Chapter 14 What Right Did She Have

The sound of a series of knocks echoed at the door. It was Lloyd. "Christopher, come have a cup of tea with me," he called out. "Alright," Christopher answered. He noticed Adeline's uneasy expression and walked away with a smirk. … In the living room, Lloyd pushed a cup of tea toward Christopher. "Adeline mentioned you've been quite busy lately," he said. "Yes," Christopher replied with a smile. Lloyd sipped his tea, then continued, "The Lambert Group is really taking off. It's no surprise you're busy, but don't forget to make time for family." Christopher knew Lloyd's intention for inviting him for tea was to avoid Adeline and talk in private. Leaning casually against the sofa, he fiddled with a gold-embellished lighter in his hand. His sharply defined face flickered in the flame's light. "Don't worry, Dad. Adeline and I are doing well," he said. Lloyd studied his face for a moment, but remained silent. If their relationship were really that strong, they wouldn't have been married for three years without a child. … When Adeline returned to the living room, she saw the two of them deep in conversation, likely about business matters. She wasn't particularly interested, so she quietly made her way to the backyard. It was summer, and the flowers in the garden were in full bloom. She remembered how Giselle would often spend her free time tending to the flowers and plants in the backyard. Giselle used to say that flowers had incredible life force. Even if they were transplanted into different soil, they would thrive as long as they got enough sunlight and water. "Amy, how many times have I told you? This branch needs to be cut off." At some point, Emma appeared in the backyard. She swayed her hips, raising a finger to point at a well-grown flower branch nearby. The housekeeper, Amy White, swiftly trimmed the branch at her command with a pair of scissors. "Sorry, Mrs. Keller. I missed it. I thought this branch would bloom, but it ended up draining so much of the plant's nutrients without even producing a bud," Amy apologized. Since the second year after Giselle's death, Emma had assumed the role of the lady of the house. Since then, she swiftly replaced most of the household staff. Even Cindy Decker, who had cared for Adeline for 11 years, was let go. Amy was brought in to replace Cindy as the housekeeper. At first, Lloyd had disagreed, and so had Adeline. However, Lloyd stopped protesting under Emma's persistent persuasion. At that time, she was young and her voice carried little weight. Despite her reluctance, there was nothing she could change. Having spent over a decade in the Keller family, Adeline was well aware of what kind of person Amy was. Emma glanced in Adeline's direction and raised her voice to Amy, saying, "Flowering and fruiting are natural processes. If a branch isn't blooming, it should be cut off—especially if it hasn't flowered in three years. There's no point in keeping it." "Yes, yes, you're absolutely right, Mrs. Keller," Amy replied with an uneasy smile. "It's like a hen that doesn't lay eggs—keeping it around just wastes resources. It's better to get rid of it early." Their exchange sounded like a well-rehearsed performance. Adeline couldn't help but laugh quietly. The underlying message was clear—Emma was subtly mocking her for not having a child after three years of marriage to Christopher. Rather than getting upset, Adeline calmly crossed her arms and approached with a soft smile. "Amy, is dinner ready?" "Oh, Mrs. Lambert!" Amy responded politely, though her eyes held the same disdain as Emma's. "Dinner is being prepared..." Before she could finish, Adeline smiled softly and asked, "So it's not ready yet?" Amy froze, her eyes avoiding Adeline's. "It's not quite ready yet." Adeline took the scissors from Amy's hand, staring at the sharp blades. "So you're out here trimming flowers when dinner isn't even prepared? Amy, don't you know what your priorities should be?" She glanced up and gave a small, dismissive smile. "When Cindy was here, she kept everything at the Keller family running smoothly. She even remembered when I needed to eat or drink." Suddenly, Adeline raised her hand, pointing the scissors at Amy. Amy flinched, and Emma was taken aback by the sudden tension. With a sharp snip, a perfectly bloomed branch fell to the ground beside Amy. Seeing the slight discomfort on Amy's face, Adeline smirked and firmly said, "You're a housekeeper, yet you neglect your duties and focus on matters that aren't your concern. Amy, do you have nothing better to do?" Although she wore a calm smile, the underlying authority and faint threat were unmistakable. Everyone in the Keller family knew Adeline had a bad temper. Amy, who had almost thought the scissors might land on her, finally came back to her senses when she saw the neatly severed flower branch at her feet. She carefully glanced at Emma for approval, and after receiving a subtle signal, she left. "Mrs. Keller, Mrs. Lambert, I'll go check on dinner," Amy said as she hurried away. Once she was gone, only Adeline and Emma remained in the garden. Adeline remained silent, merely smiling faintly as she watched Emma. Emma instinctively glanced at the scissors in Adeline's hand. The sharp blades glinted menacingly in the sunlight. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "Adeline, it was me who asked Amy to prune the flowers. It's not really fair to blame her, is it?" Adeline smiled, but there was no warmth in it. She shot back, "Should I not blame her, then? Should I blame you instead?" Ever since Adeline returned, she hadn't given Emma a kind look. With no one else around now, Emma dropped her pretenses and raised her voice. "Adeline, I know you don't like me, but don't forget—if it weren't for Alicia, would you have even married into the Lambert family?" Adeline immediately understood Emma's insinuation. Her biological mother had passed away, and her father hadn't cared for her. If she hadn't married into the wealthy Lambert family, her position in the Keller family would have meant nothing. She was surprised that Emma suggested she should be grateful to them. She looked at Emma's mocking face and sneered, "Emma, you're mistaken. Back then, you begged Dad to stop Alicia from marrying Christopher. I'm the one who helped you out. It's one thing not to thank me, but why are you acting so sarcastic now?" Adeline stepped forward, her gaze sweeping over Emma. Emma felt uneasy under her sharp look. "What?" she asked. Adeline ran a finger around the pearl necklace Emma was wearing, then met her confused gaze. "Emma, if it weren't for my mother's death, do you really think you'd have been able to step into the Keller family and become the lady of the house?" Her gaze was so intense that Emma's face paled. She took a shaky step back, but Adeline grabbed the pearl necklace tightly and yanked her forward to keep her steady. "Those are some valuable Ausian pearls. Before you married my dad, you probably never even laid eyes on anything like this, right?" Adeline sneered. "If it weren't for my mother, do you think you could live this pampered life?" She released her grip on Emma's necklace and gently adjusted the collar of Emma's dress. She looked up and gave Emma a bright smile, but there was no hiding the sarcasm in her eyes. The wealth and luxury Emma enjoyed now were all thanks to her mother, Giselle. Emma had no right to act so sarcastic in front of her.