Chapter 59: Power Over Pride
Owen’s jaw tightened. This time, he was the one who went silent.
“It’s not like I’m trying to back out,” Paul said. “I’ll marry Elsie. The only issue is my dad—he still has concerns.”
Owen narrowed his eyes. “What kind of concerns?”
Paul scoffed. “Same old problem. That loser’s still in the way. My dad won’t let me get married until he does.”
Owen’s expression shifted. “You mean Wyatt?”
Paul snorted. “Who else? He’s never really been one of us. My dad doesn’t trust him. If he ends up with someone powerful backing him, it’s a threat. You think my dad’s going to sit back and let that happen? No chance.”
In the pavilion, Yunice rested her chin on her palm, listening through her earbud. She heard everything. So this was why Owen brought her here—to pressure Paul into marrying Elsie. He couldn’t stand the thought of Elsie being embarrassed, so he let her take the hit. He brought her along just to make Elsie look better next to her—to put her scarred face on display. A guy like Paul, who was always into pretty girls, was never going to pick someone like her. Of course, he’d choose Elsie.
She had to admit that Owen had thought it all through. He really was a good big brother. Just not to her.
Inside Maplecrest Manor, the conversation continued. The gist was simple: if Wyatt didn’t get married, Paul couldn’t either. And if Wyatt married someone powerful, Paul had to outmatch him. Whatever happened, Paul had to come out on top of Wyatt. And as far as the Powell family was concerned, the Saunders family brought nothing to the table.
Outside, the sharp tap of a cane echoed against the stone path. Wyatt was walking slowly, cane in hand. Jordan followed beside him, and when he looked up, he paused. “Wyatt, isn’t that Yunice over there?” He frowned. “Why’s she just sitting out here in the cold?”
The tapping stopped for a second. Wyatt glanced once toward the pavilion, his expression unreadable. “Let’s go.”
From where she sat, Yunice noticed Wyatt too. He was heading toward Longevity Springs, the part of the estate where Jackson lived.
Not long after Wyatt disappeared, a servant hurried over to the pavilion with a scarf and a hand warmer. Yunice blinked, surprised. “Who sent this?” she asked.
But the servant caught sight of Paul and Owen approaching from the manor and hurried off without answering.
Owen stepped onto the pavilion, his eyes narrowing as he saw the scarf in her lap. “Where’d that come from?”
Before Yunice could answer, Paul walked up behind him. “Why don’t we bring Yunice along?” he offered casually.
Owen frowned. They were heading to Longevity Springs—why bring her along?
Chapter 59: Power Over Pride
Owen wasn’t sure what Paul was up to. But Paul had something else in mind. Yunice keeps saying Wyatt’s better than me? Fine. Let her watch how the Powell family handles someone with no place at the table.
Owen was too focused on Elsie’s engagement to care about Yunice, so he let Paul lead the way to Longevity Springs without saying a word. They walked fast, easily keeping pace just behind Wyatt.
Yunice trailed behind them, her view blocked by Owen and Paul’s tall frames. She kept her head down, lost in her own thoughts—until a sharp crack snapped her to attention.
A sharp crash echoed ahead. She looked up just in time to see a teacup shatter at Wyatt’s feet. The porcelain burst into pieces on the stone floor—right after slamming against his shoulder. But Wyatt didn’t even flinch. He stood there, motionless, steam rising from the shoulder of his black coat. That tea had to be burning hot.
Then came the voice from inside. “Don’t forget who’s still in charge here.”
Paul crossed his arms, smirking. “Jackson’s been calling for him for days. Guess he finally had enough.” He turned to glance at Yunice, smug. Like Wyatt getting humiliated was something worth bragging about.
Yunice ignored him. Instead, she looked to Owen. He stood off to the side, totally unfazed—like this kind of thing happened all the time. Like there was nothing wrong with it at all. He and Paul were clearly on the same team. And the higher Paul climbed, the better it was for Elsie.
Up ahead, Wyatt stepped over the shattered teacup. One hand braced against the doorframe as he crossed the threshold into Longevity Springs.
Yunice paused. She remembered that entrance from when she was younger. It didn’t used to be that high. Had they rebuilt it that way on purpose? Wyatt already had trouble walking. That steep step was clearly designed to trip him up. If Wyatt fell at the door, it’d be right in front of everyone—flat on the floor, humiliated, while all those eyes watched with nothing but judgment.