Sophia stood in the hall on the first floor of the Jacobson residence. After hearing the news that Seline had been safely rescued, a smile broke across her face for the first time in a long while. “That’s good. At least she’s back.”

The frown on Caleb’s brow smoothed out as well. He asked, “What’s going on with the Yates family?”

Stephen’s expression remained passive. He was calm when he replied, “Nothing much.”

Sophia was stunned momentarily. “I’ll drop by the Yates residence to visit Seline tomorrow. I’ll also buy a nice gift for Mr. and Mrs. Yates as an apology to them. After all, Seline was only kidnapped because of our family.”

Rowena scoffed upon hearing her words and pursed her lips in displeasure. “There’s no need for you to do such a thing. Didn’t the girl return home safely in the end? Nothing happened to her, so why are you groveling at their feet?

“Sophia, don’t forget that you’re the lady of the Jacobson family. You need to remember that every word you say and every action you take reflects back on the Jacobsons. You shouldn’t lower yourself to do things that are unbefitting of your position and status.”

Sophia frowned. She countered, “But Rowena, why would I be lowering my position and status for showing concern? What transpired is no small incident. If we don’t show any care, wouldn’t it reflect badly on us?”

Stephen added, “Grandma, the kidnapping caused Seline to develop serious psychological trauma. Her mental state is extremely unstable now.”

Stephen was implying that Seline had not actually returned to the Yates family in one piece, so the Jacobsons had to take responsibility for her.

Rowena scoffed, her eyes filled with displeasure. “She was just frightened, wasn’t she? It’s normal for a timid child to get scared. She’ll be better once a few days have passed. There’s no need to make a mountain out of a molehill.”

Sophia’s frown deepened as she looked between Rowena and Stephen. She looked like she had something to say, but couldn’t find the right words to express her thoughts.

Meanwhile, Stephen still wore a calm expression as if he hadn’t heard Rowena’s thinly veiled insults. He turned to Sophia and said, “If you want to visit Seline, you need to inform Mr. and Mrs. Yates beforehand and ask them for their opinion. Seline is undergoing treatment in their home, so she might not be able to accept visitors for the time being.”

“Okay,” Sophia answered with a nod.

Noticing that she was being ignored, Rowena’s face darkened. Her tone was dripping with displeasure when she demanded, “Stephen, are you attempting to go against my word?”

Stephen’s thin lips parted slightly before he replied, “How could I? You’re unwilling to visit the Yates residence because of your status. That’s your decision. It’s not as if I could force you to go, isn’t that right?”

“Do you truly not understand what I’m trying to say or are you just pretending? I’m forbidding you to go to the Yates residence.” Rowena swiveled her head to look at Sophia before adding, “You as well!”

Sophia looked immensely upset. “Rowena…” she murmured.

“Stephen, you shouldn’t argue with Grandma anymore,” Jacqueline chimed in gently.

Stephen didn’t bother sparing her a single glance. He rose to his feet and declared, “I have some business to attend to, so I’ll be taking my leave now.”

He turned and left after saying his piece.

“Stephen—” Jacqueline called out at Stephen’s retreating back.

“Just look at how he’s behaving these days!” Rowena exclaimed angrily.

“I’ll be taking my leave too, Rowena.” Sophia noticed the disgruntled expression

on Rowena’s face. She softened her voice and told her in an amicable tone, “You should try to calm down.”

Rowena shot an icy glare at Sophia. “Calm down? Would I need to calm down if you didn’t try to provoke me?”

Sophia choked on her words before she let out a silent sigh.

“Grandma, have a sip of the tea I brewed. It’s Earl Gray, your favorite.” Jacqueline offered the tea to Rowena. “Have a taste and let me know if I’ve gotten any better at making tea.”

Rowena’s severe expression softened after she had a sip of tea. “Jacqueline, you’re the only one who has any common sense in this family.”

Sophia shot a glance at Jacqueline. Ultimately, she didn’t say anything else before she turned around and left.

Meanwhile, Caleb never had much

authority to speak in the Jacobson family in the first place. Besides, the cause of the entire issue was James his illegitimate son. It left him in an awkward position where he had even less authority to speak. Cóntent belongs to

He completely ignored the conflict that brewed between Rowena and Stephen, pretending that he didn’t hear any of their arguments. He took a few@ips of his tea and chatted idly for a few moments before taking his leave as well.

Tessa was distracted as she sat in during a meeting at the law firm. When the meeting concluded, she returned to her office to arrange

some documents. A few moments later, she heard a knocking on her door.

BUMS

The door swung open in the next second as Lester appeared in the doorway. “Ms. Yates, can I come in?” he asked.