Chapter 41: Sowing discord
Family? Cousin?
Yeri raised an eyebrow, arms crossed loosely, her gaze was sharp and unflinching.
Aunt Linda and Venice were clearly expecting her to drop the issue, maybe offer an awkward smile, or at most whisper something privately so no one else could hear. That was what the old Yeri would've done—quiet, sickly, too tired to pick a fight.
But the old Yeri is gone.
Today's Yeri was very much alive. And she will not let them mistake her silence as tolerance ever again.
"Yeri, I think Zenia's spoiled you too much. It's not good for a young lady to be so overbearing. Venice made a mistake, but it wasn't on purpose. The dog's fine, and you found it—so isn't that enough? As family, we shouldn't hold grudges or let outsiders watch us fight. Why don't you both make amends and move on?" Aunt Linda acted like a magnanimous person, feigning confusion and concern.
Her voice lilted just enough to draw attention, eyes sweeping the room as if she expected an ally to appear from the marble walls.
Venice stepped forward, putting on a pitiful look as if she were the one being bullied.
But before she could play the victim, Yeri smiled sweetly. So sweetly it made the air feel heavy.
"Ah, right. I almost forgot," Yeri said lightly, her tone polite and casual. "Even after Uncle's divorce, you two still aren't married. So technically, you're just his lover. That means... we're not family at all."
The air in the suite instantly dropped several degrees.