyouwantfromme?”Sittinguprightinthemiddleofthelivingroom,Georgeaskedcoldlyintothephonewithagloomyface.
Dianadaredtomake<b>a</b>bigfussinhisceafewdaysago,whichwassimplyoutrageous
<b>Diana</b>ontheotherendofthephonedidn’tcare,andnorwasshescaredbyGeorge’ssternvoice.
Instead,Dianawascalmandsaidveryclearly.“Mr.Wellington,Icalledyoutodaytotellyousomethingaboutyourdeceasedson,Sawyer
<b>Diana’s</b>voicewasgentleandshowednoemotion
yasshewasinthepreviousfew<b>days</b>,Dianadidnotresist.Onthecontrary,shewas<b>rxed</b>.
Not<b>as</b>angrya
ButinWellingtonVi,Georgewhohadexperiencedmanyupsanddownsinhislifesuddenly changedhisexpression.Heheldthemobilephightlyinhisweatheredhands,andhisbodytrembledslightlyasifhewereirritated.
“It’syou.”George’slowandhoarsevoice<b>was</b>filledwithsuppressedemotions.
“IalsoknowthatDominickwon’tlivelong.Despiteherfattone,Dianawasblunt. “Iknowmyselfwell.Weordinarypeople are<b>not</b>goodenoughforyourfamily.Iknowwhatyouarecapableof.NowIjustwantyoutoagreetoonecondition”
Diana’svoicewasnot<b>loud</b>,butthemainhallofWellingtonViwasspacious<b>and</b>quiet,soBrad,whowasstandingbyandwaitingnervously,couldvaguelyheartheirconversation.
Bradimmediatelycamecloserwithananxiounkon<b>his</b><b>face</b>.“Mr.GeorgeWellington,wecan’tdothis.Mr.Wellingtonwillbeangry
George,withastiffexpression,heldthephonewithoutresponding
Anxious,Bradkeptadvising.“Mr.GeorgeWellington.Stephanieispregnant.Thebabyisrtedtoourfamilybyblood.”
Georgeseemedtobewavering,butDiana’svoiceontheotherendofthephonebecamelouderand sharper.Shewasyellingintothephone.
“Whenthechildrenareborn.Iwillimmediatelyreturnthem toyourfamily.Fromthenon,wewillhavenothingtodowith<b>each</b>other.George,don’tforgetthosepromises.Remember!Smyerowesasallthese
Thentherecameabeep,andDianahung upthephone.
Theroomfellintoeeriesilence.
Thehugehallofthemainresidencewasfilledwithmagnificentfurnitureandsparklingcrystalchandeliers.Everythingseemedtohavestopped.
BradlookedatGeorgeforalongtimebeforecallinghimcautiously,“Mr.GeorgeWellington”
Georgecamebacktohissenses,buthisface,whichhadbeenweatheredbytime,wasfullofconfusion
“KickStephanieoutoftheWellingtonfamily”
Brad’smindwentnk,andhemuttered dully.“Thisisnotappropriate…
Georgehadregainedhis<b>usual</b><b>cold</b>andsternmajestyandmmedthephonedownonthetable.
“DoasIsayandsaythat<b>Stephanie</b>leavesvoluntarily!”
Outside,theskywascoveredwiththickclouds.Itwaspitchckandverydepressing.
Thedarkcloudssurgedandrolledlikewaves,withthunder<b>roaring</b>
Stephaniesuddenlyhadaverybadfeeling.
Shestillsatonthechairin<b>front</b>ofthe tableinBreezeVi.ShestoodupalmostsubconsciouslyandimmediatelywalkedtowardsthelivingroomtryingtofindDominickandScott,buttheyseemedtohavegothestudyonthesecondfloor.
“Stephanie<b>,</b>yourbelly bulges.Pleasedon’twalkrashlyandbemordylike.”
VincentwasnotinahurrytofindDominickinthesecondfloorstudy.Hewenttothelivingroomleisurelytocookcoffee.Seeingherdazed look.becouldn’thelpbutteaseher
Stephanieignoredhimandasked,“WhydidyouandScoueheresoearly<b>today</b>?Istheresomethingwrong?”
“<b>You</b>can’t<b>help</b><b>us</b>evenifItellyou.”
