At his core, Robert was driven by selfish ambitions and a hunger for control.

Martin’s voice snapped Robert out of his reverie as he realized he shouldn’t have slapped Fernanda in front of others. Always obsessed with how he was perceived, Robert’s anger melted into embarrassment and discomfort.

He regretted his rash actions, worried they might have lowered the Harpers’ opinion of him.

“Mr. Harper…”

Martin stopped Robert with a raised hand and a firm tone. “It’s late, and we won’t hold you and your families up any longer. Drive safe.” Turning to Fernanda, his expression softened a touch. “Fernanda, stay behind. Let’s have a chat.”

“Okay,” Fernanda responded.

With the conversation clearly over, Robert bit his tongue. As he walked past Fernanda, he hissed, “Make this right for me, got it?”

Fernanda rolled her eyes. His words went in one ear and out the other. Her marriage was none of his business.

“If you fail, you’ll regret this!” he snapped as he left.

Fernanda felt nothing but contempt.

She was curious to see just how he might make her regret it.

The Morgans had only just left when the vast living room seemed to expand further, swallowed up by the silence they left behind.

“Evie.” Martin spoke up as shadows crept along the walls. “It’s getting late. Could you help your grandfather upstairs?”

With a series of quick nods, Evie silently supported Curran, helping him rise from the couch and slowly making their way upstairs.

Curran, visibly reluctant to retire so soon, had no energy left to protest. He sighed deeply, throwing a meaningful glance at Fernanda and Bobby.

He grumbled, pushing himself off the couch with a groan. “No clue what’s running through your heads these days. Now that you two have decided, there’s nothing I can do to change it.”

Evie, shrinking a little under the weight of the moment, helped Curran up the stairs. Her eyes flitted back to Cristian, Bobby, and Fernanda, her sighs mirroring Curran’s tired resignation.

Annoyed, Curran tapped her on the head. “Why keep looking back? They’re a handful.”

The trio being watched found themselves momentarily speechless. Cristian was accustomed to it; Curran had long harbored a disdain for him. To Curran, both Bobby and Fernanda had morphed into rebels. It seemed any affection Curran might have held for her was now a thing of the past.

Catching Bobby’s eye, Martin signaled, and without hesitation, Bobby pivoted to Cristian. “Hey Cristian, let’s go. Picked up a new motorcycle — it’s top-notch and roars like a beast. You’ve gotta see it.”

“Sure,” Cristian replied with a casual nod.

He was aware that Martin was angling for a moment alone with Fernanda. Known for his gentle nature, Martin was unlikely to make things uncomfortable for her.

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