Chapter 6

"Mrs. Gould, it's been a while," Mandy said gracefully as she stepped out of the car, her smile radiant and poised. Amelia's face darkened slightly, but with others present, she held back her displeasure. "I brought this gift from Magnaris. I hope you'll like it," Mandy said, offering a beautifully wrapped bag with both hands. Amelia barely glanced at it, making no move to accept. Mandy, unfazed, maintained her bright demeanor and turned to me instead, holding out the gift. "Grace, could you hold this for Mrs. Gould?" But I didn't even look at Mandy. My gaze was fixed on Gavin as he stepped out from the other side of the car, holding a bag of medicine—likely the same medication Mandy had mentioned earlier over the phone. At that moment, I felt a sharp, stabbing pain in my chest. So, when I needed him the most, Gavin had been busy taking care of Mandy. "Grace, why are you just standing there?" Mandy said cheerfully, grabbing my hand to force the gift into it. Fueled by anger, I immediately pulled my hand away, not caring about appearances. Mandy's face froze, her cheerful expression faltering. She turned to Gavin with a pleading look. Gavin frowned, about to say something when a stern voice came from the house. "Grace Summers! Where are your manners? We have a guest, and you dare act so rudely? Who taught you this kind of behavior?" Victor Gould, my father-in-law, strode out, glaring at me with furrowed brows. His words stung, bringing up my upbringing. My anger surged. "I didn't realize the Gould family had a rule about welcoming uninvited guests. Perhaps you can teach me, Dad?" Victor's face turned a shade darker, clearly not expecting my retort. "What nonsense are you spouting? Mandy is not an invited guest!" "Oh? So, you invited her then?" Victor opened his mouth, but seeing the sharp look Amelia sent his way, he quickly swallowed his words. "I won't argue with you about this!" He turned to Mandy, his demeanor instantly softening as he accepted the gift from her hands. His smile was warm and ingratiating. "Mandy, when did you return to the country? How long are you staying this time?" "Hello, Mr. Gould," Mandy replied with a dazzling smile. "I just got back today and plan to settle here in Fuvine." "Is that so? That's wonderful!" Victor laughed, but his laughter quickly subsided as he changed the topic. "Why are we all standing outside? Let's go in and chat." He turned to Tom. "Tom, when did you arrive? It's been so long since we've seen you. You've gotten even stronger!" Tom smirked faintly, his tone laced with teasing. "I've been here much longer than Mandy. Maybe you only had eyes for her and didn't notice me." "You cheeky boy," Victor forced a smile, clearly uncomfortable but unwilling to press further. After all, the White family's influence spanned military, political, and business sectors, far surpassing the Gould family's. Victor's gaze shifted back to me, his tone sharp again. "Grace, stop embarrassing yourself and go make us some coffee!" My heart sank. Once again, I was the easiest target. Victor had vented all his frustration on me. It wasn't new—he often criticized and nitpicked at me. I knew part of his disdain stemmed from his unresolved feelings for Mandy's mother, his unattainable first love. To compensate for his regrets, he had always tried to push Gavin and Mandy together, going out of his way to meddle. For Gavin's sake, I had endured this treatment for years. But not today. "I'm not feeling well today. Please ask one of the maids to do it." I wasn't being dramatic—my pregnancy and emotional turmoil had left me with a dull ache in my lower abdomen and an uncomfortable tension in my back. Victor's face darkened further. "I told you to make coffee. Why are you passing it off to the maid?" Before the situation could escalate, Tom chuckled. "Mr. Gould, they probably don't know how to brew coffee properly. Gavin's brewing skills are second to none." With a single sentence, Tom deftly deflected the responsibility onto Gavin. Gavin shot him a helpless look. "You finally show up, and now you're ordering me around? If you want coffee, make it yourself." Tom leaned back lazily, his smile playful. "Forget it. I don't need coffee." Victor's face flushed slightly with embarrassment, and he forced an awkward laugh, choosing not to respond. Gavin smiled faintly. "Let's go inside and talk." The spacious living room was filled with the rich aroma of coffee. Tom and Gavin seemed to have plenty to catch up on, likely due to how long it had been since they last met. Their conversation flowed easily, though it soon turned to Tom. "You're really not staying in the military?" Gavin raised an eyebrow. "I heard that, at your current promotion rate, you could become the youngest general in history within ten years." Tom sipped his coffee, letting out a low chuckle. "Don't believe everything you hear." Gavin shook his head with a smile, not taking it seriously. The White family had a long-standing military lineage, giving Tom a natural advantage in that field. Coupled with his extraordinary talent, it was no surprise he excelled no matter where he was. "So, what's your plan now?" Gavin swirled his mug. "Taking over White Corporation?" Tom was the sole heir of the White family, a direct descendant in a lineage spanning nine generations. White Corporation was currently managed by his father, who was still in his prime, so it didn't seem like there was any immediate need for a handover. "I'm staying out of the family business," Tom replied lazily, leaning back with his hands behind his head. "I'm planning to go solo." "In what field?" "Military tech research." As their conversation continued, I found myself tuning out, lost in my thoughts. Just as I was distracted, Mandy nudged me unexpectedly. "Grace, pour Mr. White some coffee!" The push caught me off guard, causing me to wobble and nearly tumble off the couch. Normally, I might have brushed it off, but now that I was pregnant, my tolerance was lower. "What are you doing?" I glared at her, my voice sharper than usual. Mandy looked at me, feigning shock. "What's wrong with you? I was just reminding you to pour coffee for Mr. White. Why are you being so hostile?" "If you wanted to remind me, you could have spoken up. Why did you push me?" "It wasn't intentional! Why are you being so aggressive?" Mandy frowned, wearing an expression of exaggerated disbelief. "Gavin and I grew up as friends. Acting like this is just embarrassing for him—why will people say about his reputation?" My gaze turned cold. "I didn't know 'friends' could cause scandals." "Scandals?" Amelia's expression shifted as she looked over. "What scandal? Who's involved in a scandal?" I was about to speak when Mandy interjected, her face full of indignation. "Grace, don't drag me into your marital problems, alright? Stirring up drama might work on men, but it doesn't work on me." Her audacity made me laugh in disbelief. What a perfect play of feigned innocence—turning the blame back on me like some petty game. What a piece of work.