You're not leaving this time.

Chapter 125: Chapter 125: Stop Acting the Elder

After Lynn Winslow woke up, she casually picked one of Ian Sterling’s cars and drove to the Powell family home.

The Powell family home had been in an uproar lately. Sienna Powell and Mia Rhodes were always showing up, and as luck would have it, Lynn Winslow ran into them once again on her visit.

She always seemed to stumble upon a good show, which did wonders for her curiosity.

Once again, she stood in the foyer to watch the drama unfold. The butler saw her, and noticing the lively, curious look on her face, he leaned in and whispered, ”The young madam is here today.”

Lynn Winslow nodded in understanding. She pressed a finger to her lips in a shushing gesture, signaling for the butler to leave her be so she could watch the show by herself.

The butler understood and returned to his post.

With her legs crossed, Sheila Lowell coolly watched the mother-daughter pair, Sienna Powell and Mia Rhodes, who were putting on a pitiful, tearful display before her. She occasionally took a sip from her teacup.

Seeing that Sheila was paying her no mind, Sienna Powell stopped crying and fussing. She glared at her, her teeth clenched. ”Sheila Lowell! I am, for all intents and purposes, your future aunt. Is this how you’re going to treat me?”

Sheila looked back at her, feigning confusion. ”How have I treated you, Auntie? Am I not listening intently to what you have to say?”

”You!” Sienna started to raise a hand to point, but the memory of Ian Sterling’s bodyguard breaking her finger was still fresh in her mind. She wiggled the bandaged digit but didn’t dare to actually point.

Mia Rhodes bit her lip, her voice thick with manufactured tears as she sobbed, ”Sheila, Lynn bullied me like that... she has it all wrong. You know what kind of person I am, don’t you?”

Sheila raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on her lips, but said nothing.

”It’s all a misunderstanding, Sheila. We’ve known each other longer than you’ve known Lynn. Why do you believe her and not me?”

”Believe what about you?” Sheila chuckled, retorting, ”What exactly do you want me to believe? That you didn’t provoke Aiden Powell into going to Lynn Winslow’s house to warn her away from the family? Or that you haven’t been spreading vicious rumors about Lynn? Or that you haven’t done any of those things?”

Mia Rhodes clenched her fists and shook her head. ”I really didn’t do any of that. I can explain everything.”

”There’s no need, Mia Rhodes.” Sheila looked down, admiring her fresh manicure as she spoke in a lazy drawl. ”You can explain all you want, but I won’t believe you. I have no idea why so many people fell for your stories before. All I know is that I won’t.”

”Sheila Lowell! Is this how the Lowell family raised you?” Sienna Powell finally lost her temper. She shot to her feet and snapped, ”You’re supposed to marry into our Powell family. If this is how you treat your elders, I’ll make sure you never marry into this family!”

Sheila found this so amusing she actually laughed and clapped her hands. ”How about this? I’ll send you the contact information for my parents, my grandparents, and my uncle. You can call them all and tell them I don’t respect my elders and that you’re canceling the engagement on behalf of the Powell family.”

”You... you’re just...” Sienna was shaking with rage. Mia couldn’t hold her back as Sienna strode forward and raised her hand to slap Sheila.

Sheila caught her wrist and flung it away, her voice turning icy. ”Don’t you dare pull the seniority card with me. You call yourself an elder?”

The force of the shove sent Sienna stumbling to the floor. Mia immediately rushed forward to help her up. Sheila stood over them, looking down with an imperious gaze.

”Let’s not even talk about how you’re just a daughter who married out of the family, one the Powells have already cast aside. Even if you were my actual aunt, after a disgraceful display like this, I’d have no problem humiliating you just the same.”

The mother and daughter—one sprawled on the floor, the other kneeling to help her—looked up at Sheila in unison, their hearts trembling under the weight of her gaze.

Lynn Winslow finally made her appearance. She strolled over, squatted down beside them, and offered a hand to Sienna Powell.

Sienna froze for a second. She was about to slap her hand away, but Lynn gripped her arm firmly and hauled her to her feet.

As she pulled, she said, ”Auntie, have you ever stopped to think whether teaching your daughter to be just like you is the right thing to do?”

Sienna’s lips parted, ready to unleash a torrent of curses, but Lynn continued, ”My mother always let things slide because you’re her sister. I guess bullying her wasn’t enough for you; you had to bring Mia along to bully me, too.”

At this, Mia dropped her pretense entirely and shrieked, ”Lynn Winslow, you bitch! How dare you come here to laugh at us?!”

Lynn scoffed and released the unsteady Sienna. ”That’s right,” she said airily. ”And after I’m done watching, I’ll go tell everyone about it. It’s bound to be one of the funniest stories they’ve heard in years.”

The mother and daughter, their faces nearly identical in their fury, glared at Lynn. But Lynn just shrugged, walked over to Sheila, and linked arms with her, turning her attention to Sheila’s manicure.

”They’re so pretty, Sheila. Are you busy this afternoon? If not, you should come with me to get my nails done.”

”Of course,” Sheila replied, making no effort to hide her fondness for Lynn. She looked up at the butler and instructed, ”Butler, keep an eye on them. If they want to leave, let them. If they choose to stay, make sure they don’t wander anywhere beyond the living room.”

The butler’s impassive gaze swept over the mother and daughter before he turned back to Sheila and nodded respectfully.

Neither of them spared Sienna or Mia another glance as they headed for the door. ”Sheila,” Lynn said as they walked, ”Ian Sterling has been gone for two days, and I’m bored to tears. Have you been busy? If not, we should hang out.”

”Not at all. Whatever you want to do, just let me know.”

”Okay, okay!”

As their voices faded into the distance, the expressions on Sienna Powell’s and Mia Rhodes’s faces grew uglier.

”Butler,” Sienna Powell said, turning to the silent butler with a deep frown. Her voice was sharp. ”Have you forgotten who the real masters of the Powell family are? I am the eldest daughter of this house, and Mia is my daughter! Sheila Lowell hasn’t even married in yet, and you’re already acting like her lapdog?”

The butler lowered his gaze and replied calmly, ”Miss Powell, I am merely following the young master’s orders. While the young madam has not yet officially married him, she is known throughout Quartos as the future mistress of the Powell family. It is only right that I obey her.”

”So just because you listen to her, you can disrespect me?” Sienna turned to head upstairs, but the butler moved to block her path. ”Miss Powell,” he said, his face a blank mask, ”please do not make things difficult for me.”

”Get out of my way.”

The butler didn’t budge. Sienna reached out to shove him, but Mia quickly stopped her. The two of them exited the Powell family home, bickering and pulling at each other all the way.

”Why did you stop me?”

”Mom, we can’t keep making a scene. It won’t do us any good.”

”This is all Cecilia Powell’s fault. If it weren’t for her, we wouldn’t have ended up in this state.”

...

The butler stood at the entrance, silently watching their retreating figures. He let out a cold snort, then turned and went back into the living room, instructing the staff to clean it thoroughly and not miss a single corner.

Lynn Winslow was driving, with Sheila Lowell in the passenger seat. Sheila glanced around, curiously taking in the car’s interior.

”This must be one of Ian Sterling’s cars.”