Chapter 431
Chapter 431:
The administrative director stiffened, caught off guard. Too lenient? Nine million had already been paid by the Roberts family! Surely that was enough to smooth things over, right?
But Hugh wasn’t finished. “She should receive a formal demerit and read a letter of apology in front of everyone during Monday’s assembly p>
The administrative director, sensing Hugh’s resolve, quickly nodded in agreement. “Understood. We’ll make it happen p>
When Sonya received the school’s revised notice, she was on the brink of tears. It was supposed to be a simple verbal warning! How had it escalated so quickly? Why had a simple verbal warning suddenly turned into a demerit?
Hadn’t her family paid nine million to settle this? Was that money completely wasted?
Her frustration boiled over into seething anger as she clenched her fists, her thoughts consumed with vengeance. “Just you wait, Yelena. One day, I’ll make sure you’re the one groveling beneath my feet p>
Yelena stepped through the door and froze. Something felt off. There was a new energy in the house—someone unfamiliar. Her eyes flicked briefly to the new servant before looking away without a second thought.
That fleeting glance, however, left Megan trembling. She turned to jelly, and a cold sweat drenched her back.
Bella, ever observant, noticed Megan’s discomfort. But to anyone else, Megan’s unease was invisible—a secret she was barely keeping together. Turning her attention to Yelena, Bella said warmly, “Yelena, I didn’t see you at the office today. I missed you p>
Yelena gave Bella a fleeting, indifferent glance. If those words had come from anyone else, she might have believed them. But since it was Bella, Yelena dismissed them without a second thought.
Without responding to Bella, she strode into the living room, her voice cool but polite. “Hello, everyone. I’m home p>
Yelena had never been one for small talk. Her aloofness didn’t win her any points with the Roberts family, who already held her at arm’s length.
ⓣ𝓱𝓮 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: gⱯ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀.con
They hadn’t known for years that Yelena wasn’t their biological daughter. They’d taken her in begrudgingly, and though they’d done their duty, there had never been warmth in their acceptance. Yelena’s reserved nature didn’t help matters. In Jonathan and his wife’s minds, the blame didn’t lie with them. After all, if not for their hard work, how would Yelena even have made it that far?
Yelena hadn’t planned to greet anyone tonight, but Donna, ever the peacemaker, gave her a subtle look the moment she walked in.
Yelena grasped Donna’s unspoken plea. Donna wanted to avoid trouble with Elianna, and Yelena knew it. She played along, as her mother wished to keep the peace.
To Yelena’s dismay, her effort to appease Elianna fell flat. The old woman remained unsatisfied.
Elianna let out a scoff, her sharp gaze landing on Yelena like a hawk sizing up prey. “What’s this now? Didn’t your mother teach you any manners? You barge in here and act as if the rest of us don’t exist. It’s shameful, really. Haven’t you learned the basics yet p>
Yelena’s brow twitched, and her fists clenched at her sides. Elianna was the kind of old woman who thrived on drama, her need for attention never fully satisfied. Even the smallest slight became a grand offense in her eyes.
The family knew her well enough to understand she was more interested in making a scene than offering constructive criticism.
Donna felt trapped, unsure how to intervene.
Though Elianna’s tirade was directed at Yelena, everyone knew Donna was the true target. Elianna had never truly approved of Donna as her daughter-in-law. She saw her as soft and spineless, with no notable background or advantages to bring into the family.
While Elianna enjoyed bossing Donna around, that didn’t mean she respected her. In truth, she despised Donna’s meekness but found endless amusement in exploiting it.
Elianna’s words carried more than a hint of reprimand aimed squarely at Donna.
Just then, Cayson broke the tension. “Grandma, Yelena had a packed day. Maybe she was just tired,” he said, his voice calm but firm.