Chapter 18
As Sanderson spoke, a voice echoed from the entrance. Mr Sanderson, 17 Steward requests your MARLE downstairs
Lorna didnât catch Sandersonâs last words and didnât dare to ask again. They both hurried out the e
Downstairs, Steward sat on the sofa, his face stern, and the tension in the room was palpable the house trat tiptoed around, cautious not to disturb the heavy atmosphe
Adjusting the button on his shirt collar, Sanderson asked with calm authority, Dad, whatâs going on
Furrowing his brow, Steward asked icily. âThink hard. Have we done something to offend the Griffin family
Sanderson blinked in surprise, âWhat makes you say that?
âThe secretary from the Hackett family called Steward began, âHe said thereâs no need for us to attend this gathering at the weekendâ
Just then, Juliana, who had returned from school, overheard their conversation and her eyes lit up, I think itâs because of Cordelial
At this, Lorna immediately became anxious, âWhat about Lia?â
Juliana pouted, âIn school, Merry pissed off Yates, and he cornered her after class. Cordelia, always playing the hero, had to step in. But Yates is dear . Weâve been counting on the Goffin familyâs support Isnât she causing trouble for us â
After Hackettâs only son passed away in a tragic accident, leaving only his grandson Yates, Hackett became notoriously protective. This was the primary reason Yates could bully his way through Greenmeadow International School without repercussion.
Laurinda slammed her hand on the , âThis is outrageous! Iâve always said that a wild child should have been brought into this house. Itâs only been a few days, and sheâs already causing such a mess!
Lorna steadied herself, clutching at her chest.
Yates was known as a real bruiser, once breaking a girlâs ribs. Lia, so slight and frail, could lose her life to one of his punches.
In the midst of her worry, Sandersonâs gaze fixed on Juliana, âWhere are they? How long ago did this happen?â
âItâs in the alley next to the school, about an hour ago,â Juliana replied.
Sanderson was furious, âWhy didnât you call home when Cordelia was in trouble â
Juliana darted her around. She had secretly hoped Yates would give Cordelia a good beating, perhaps even cripple her. The last thing sheâd do was for help.
Before Juliana could concoct an excuse, Laurinda snapped, âCall for what? Cordelia needs to learn her lesson the hard way!â
âMom!â Sanderson cut her off, with no more time to waste.
safety was the priority.
âGet the car ready!â Lorna trembled her voice, fearing for her Liaâs safety.
As Sanderson and Lorna rushed out, the rest waited to see the drama unfold, a slender figure walked through the door.
Cordelia had walked home with her backpack. As she entered, she saw Sanderson and Lorna about to leave in a hurry. She stepped , polite and considerate .
But Lorna stood still, looking at her daughter for what felt like an eternity. Cordelia, innocent and confused, blinked and asked, âMom, are you going out?â
Silence fell over the hall. Everyone stared.
After five seconds, Lorns finally examined her daughter. The oversized school uniform hid her thin frame, and Cordeliaâs jeans were smudged with dirt Lorna rose her panic, 1s, are you okay?
Cordelia sighed. âNot reallyâ
Lorna immediately reddened her eyes as she grabbed Cordeliers hands. âWhere does it hurtz
Cordelia looked baffled by Lornaâs agitation and slowly replied. âMr Latham gave me five sets of papers to do today I might not finish them now
She had planned to come straight home after school to study, but the incident with Merry had cost her de bone and a half. It looked like the would be up late tonight
A worried Lorna, checking for injuries, was confused, âThatâs it?
Cordelia nodded, her grip tightening on her backpack as she moved to head upstairs, Mom, I need to get to my
studies.
But before she could take two steps, Laurinda halted her, âDonât use studying as an excuse Cordelia, since youâre not seriously hurt, you will go to the Griffin family to apologize right
Cordelia was filled with confusion, thinking. Apologize for what?
Sanderson spoke firmly. âMom, we donât even know the full story yet. Besides, kids will be kids itâs not that
serious.
After speaking, he turned to Lorna, âTake Lia upstairs.â
Lorna nodded. As Cordelia ascended the stairs, she heard Laurindaâs scolding, Sanderson, you canât code her like this! If you donât make her apologize, how are we going to manage our business with the Griffe family?
Sanderson was resolute, âI brought Cordelia back into our lives, not to be mistreated. I will handle this âYou?â Laurindaâs voice rose with incredulity, followed by a sneer, âFine, when you fail to win over the Griffin family and the shareholders reject you as chairman, Iâd like to see what youâll do then!â
All the way to the bedroom, Cordelia was still clueless about what had happened.
The Griffin family⦠she didnât know anyone form the Griffin family!
She looked to Lorna, asking in confusion, âWhatâs going on?â
Lorna gently reassured her, âDonât be afraid, with me and your dad here, we wonât let you sufferâ
Cordelia, who had never sensed fear, was left perplexed.
The door swung open, and Sanderson stepped inside, causing a slight discomfort to stir within Cordelia. She had come home just after Sanderson had left for a business trip. As a result, she hadnât really spent much time with her father.
Sanderson greeted her with a gentle smile, âLia, time to do your homework, huh?â
He reached out with his broad, calloused palm to pat her head softly, his voice reassuring as he said, âDonât worry, Iâve got your back.â
Cordelia managed only a quiet, âOkayâ
She bowed her head, staring blankly at the problems before her for a moment. Though she didnât quite understand what had transpired, Sanderson seemed to instill in her a sense of security
As she allowed a small smile to grace her features, she felt her sense of belonging to this family intensify slightly.
Shaking her head to clear it of all the unnecessary thoughts, she dedicated herself to tackling the questions with renewed earnestness.
Sanderson Lorna left the room without further interrupting her train of thought.
It wasnât until they were back in their bedroom that Lorna was overwhelmed by worry. âWhat are we going to
do?â
If Lia had been disciplined, given Yates usual way of handling things, this would all be over. But since Lia unscathed, it meant Yates wouldnât let things lie.
Sanderson , âIâll pay a visit to the Griffin family tomorrow.â
As a man, for the sake of his wife and child, Sanderson knew it was time to bow his .
Lorna hated her powerlessness, the desire to grow stronger kindling within her. She nodded reluctantly. âTake coffee beans with you. Hackett loves it. Perhaps the gesture will smooth things over, right?â
Though Sanderson held little hope, he agreed, âOkay.â