Chapter 35: The Price of a Name
โYunice?โ Owen looked at her in surprise, then quickly reached out to steady a middle-aged man. โMr. Ford, are you alright?โ
Quinton Ford waved a hand, indicating he was fine, but then turned toward Yunice, eyeing her closely. โWhat did you just call her, Mr. Saunders?โ
From behind Quinton, Elsie stepped forward quickly, casting a nervous glance at Yunice. Sheโd been using Yuniceโs name in public. And now Owen had slipped up. Quinton Ford was a major pharmaceutical tycoon, someone Elsie had long hoped to collaborate with. The last thing she needed was for her identity swap to be exposed. โMr. Ford, my brother was calling me,โ she interjected quickly.
Owen jumped in. โThatโs right.โ
Quinton looked between the two; something about their story clearly seemed off. He didnโt press the issue, but instead bent down and picked up the canvas bag Yunice had dropped. As he did, an old notebook fell out, flipping open on the pavement. His eyes narrowed at the sight of its pages. He leaned down to take a closer look, but a pale, delicate hand quickly snatched both the notebook and the bag from his grasp.
Quinton looked up to see Yunice, tense and on guard. โYouโฆโ Owen started, but caught himself. Nearly slipped again. He quickly changed his tone. โDo you have any manners?โ He turned to Quinton and offered an apologetic smile. โMr. Ford, sheโs just a distant cousin. A littleโฆ unstable. Please donโt take it personally.โ
And just to be sure Yunice didnโt say anything more, Owen pinched the inside of her arm behind his back, a subtle but sharp warning. The sudden sting made Yuniceโs eyes well with tears, but she stayed quiet, refusing to react.
Elsie, all smiles, invited, โMr. Ford, shall we continue our discussion over here?โ
Once Quinton had walked off with Elsie, Owen turned back with a scowl. โElsic and I have work to do. Lao Liu will take you home.โ
Yunice clutched her bag tightly and looked up at the grand hotel behind them. Owen and Elsie stood proud, dressed in luxury, using the Saunders family name to network with powerhouses like Quinton Ford. And her! A mentally ill distant cousin. Even after saving someoneโs life, she was met with nothing but coldness.
Status really is everything.
That night, Owen came home in high spirits and even asked Giana to prepare extra dishes. At the dinner table, he turned to Yunice with a smile. โYou donโt like spicy food, so these milder ones were made just for you.โ
Chapter 35: The Price of a Name
โYou two are both wonderful,โ Lily said happily. โYouโre my greatest blessings.โ
Yunice ate the food Lily had served her, but every bite was flavorless. No matter how much time passed, she still couldnโt adjust to this environment. She knew she was the outsider, yet still found herself caught between numbness and silent resistance. She lowered her head and ate faster, hoping to disappear from their line of sight. But fate didnโt let her.
โYunice,โ Owen said, โthat notebook you dropped earlierโit looked like Dadโs handwriting. Can I take a look?โ
Lily froze. Her expression darkened as she turned toward Yunice. โYou told me you didnโt have any of your fatherโs things. Were you lying to me?โ
โLying?โ Owen looked between the two, confused.
Lilyโs gaze stayed fixed on Yunice, her voice filled with disappointment. โThese past few nights Iโve been dreaming of your father. He kept telling me that he left important notes with you. He begged me to protect them. But when I asked, you told me they werenโt in your possession.โ She pressed her temples as if in pain. โI havenโt fulfilled your fatherโs request. My headโs been aching constantly ever sinceโฆโ
โHow could you?โ Owen slammed his hand on the table. โYunice, those were Dadโs thingsโthey shouldโve gone to Mom! What right do you have to keep them to yourself?โ
The last bite of rice turned to ash in Yuniceโs mouth. She set down her chopsticks and said calmly, โDad didnโt leave me anything. And if he did, theyโre not with me.โ
โThatโs not true!โ Lily snapped. โI searched every corner of this house and couldnโt find those books. Who else couldโve taken them?โ She sighed dramatically, holding her chest. โIโve tried to be tolerant of you. You didnโt have a proper upbringing, but I still treated you kindly. And nowโnow youโre lying to me? Even to me?โ She clutched her chest again, as if the betrayal had left her breathless.