Chapter 18 Completely Insane

The high heels struck the ground with a crisp sound as Adeline walked toward the dining room. "Adeline, well..." Emma began to speak but was interrupted by Adeline. She stopped next to Leonard and smiled gently. "Leonard, tell me. Is it you who wants to eat spare ribs?" Leonard looked at Adeline with his big eyes and truthfully shook his head. "It's not me... It's Alicia who wants them..." "Leonard!" Alicia immediately stood up and pointed at him. "You traitor! I can't believe you're doing this to me. I'm your sister!" Adeline smiled without saying a word. A flash of sharpness flickered in her gaze, and then it quickly vanished without a trace. She walked up to Alicia slowly, placed a hand on her shoulder, and gently pushed her back into her seat. Without hesitation, she took the plate of honey garlic spare ribs that hadn't been touched yet and dumped the entire thing onto Alicia's plate. Alicia stared at the full plate of spare ribs in front of her and asked coldly, "Adeline, what are you doing?" "Don't you like eating them? Then finish them!" Adeline pulled a chair and sat beside her. She gestured to the plate in front of Alicia and said with a calm expression, "I have plenty of time. I'll watch you eat. You can't leave until you finish." "Adeline, what is this..." Emma was about to speak when Adeline casually grabbed a wine glass and slammed it onto the floor. The glass shattered with a sharp crack, and pieces scattered everywhere! "You don't get a say here!" She gave Emma a sharp, icy look before locking eyes with Alicia. "If anyone tries to interfere, I can't promise what I'll do next." She softened her tone and smiled faintly. "Oh, I might murder someone, or start a fire." She raised her hand dramatically and continued, "Maybe I'll suddenly set the Keller Manor on fire and we'll all die together!" She was insane! Completely insane! Lloyd was so angry his blood pressure shot up. Emma hurriedly gave him some medicine to bring it down. No one dared to stop Adeline. Despite her overwhelming reluctance, Alicia had no choice but to pick up her fork and dig into the honey garlic spare ribs she despised the most. Adeline didn't say a word and just silently watched her eat. ... Under a sky where the moon was dim and the stars were scarce, Christopher stood outside smoking. The flickering glow of his cigarette briefly illuminated his handsome features. Just then, he heard footsteps behind him. It was Gordon. "Mr. Lambert, Mr. Keller asked me to tell you this. He's begging you to take Ms. Keller back as soon as possible, or the whole family will be in chaos," Gordon said. Upon hearing that, Christopher suddenly smiled and put out his unfinished cigarette. "I understand." Before leaving, Gordon paused and smiled warmly. "Mr. Lambert, I can see how much you care for Ms. Keller. Her mom would be at ease watching from above." Christopher just smiled faintly without saying a word. "Ms. Keller has had a tough life. Ever since her mom passed away when she was ten, she hasn't had anyone to talk to in this vast house." Gordon sighed and continued, "When Ms. Meyers brought Ms. Alicia into the Keller family, things only got harder for her. Plus, with Mr. Keller favoring Ms. Alicia..." Gordon heaved another deep sigh and didn't go on. After a brief pause, he added, "In any case, Ms. Keller has endured far too much suffering. It broke my heart watching her grow up." A relieved smile appeared on Gordon's aged face as he continued, "Now that she's married to you, Mr. Lambert, her life has finally turned around. No one can bully her anymore. I'm just a humble housekeeper with little standing, but I sincerely hope that you'll cherish Ms. Keller for a lifetime, Mr. Lambert. Please, don't let her suffer again." After hearing Gordon's words, Christopher lowered his gaze and remained silent for a few seconds. His expression was unreadable and showed no emotion. At last, he let out a soft hum in response. ... The dining room was filled with silence, with only the sharp clink of a fork against a plate breaking the stillness. Alicia had barely managed to finish half of the spare ribs when she struggled to continue. With tears in her eyes, she cast a desperate look toward Emma. Emma opened her mouth and wanted to say something. However, when she looked at Lloyd, who remained silent, and then caught Adeline's sharp glance toward her, she swallowed her words. Just then, footsteps echoed through the vast dining room, and Adeline's wrist was suddenly seized. She looked up and saw Christopher's gentle smile. Christopher turned to Lloyd and said politely, "Lloyd, I have something to attend to, so I'll take Adeline back first." Lloyd was more than happy for them to leave. He waved his hand impatiently. Christopher pulled Adeline up from her chair with a firm grip. Alicia looked at Christopher as though she had seen a savior. Tears welled up in her eyes as she called out, "Christopher..." "Did you just call him that?" Adeline shot her a sharp look and said coldly, "Although I don't acknowledge you as my sister, from now on, you will address him as Mr. Lambert!" She didn't care why Alicia's gaze toward Christopher seemed so ambiguous. As a woman, she could tell that gaze wasn't simple. Emma and Alicia had already claimed her dad and the entire Keller family, and she wouldn't allow the latter to entertain the thought of claiming her husband too! Since Adeline had taught Alicia a lesson, she didn't want to stay any longer. She looked over at Leonard, who sat silently in the corner, and softened her voice. "Leonard, I'm sorry for spoiling your birthday today." Leonard looked up with his big, dark eyes and replied earnestly, "It's okay, Adeline." "How about I make it up to you some other time?" Adeline suggested. Leonard nodded firmly. "Okay." Before departing, Christopher stopped for a moment and turned to Emma. "The dinner was great tonight. Thank you, Emma." His tone was calm and pleasant, and his face showed no expression. However, his words carried a subtle coldness that sent a shiver down Emma's spine. ... The streets were brightly lit, and a sports car raced down the wide road. Adeline sat in the car, gazing at the thousands of lights outside, and only then did she feel like she had found her composure. Leaving the Keller Manor, she felt like she could finally breathe again. Christopher lit a cigarette, removed his coat, and wore only a black shirt. His collar was slightly open, and the cuffs of his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. He glanced at Adeline in the rearview mirror and asked, "What was that about earlier?" Adeline felt utterly drained. The ordeal at the Keller Manor had taken everything out of her. She was too tired to even argue. Without glancing at him, she rested her forehead against the window and kept her lips tightly shut. Through the rearview mirror, Christopher only saw her long hair fall over half her face, obscuring her expression. His patience ran out. "Adeline, I'm asking you a question." His voice wasn't loud, but it carried intense irritation. "Christopher," she suddenly said. Her voice was so soft that if Christopher hadn't been waiting for her answer, it would've been almost inaudible. She asked, "Since the day I married you and moved into Regalis Villa, has honey garlic spare ribs ever been served at our dining table?"