Chapter 18

A light chuckle escaped Hector's lips, clearly finding Shannon's comeback quite amusing. Hank immediately scowled and yelled, "You're being completely ridiculous! You can't expect that!" Shannon calmly met his gaze and responded indifferently, "Isn't that the reasoning you used earlier? I'm simply applying your own reasoning to propose a deal. What's so wrong with that?" "You can't be serious! A national treasure and a room are not even remotely comparable!" Hank was almost exasperated by her. Scott, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but chime in, "Why are you being so petty, Shannon? Isn't it just a room? It's not like we're kicking you out. Is it really necessary to make such a big deal out of it?" Shannon merely laughed in response. If that was the case, why did Eva have to take this room then? At that moment, Caleb also joined in, saying, "You see, Hank isn't totally off base. You probably wouldn't even like that princess-themed room that much, so why fight with a child over it? "If it's really that big of a deal, I'll give you my room, and you can give yours to Eva. Please put an end to this. It's ridiculous to make such a fuss over a room for so long." Scott muttered under his breath, "It's all thanks to a certain someone. We never used to have these kinds of problems at home." At the end of the day, they were all subtly hinting that Shannon had been disrupting the peace at home ever since she returned. Although Linda was the one who had taken care of the room arrangements, everyone was unfairly accusing Shannon of causing the problem. As Hector listened to their chatter, the smile on his face gradually faded. Yet, before he could say anything, Hank impatiently interjected, "At the end of the day, you just don't want to let her have the room." "You're absolutely right. I simply don't want to let her have it." Shannon's unequivocal response left everyone speechless. Hank and the others didn't expect her to outright reject them. Yet, Shannon voiced her dissent nonetheless. She merely met their eyes, her gaze unwavering and indifferent. After all, she was no stranger to such accusations, having endured them repeatedly throughout her life. "You should be more accommodating to Rach; she's your younger sister!" "You can't keep a fox here! What if it frightens Rach? Get rid of it this instant!" "You're freeloading here, and now you want to add a pet to the mix? Are you deliberately trying to disrupt the peace in this household, Shannon?" She had long grown accustomed to such "accusations." However, being accustomed to it didn't mean she tolerated it. Given that everyone only got one shot at life, why should she cater to Eva just because she was younger than her? Additionally, her parents had poured their hearts into decorating that room, filled with joy and anticipation for her arrival. And it wasn't until yesterday that she learned that someone had once been filled with anticipation for her arrival. … Eva had assumed that with her brother and cousin brothers' involvement, she would definitely get the room today. Yet, contrary to her expectations, that awful Shannon stubbornly refused to back down! As expected, what Cecily said was right. As soon as Shannon returned, she was no longer the only darling girl in the house. Everyone wouldn't pamper her like they used to. Even Hector had turned against her. Eva's anger intensified with every thought, causing her to burst into tears once more. "You're the worst! Get out of my house right now! Get out!" As soon as she said that, everyone in the hallway fell into a stunned silence. Shannon's eyes flickered briefly as she remained still, her expression betraying no hint of her emotions. Meanwhile, Scott and the others were momentarily stunned. Despite the commotion, even Scott, the family's loose cannon, knew that there were limits to what could be said. As expected, in the next instant, a stern and cautionary shout echoed through the hallway. "Eva Jensen!" A chill descended upon Hector's features as he met Eva's eyes, instantly subduing her outburst and stopping her crying. At that moment, two figures ascended the staircase. It was Adam and Adrian, both having just come back from work. Adam's face held its customary stern and authoritative look as he asked, "What's all the fuss about?" When he said that, Linda's heart skipped a beat. Before anyone could say a word, she hurriedly led Eva over to Adam and Adrian, forcing a smile as she explained, "Oh, it's merely some childish bickering. It's all my fault for not thinking things through when arranging Shannon's room. "Eva is throwing a tantrum, wanting to exchange rooms with her. Yet, Shannon won't let her have it." With just a few words, she glossed over how the others had pressured