Chapter 16

Aurora stayed with her grandmother for a long time, only leaving when the old woman finally drifted off for her afternoon nap.
Outside, the housekeeper had already set the table for lunch.
“Come eat,” Fiona called to Aurora, her tone polite but distant.
After everything that had happened between them, this strained civility was the most Fiona could muster for her daughter.
“I’m not hungry, I-” Aurora began, wanting to refuse.
But before she could finish, her father’s voice cut in, stern and cold. Jordan Quinn
had just come home, still carrying the day’s frustrations on his shoulders. “So you’ve married Dan, and now you think you’re too good for us? Is our food beneath you now?”
Aurora fell silent. With her grandmother resting nearby, she didn’t want to start another argument and give the old woman more to worry about. But from the way her father glared at her, she knew he wouldn’t let it go until she sat down and at least pretended to eat.
So quietly, she took her place at the table.
Jordan’s mood only soured further. “I don’t know what I did in a past life to deserve this. The minute you walk in the door, all I get is attitude.” Updates are released by.net
“Enough,” Fiona intervened, trying to keep the peace.
But the tension hung heavy over the table. Aurora could feel Samuel’s hostile gaze fixed on her, as if he were wishing she’d simply disappear and stop ruining their family’s happy little scene.
She was an unwelcome guest at her own family’s meal.
“Aurora, have some soup,” Eleanor ventured, gently placing a bowl of warm broth in front of her. Her voice was soft, almost pleading, as if hoping this small gesture might bridge the gap between them.
Aurora didn’t respond. She kept her head down, picking at her food, refusing to touch the soup.
Eleanor’s lips trembled; her eyes filled with tears, red-rimmed with hurt and embarrassment.
Samuel slammed his fork down. “Aurora, will you just stop already?”
Aurora lifted her gaze, her expression calm and distant. “What exactly did I do now?”
“Eleanor is talking to you. She went out of her way to serve you soup. Are you deaf, or just blind?” Samuel’s anger simmered.
Aurora looked down at the untouched bowl. “So just because she brought it, I have to drink it? Is it a crime to say no?”
Her voice was quiet, but the calmness in her tone somehow stung worse than any outburst.
“That’s enough.” Jordan’s fist hit the table, his temper flaring. “Can’t we have one peaceful meal? What do you all want from me?”
He fixed Aurora with a cold stare. “If you don’t want to eat, then get out.”
Aurora stood up at once. “I never planned on staying for lunch anyway.”
If not for her grandmother’s sake, she’d have left long ago. Now that she was being told to go, she was glad for the excuse.
“Aurora, don’t you dare,” Samuel growled, grabbing her by the arm. “You’re not leaving until you drink that soup.”
He always thought there was something infuriatingly aloof about Aurora, as if she’d never really belonged to this family. Today, he was determined to force her hand-she would drink the soup whether she wanted to or not.
“Let her go.” Eleanor hurried over, her voice choked with tears as she pulled at Samuel’s sleeve. “Aurora isn’t feeling well. Don’t make this harder on her.”
“You’re still defending her?” Samuel snapped, glaring at his sister. “She ruined your birthday party, humiliated you in front of everyone by accusing you of stealing her dress, then handed it off to a waitress and made a laughingstock of you. And now she tramples all over your kindness, and you still take her side?”
Daniel stepped forward, placing himself between Samuel and Aurora. “That’s enough, Sam,” he said quietly, but with authority. “Eleanor just wanted to be good to you, Aurora. Maybe you could at least acknowledge that.”
Fiona sighed, her tone softening as she addressed Aurora. “We’re all sorry about what happened with the baby, but no one could have foreseen that. You and Dan are still young. There will be other chances.”
Jordan’s eyes hardened, his voice cold as steel. “You were pregnant, and instead of resting at home, you insisted on running around. Now that the baby’s gone, you blame everyone but yourself. Is that how we raised you?”