Chapter5 The Argument

Outside the government office, Miranda took a cab home.

The moment she stepped through the door, before she could even take off her shoes, the sound of a heated argument hit her like a wall.

"Dominic! Have you lost your mind? These are Miranda's brand new clothes she hasn't even worn yet! What gives you the right to hand them over to that ungrateful brat!"

Her mother Arabella's voice was filled with rage.

Miranda's heart tightened. She hurried toward the living room.

On the sofa sat Ariana, clutching an armful of designer clothes and handbags from Miranda's closet, tears of grievance on her face. Her father Dominic stood protectively in front of Ariana, facing off against her mother.

"Keep your voice down! Ariana just went through a trauma. Don't scare her!"

"I'm scaring her?" Arabella was shaking with fury, pointing at Dominic's nose. "Your daughter just had a miscarriage and got divorced! And you, her father, haven't even checked on her. Instead you bring the person who ruined her life into our home to fawn over her? Dominic, do you have any heart left!"

Dominic's face flushed red from the scolding, but he stubbornly argued back.

"That's nonsense! Ariana is your sister's only daughter! I'm only taking care of her out of respect for you!"

Hearing this, Ariana immediately seized the opportunity. She cried pitifully and spoke weakly to Arabella.

"Auntie, please don't be angry. It's all my fault."

"After the kidnapping, I was so scared. I had no family around, so I thought I'd come find you. I wanted to be near you."

"I didn't realize you didn't want me here."

She sniffled, hugging the clothes as she stood up.

"If that's how it is, I should just leave. I don't have any family left anyway. It doesn't matter where I go."

This manipulative speech completely ignited Dominic's anger.

He turned to glare at Arabella.

"Look at yourself! A grown woman picking on a child! Is this how an elder should act!"

"Father, that's not quite right. She's the same age as me. She's hardly a child."

A cold voice came from the entryway.

Miranda walked over step by step, just in time to see her mother sway unsteadily, her face pale.

She rushed forward and steadied Arabella.

"Mom, are you okay?"

She looked up, her gaze sharp as a knife, aimed directly at Ariana.

"Put down what you're holding."

"Those clothes, those bags. I'd rather cut them up and feed them to dogs than let someone like you have them."

Images flashed through Miranda's mind.

Ever since Ariana came to their home, her mother had doted on her, remembering she was her younger sister's only child.

Whatever Miranda had, Ariana never went without.

Designer clothes, limited edition handbags. Whenever she asked, their mother never refused.

And how had she repaid that kindness?

By seducing her husband. And now trying to upset her mother to death.

Miranda's expression grew colder by the second.

She would never let Ariana take another thing from this house.

Seeing her unyielding attitude, Dominic flew into a rage.

"Miranda! Is that any way to talk to your cousin! You're out of control!"

He raised his hand to slap Miranda across the face.

Smack!

A sharp slap echoed through the living room.

But it wasn't Miranda who got hit.

It was Arabella who, with strength from who knows where, struck Dominic hard across the face.

"Dominic! You lay one hand on my daughter and see what happens!"

Arabella's eyes were red, like a lioness protecting her cub.

"This is my house! My home! Now take this little tramp and get out!"

Dominic held his face, staring at his wife in shock. After a long moment, he glared viciously at Arabella.

"Fine. Just fine! You two can throw your tantrums all you want!"

With that, he grabbed the still crying Ariana and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

The living room finally fell quiet.

Arabella's body went limp. She nearly collapsed.

"Mom!" Miranda quickly helped her sit on the sofa.

Arabella gripped her daughter's hand as tears finally spilled down her cheeks.

"It's my fault. All my fault."

"I never should have felt sorry for her and brought her into our home. And now look what we've raised. An ungrateful wretch!"

She pounded her chest, full of regret.

"And your father. He's completely senile!"

Senile?

Miranda laughed bitterly to herself.

A shrewd businessman who'd built Lancaster from nothing into a publicly traded company couldn't possibly be senile.

There had to be another reason.

But outwardly, she just comforted her mother gently.

"Mom, let's go to the hospital. I'm worried about your health."

"No need. I'm fine," Arabella waved her hand. "I'm just upset. I'll be okay after some rest."

After helping her mother back to her room to rest, Miranda returned to her own room.

The moment she sat down, her phone buzzed.

A message from Ariana.

A photo with a taunting caption.

"Cousin, Uncle treats me so well. He just bought me a villa and gave me so many gifts. Don't be upset, okay?"

The photo showed a lavishly decorated villa living room, the coffee table covered with luxury shopping bags.

But Miranda's eyes locked onto something in the background behind Ariana. An open property purchase agreement.

Hadn't her father been suspended and investigated for embezzlement?

The company's cash flow was nearly broken. Where did he get the money to buy Ariana a villa?

A bold plan quickly formed in her mind.

Miranda took a deep breath and called Dominic, her voice betraying no emotion.

"Dad, come home for dinner tonight. Christian will be there too."

...

At the dinner table, the atmosphere was oppressively tense.

Miranda gently placed her phone on the lazy Susan and pushed it toward Dominic.

Ariana's bragging social media post was clearly displayed for everyone to see.

"Dad, you're so good to cousin Ariana."

She spoke deliberately, her tone carrying a hint of mockery.

"But you can't play favorites like this. Christian and I want villas too. Nothing fancy. Just a few tens of millions more expensive than hers."

Dominic's expression darkened instantly.

"That's ridiculous! Where would I get that kind of money!"

"Oh?" Miranda raised an eyebrow.

"Then where did the money for her villa come from? Dad, I'm sure you wouldn't want people gossiping that you treat outsiders better than your own children."

She paused, adding lightly.

"People might even think Ariana is your illegitimate daughter."

"Stop spouting nonsense!" Dominic reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "I just felt sorry for the poor girl being all alone!"

"Well, if it's about feeling sorry for her, then as your children, we should naturally help you share that burden."

Miranda pulled out two documents from somewhere and slapped them on the table.

"Christian and I have already picked out two villas. They're right next door to each other. It'll be convenient for the family to look after one another."

"Dad, sign them."

"Once you sign, we'll handle the paperwork tomorrow."

Arabella and Christian immediately caught on, chiming in from either side.

"That's right, sign! We can't let outsiders think the Lancaster children are worth less than someone with a different last name!"

"Dad, Miranda's right. If this gets out, it'll be bad for the Lancaster family reputation."

Trapped by all three of them working together, Dominic's face turned from red to white. His pen hovered over the agreement, refusing to come down.

Miranda watched him, her smile growing wider.

"Come on, Dad. Sign it. You wouldn't want gossip to ruin your reputation."