Clara held Charlotte’s hands once again, tightening her grip slightly as if trying to ground her.

"But Mom..." she said softly, her voice still carrying traces of emotion, "Adelyn isn’t just your daughter. She’s also a part of the Scott family —Adam, Liam, and Bryer’s sister. Dad adores her the same. You can’t cut her off on your own and expect everyone else to accept it so easily."

Charlotte’s brows furrowed at that.

She knew Clara was right.

She couldn’t simply expect everyone to accept it.

But—

That didn’t mean she couldn’t make them accept it.

After all, it was the mother who brought a child into the world ... who tied them to the family in the first place. If she decided to sever that bond —then what right did anyone else have to object?

"Only because she was my daughter did she become their sister," Charlotte said slowly, her voice turning colder with each word. "Now that I no longer acknowledge her as my daughter ... how can she remain Adam, Liam, and Bryer’s sister?"

Clara paused for a second.

And then—

A quiet sense of satisfaction settled within her.

Yes.

That made perfect sense.

Anything that completely removed Adelyn from the family ... was something she would accept without question.

After all, only when Adelyn was entirely out of the picture could she truly become the sole daughter of the Scott family.

Only then would everything —the attention, the admiration, the envy of others —belong to her alone.

"And Clara ..." Charlotte suddenly spoke again, her tone shifting as she looked at her seriously. "You don’t need to give up your dreams for my sake. Your ambitions ... your plans ... they shouldn’t be compromised for anyone. Not even for me."

If Clara truly had the choice, she would never give it up.

But since Adelyn had refused—

She couldn’t afford to push Charlotte further and risk exposing her own desperation.

So instead, she chose a different path.

"Mom ... let’s not talk about this anymore," Clara said, carefully masking her true thoughts. "That role doesn’t matter. Since Adelyn is so determined to keep it, there’s no need to fight her over something like this."

She lowered her gaze slightly, as if forcing herself to accept it.

"Like Liam said, I’ll look for other opportunities. Let her have this one. After all ... I heard it wasn’t easy for her to get it. She had to ..."

Her voice trailed off deliberately.

Right on cue—

Charlotte’s brows drew together.

"She had to what?" she asked, exactly as Clara had anticipated. "What did she do to get that role?"

Clara met her eyes for a brief moment before quickly looking away, hesitation evident on her face.

Then she shook her head.

"Nothing, Mom. What could she possibly do? It must have been through the audition."

Charlotte frowned.

She had noticed it.

The way Clara had avoided her gaze. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

The hesitation.

Pressing her hand slightly, she spoke again, her tone firm. "Clara, I’m your mother. You can’t hide things from me. So don’t even try."

Clara looked at her, her expression turning deliberately conflicted.

"Mom ... I’m not trying to hide anything," she said softly. "It’s just ... it might be nothing more than a rumor. And knowing Adelyn ... how can we even believe something like that? It’s—"

"What rumor?" Charlotte cut her off, her voice sharpening. "Tell me."

Clara hesitated again.

Just enough.

"Clara," Charlotte warned, "tell me now... or I’ll find out myself."

"Mom ..." Clara’s brows knit together, as if she were struggling internally.

Then, after a brief pause, she closed her eyes and spoke in a low voice.

"Mia told me that ... there’s talk within the crew."

Charlotte stilled.

"They’re saying that both Director Rhodes and the producer have been treating Adelyn differently. They’ve never done that before. And Director Rhodes even ..." she faltered, as if reluctant to continue, "he even went against the investors for her."

Charlotte frowned, not fully grasping the implication yet.

So Clara helped her.

Gently.

Carefully.

"They’re saying ..." she continued, her voice dropping further, "that Adelyn might have used some ... improper means behind the scenes."

That—

Was enough.

Charlotte’s expression turned completely cold.

"But Mom," Clara quickly added, as if trying to correct herself, "it’s probably just a rumor. We know Adelyn. She can’t be like that."

She shook her head lightly.

"After all ... how could seven years change a person so much? It’s not possible."

But the moment those words left her lips—

Something shifted.

Charlotte’s expression hardened further.

Seven years.

The very time Adelyn had spent away from them. The time that really have changed everything.

A faint trace of disappointment flickered through her gaze, quickly followed by something sharper.

"It might be a rumor," Charlotte said slowly, her voice laced with bitterness, "but there’s no smoke without fire."

—————————————————

Meanwhile—

On the other side,

After freshening up, Adelyn finally stepped out.

Downstairs, both Eira and Dylan were already seated at the dining table.

The breakfast had been laid out neatly, yet neither of them had touched it.

They were waiting.

Dylan held a newspaper in his hand, his eyes scanning through it as if he were reading —but the stillness around him suggested otherwise.

Beside him, Eira sat quietly, her small hands folded neatly as she waited.

Despite the difference in their ages and expressions, there was something about them that felt similar in that moment. Very ... very similar.

Calm.

Composed.

Waiting.

Adelyn walked down the stairs, her steps steady as she approached the table.

As she drew closer—

Almost as if sensing her presence—

Dylan folded the newspaper and set it aside before lifting his gaze to meet hers.

"You’re here?" he said.

Adelyn smiled faintly and nodded.

"Did I make you two wait?" she asked, her eyes instinctively shifting toward Eira.

The little girl quickly shook her head.

"You didn’t," Dylan replied before Eira could speak. "The breakfast has just been served. Sit."

Eira immediately moved, eagerly trying to help Adelyn with the dishes.

Adelyn watched her and couldn’t stop her lips from curling up in a soft smile. Reaching out, she dently brushed her hair and said slowly.

"It’s alright, baby," she said. "Mama can do this herself. Let me do it for both of us."

Eira nodded obediently.

But just then—

The sound of footsteps echoed from the entrance.

Adelyn turned to look.

And paused.

She wasn’t surprised.

But she hadn’t expected to see them this early either.

A faint awkwardness settled in her expression.

"What are you two doing here so early in the morning?" Dylan’s voice cut through the silence at once breaking the tension that had just begun to form.

"Big Brother ..." Jasper spoke, a hint of hesitation in his tone. "Do you mind ... if we join you for breakfast??"