Chapter 157: Let’s Not See Each Other Anymore
"The Quinns certainly have a fine way of raising their children." Archer Rhys shot a cold glance at Mrs. Quinn, who was standing to one side.
Mrs. Quinn turned deathly pale and lunged to cover Wendy Quinn’s mouth. "I’m so terribly sorry. I’ll have a good talk with her when we get back. My apologies to you both for ruining your evening."
Wendy Quinn shot Grace Winslow a venomous glare.
Grace Winslow frowned.
She didn’t like that kind of look.
It was clear Wendy Quinn wasn’t going to let this go.
’Even if they drag her back to the Quinn family home now, she’ll probably just come looking for trouble at school.’
’And trouble was the one thing she hated most.’
’She’d been given a second chance at life, and she was determined to eliminate any and all threats.’
"Wendy Quinn." After a long silence, Grace Winslow finally spoke.
Wendy Quinn wrenched her mother’s hand away. "You’ve always known I love him! Why are you still trying to steal him from me?"
"First of all, I never knew who you liked. I’m a student, and my job is to study. I don’t pay much attention to anything at school besides my coursework."
"Second, this is the modern age. Arranged marriages are a thing of the past. Even if you two had an engagement, according to Archer Rhys, it was called off long ago. Therefore, I am not ’the other woman’ in this situation, so I’d appreciate it if you’d watch your language."
"And finally, I have no intention of fighting you for him. I am not interested in Archer Rhys. If you’re capable enough, feel free to win him over and marry him on your own merit. If you’re not, or if he simply doesn’t like you, that has nothing to do with me."
"And don’t let me hear you slandering me again, anywhere. If I do, I won’t hesitate to report you to the police for defamation."
"You should know the consequences."
After she finished, Grace Winslow turned to Archer Rhys. "Archer Rhys, I don’t think we should see each other anymore. Until you’ve completely sorted out your personal affairs, we should keep our distance."
With that, Grace Winslow turned and walked away, her expression unreadable.
Archer Rhys’s expression darkened.
He had put in so much effort, and Grace Winslow’s attitude toward him had just started to soften. Now, thanks to Wendy Quinn’s little scene, it was all ruined.
He hadn’t moved against the Quinn family before because his grandfather still cherished the old bond between their families.
Now, it seemed, there was no need to honor that so-called bond any longer.
’For what the Quinn family did back then, dying a hundred times over wouldn’t be enough.’
He shot a cold look at Wendy Quinn.
Wendy Quinn had never seen such a look in Archer Rhys’s eyes before.
It was icy, merciless, and filled with killing intent.
She felt as if she’d been targeted by a predator, a venomous snake or a savage beast. A chill ran through her, her limbs grew weak, and she found it hard to breathe.
"The Quinn family... just fine."
Archer Rhys tossed out the cold words and turned to leave.
Only after Archer Rhys was gone did Wendy Quinn collapse onto the ground.
Mrs. Quinn covered her face, sobbing beside her. "Why? Why did you have to provoke him?"
"Don’t you know the rumors in the military? They say Archer Rhys is a demon, that he’s ruthless and cruel! The only reason he hasn’t held us accountable for what our family did back then is out of respect for our families’ old friendship. And you just had to go and provoke him! Look at this mess! What are we going to do now?"
"With his current rank and status, not to mention the several first-class merits he just earned, if he decides to hold the Quinn family accountable for what happened all those years ago, none of us will escape."
Wendy Quinn looked up at her mother dazedly. "Mom, what did we do back then? Why does he hate me so much? When we were little..."
"What are you talking about? He only lived in the military compound for a few years as a child. His grandfather took him to the countryside when he was just a little boy. He grew up out there."
"The last time you saw him was when he came back from the countryside to enlist."
"What is it you even like about him?" Mrs. Quinn glared at her daughter, pulling her to her feet. "It’s no use talking about this now. Let’s go home and ask your father what he thinks we should do."
"If we have to, we’ll make your grandfather swallow his pride and go plead with his grandfather. No matter what, we can’t let anything happen to the Quinn family, or we’re all finished."
Over the years, the Quinn family had certainly made its share of enemies.
As long as Archer Rhys left them alone, no one else dared to make a move.
But if Archer Rhys decided to act, the Quinn family was sure to meet a gruesome end.
They had stepped on too many toes.
Grace Winslow was no longer in the mood to shop, so she went straight home.
She said a quick hello to Irene Lynch, packed a few items of clothing, and went directly back to school.
"Grace, how come you’re back so early today?" Joanne Chase greeted her warmly as soon as she walked into the dorm room.
Grace was used to her roommate’s indifference, and this was the first time she’d been on the receiving end of such warmth. She was a little taken aback.
"I made these biscuits myself. Would you like to try one?" Seeing Grace hesitating at the door, Joanne shyly offered her a biscuit from the desk.
A smile touched Grace’s lips. "Thank you, Joanne."
Joanne’s eyes lit up when she heard that. She hadn’t expected Grace to even know her name!
She’d thought there was no way Grace would have remembered it.
"You’re welcome. I made them myself. They’re pretty plain, so you might not be used to them," Joanne said, self-consciously wiping her hands and watching Grace with a hint of nerves.
Grace took a bite.
It was actually pretty good. It seemed to be made from some kind of mixed-grain flour. The wheaty flavor was rich, with a faint, toasted aroma. There wasn’t much else to the taste, but it was surprisingly pleasant to eat.
"It’s delicious, thank you," Grace said with a smile.
Joanne let out a sigh of relief. "I’m glad you like it. I borrowed the cafeteria kitchen to make them. I made a whole batch."
Grace glanced over at the rest of the batch and couldn’t help but frown. "Is this all you usually eat?"
"Mhm." Joanne nodded, looking a little embarrassed. "There are a lot of kids back home, and there’s never enough food. I send most of my monthly rations and money home. This is what I keep for myself. If I’m careful, it’s enough to last me the month."
"I see. Well, in that case, you should try some of mine." After a moment’s thought, Grace pulled a jar out of her bag and handed it to Joanne. "My mom made this sauce. It’s pretty good."
Joanne took it. "What kind of sauce is it?"
"I don’t know, I haven’t tried it yet myself. Why don’t you be the first to taste it for me?" Grace said, shaking her head as she started putting her things away. "My mom loves to cook in her spare time. She’s always making different kinds of sauces and experimenting with new recipes."
Joanne twisted open the lid, and a rich, savory aroma immediately wafted out.
She couldn’t help but swallow, her mouth watering. "It smells amazing! There must be meat in this, right? I can’t eat this. It’s too precious."
"What’s so precious about it? It’s just homemade. If you like it, eat it. My mom packed several jars for me." Grace pulled the other jars out of her bag to show Joanne.
Joanne glanced at the jar in her hands, then at the others Grace was holding.
As much as she wanted to eat more, she only scooped out a tiny spoonful before handing the jar back.
She was afraid that if she got used to something so good, she’d lose the ability to endure hardship.