Shannon into giving up her room, and instead made it seem like Shannon was the unwilling one. As soon as he heard that, Hector frowned. When he was about to explain everything that had really happened, Adrian, with a puzzled expression, asked, "It turns out to be a matter about the rooms. Didn't we sort it out yesterday though?" Adam furrowed his brow, looked at Shannon, and said, "We can address the room situation later. I have something I need to ask you, Shannon." When Adam spoke, Shannon instinctively looked at him, and then heard him ask in a deep voice, "Did you go to the Shaw residence today?" A momentary change in Shannon's expression was quickly concealed as she nodded and answered, "Yes." After hearing that, Adam furrowed his brow, his expression growing stern. "Didn't I warn you yesterday to steer clear of the Shaw family's matters? I'll deal with the Shaws myself!" Sensing something amiss from his father's demeanor, Hector stepped forward, positioning himself in front of Shannon, and asked, "Did something happen?" Adrian explained, "Well, you see, the Shaw family reached out to Adam, mentioning that Shannon visited Mrs. Shaw earlier and made some odd remarks. They asked Adam for an explanation." Upon hearing this, everyone's gaze immediately snapped toward Shannon. Those gazes were filled with either surprise or reproach, plainly holding her responsible for overstepping her bounds. Due to her earlier remarks about wisdom-swapping, the Jensens had to tread lightly when dealing with the matter concerning the Shaw family's daughter. Yet, she still went to the Shaw family and said a bunch of nonsense. Did she want to sabotage the relationship between the Shaws and the Jensens? "What were you thinking? It's one thing to talk about those superstitious beliefs at home, but to bring them up with the Shaw family? Did you completely ignore what Uncle Adam had said yesterday?" "You're being incredibly thoughtless, Shannon. We have ongoing business deals with the Shaw family after all," Linda said in an exasperated tone, as if she couldn't believe Shannon's lack of sense. Scott piled on, saying, "You haven't even been home that long, and you've already caused so much trouble!" Shannon remained unfazed by the others' taunts and addressed Adam directly, "I've never told them I was a Jensen." "When the Shaws set out to find someone, they don't come up short. Moreover, I heard that you even took the Coopers' car to get there." Shannon frowned slightly, admitting to herself that she hadn't thought things through properly. Adam then asked her what she had said to the Shaws, as Donald's on the phone seemed like he was holding back something, suggesting a hint of irritation. Shannon concisely recounted her visit to the Shaw residence, including how she sensed that something bad would happen to Emily. As soon as they heard that, everyone stared at Shannon in utter disbelief. She actually showed up at someone's doorstep and hinted at their potential misfortune. Wasn't that akin to wishing them harm? Shannon was truly thoughtless! Adam regarded Shannon with a serious expression, then stated, "You truly acted rashly in this situation. Even if you were right, it was inappropriate to go to their house and say those things. I'll deal with the Shaw family, but you need to stay away from their daughter's situation from now on." Adam was determined to keep his long-lost daughter from getting entangled in any trouble. As Shannon was about to respond, Adam cut her off, saying, "As for the room, since Eva likes it, let her have it. I'll have Thomas prepare a new room for you. You're welcome to redecorate it however you please." Adam didn't think a room was worth arguing over. Although the room had once been a symbol of his love for his long-lost daughter, now that she had returned, that room no longer held any significance. More than that, he didn't want Shannon to have a strained relationship with the family as soon as she returned home, as it would make it difficult for her to get along with her cousins in the future. Yet, Adam failed to realize how his seemingly insignificant statement had impacted Shannon, leaving her momentarily stunned. After a moment, the sparkle in those eyes of hers gradually diminished—it was as ephemeral as a firefly's glow, flickering briefly before being swallowed by the night. As soon as he heard that, Hector quickly shouted, "Dad!" When he was about to clarify that the situation was more complicated than he initially assumed, Shannon's voice, crisp and unruffled, stopped him short. "It won't be necessary." She spoke calmly, yet unlike the day before, there was an inexplicable sense of detachment in it. She fixed her gaze on Adam, her tone steady as she declared, "I'll be moving out."