Vincentremainedcalmandservedhimselfasmallcupofcoffee.Aftertakingasip,hefeltthatthefragranceofthe<b>coffee</b>filledtheair.Hethenturnedto<b>look</b>atthe<b>dark</b>cloudsoutsidethewindowandmurmured.Theweather<b>forecast</b>saystherewillbeheavyraintoday.ItlookslikeI’llhave
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Chapter226
tostayatWellingtonViallday…”Vincentwould<b>take</b>itslow.Anyway,therewouldbeendlessthingstodo.
StephaniesatnexttoVincentandstaredathimforalongtime.
“Vincent,youdoknowhowtoenjoyyourself.”Stephaniegrittedherteethandridiculedhimangrily.
ShethoughtthatifDominickcouldbelikeVincent,hewouldnotsufferfrommigraine.
Vincentwasnotmodestatall.“Ofcourse.Youdon’tunderstandtheenvironmentwegrewupin.Therearealotofpressures.I’vefigureditout.SinceIworksohard,ImusttreatmyselfwellwhenIhavefreetime.”
Suddenly,Vincentchangedthesubject,asifhehadthoughtofsomething. “Bytheway,Stephanie,whodoyouthinkismorepowerful,Dominick
orOscar<b>!</b>”
Stephaniefeltitwasastrangequestion,soshedidn’tanswer.
Theskyoutsidethewindowwasdark,andtherumblingofthundermadeVincentupset.Hesuddenlyhad<b>an</b>urgeto<b>say</b>something
Hecontinued.“DominickistheonlyheiroftheWellingtonfamily.Yvonneisjustanadoptedgirl.Kevinandtheothersarenotdirectdescendantsof<b>the</b>family.Dominick’sstatusandpositionintheWellingtonfamilycannotbeshaken.Hehadallthesesincehewasborn.
“ScottandI,aswesrgegroupofrichkids,havebeentaughtbyourelderssincewewereyoungtopleaseandtterDominick.Theadultsputonfakesmilesandtriedtheirbesttogetclosetohim.Itwaseven adeliberatearrangementforustobehisymates.Dominickhasbeenlivingthiskindoflifesincehischildhood.Heisalwaysinthelimelight.Butinfact,heknowsverywellthattheseareallfake.In thishypocritical,dark,andextremelydirtyworld,evenhisbiologicalmother’sconcernforhimisjustfake.”
“Mary?”
Stephaniedidn’tknowwhyVincentmentionedDominick’smother,butshedidn’thaveanygoodfeelingstowardsthisdignifiedy,andevenhatedherselfishness.
“Mary<b>is</b><b>a</b>hypocritdselfishwoman.”
Vincentdidn’tlike hereither.IfMaryhadn’trestrainedherselfalotovertheyears,hewouldnothaveshownanymercy
mercytosuN?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.
suchawoman.
WhatVincentsaidnextwasshocking.“MaryandherloveroncekidnappedDominickwhenhewasabout5yearsold.Shewanted<b>more</b>moneyandranawaywithherlover.
“You<b>know</b>that?”
StephanielookedstraightatVincentingreatshock
ShelearneditfromYvonne,buthowcouldVincentknowthat?
InadditiontotellingheraboutDominickbeingkidnappedasachild,YvonnealsomentionedthatVincent<b>and</b>theotherswereunawareofthetruth.Stephaniehadsomeunderstandingofautisticpatients,soshebelievedthatYvonnewouldnotlie.
VincentthoughtStephaniewouldlook unconvincedorhavedoubts,buther<b>expression</b>wasstrange.
Heraisedhiseyebrowssuspiciouslyandasked,“Stephanie,doyouknowthattoo<b>?</b>”
Stephaniedidn’t<b>reply</b>to himdirectly.Hervoicewasalittlelow.“<b>Vincent</b>,whotoldyouaboutthis?”
VincentexaminedStephaniewithan unusualgazeforalongtime.Atfirst,hethoughtitwasDominickwhotoldher,forDominickhadaspecialpreferenceforher.VincentwasalittlesurprisedthatStephanieknewthis.
Puttingdownthecupinhishand,Vincentshruggedcasuallyandsaid,“Oscar.Whenwewere little,weattendedthedinnerpartyheldbytheWellingtonfamilytogether.Hediscoveredit.”