Chapter 213: Family
Since childhood, he had been raised under the Graham family’s cold-blooded training standards. His ruthlessness, decisiveness, and rationality, along with the deeply ingrained emotional detachment in his bones, were once the very qualities Maximus and Helen took the most pride in. Only with these traits could he be a worthy heir of the Graham family and ensure the century-old foundation of the Graham Group continued to thrive.
But Helen had never imagined that a woman would come along and disrupt everything. She would not allow it!
“Fraser, money means nothing to our family, but I will not tolerate anyone deceiving or harming you. That woman doesn’t love you; she’s just using you to climb higher.”
As the seconds ticked by, the air in the hall grew heavier. Fraser’s gaze was unreadable, his jaw tightly clenched. Beneath the cold glow of the crystal chandelier in the mansion’s hall, his shadow was sharp and imposing.
“Bang!” He slammed the recorder onto the floor and strode out with long, determined steps.
At the Stewart Mansion, for the past two days, Summer had not returned to Ravenshire Boulevard after work. Ever since she kicked Jasper and Harvey out, the housekeeper had cleared out all their belongings. But the traces of their presence still remained.
Summer had been planning to sell this house and buy a new one. Julia, perhaps affected by everything that had happened, seemed to have changed as well. Sitting on the sofa, she gazed at Summer with a gentle look, her lips turning into a motherly smile. “Summer, as long as I can live with you, it doesn’t matter where we are.”
Now, only she and Julia lived in the Stewart Mansion. The number of servants had gone from nearly eight to just two. The house felt quieter but also warmer. Summer felt as if she had finally found the family life she had always longed for. It wasn’t an overwhelming rush of affection, but rather a slow and steady warmth, like a long-overdue compensation for her youth, seeping into her heart bit by bit.
For a moment, Summer was struck by how much the Stewart family had changed. It felt as if just three years ago, she had been newly recognized by them… lost, confused, and utterly alone. And now, she had become the true owner of this home. She even had a mother who, though late in coming into her life, truly loved her.
Julia’s expression remained calm as she recalled a phone call from earlier that afternoon.
“An old friend of mine heard about what’s been happening. She’s settled in Belvare and invited me to go visit for a while, but I haven’t decided yet.”
Her relationship with Summer had only recently begun to change. Even though it would only be for two months, she felt reluctant to leave.
Summer understood Julia’s hesitation but thought a trip would do her good. “You should go. When you come back, we’ll find a new place to live.”
Hearing this, Julia’s eyes grew warm. To avoid letting Summer see her emotions, she quickly got up, saying she needed to call back and confirm.
Summer lounged on the sofa lazily. Since the day Fraser had dropped her off at work, she hadn’t received a single message from him. Naturally, she hadn’t reached out either. It was as if they were locked in a silent argument.
On impulse, she unlocked her phone and glanced at her calendar reminder. Three days left until their breakup deadline. Her lashes lowered slowly.
The iron doors of the prison slid open. Yolanda, dressed in tattered clothes and looking gaunt, stepped out, clutching an old…
In the next second, Margaret drove straight up to her, rolling down the window with an annoyed expression. “Get in.”
The moment Yolanda saw Margaret, a flicker of light appeared in her otherwise lifeless eyes. She rubbed her hands together nervously, cautiously opening the door and getting into the car.
“Why are you here?”
As Yolanda settled in, Margaret couldn’t help but notice a foul odor filling the car. A look of disgust flashed across her eyes, and she blurted out, “Did you not shower in there!”
Yolanda immediately looked embarrassed. “I did… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to… I’ll clean it up.” She fumbled through her canvas bag, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe herself.
Margaret snapped impatiently, “Forget it. Just don’t move.”
If she didn’t need Yolanda to help her get rid of Summer, she wouldn’t have bothered picking her up. The mere thought of being around this woman made her skin crawl.
A while ago, she had gone to Harvey to ask for spending money. To her shock, Harvey had only given her ten thousand dollars. She had never in her life lived on just ten thousand a month. That wasn’t even enough to cover her gas money!