Filed To Story: Returning to Her Not-So-Poor Family
In the living room, Darren and Belinda were joined by Mirabella, who had just walked in. Seeing their beloved granddaughter safe and sound, they were once again moved to tears.
“Bella.” They each embraced her tenderly, their hearts aching with regret, “We’ve let you down in this family.”
“Dad, Mom, let go, Bella’s got injuries on her arm, don’t hurt her.” Louisa, seeing their distress, quickly intervened.
The grandparents withdrew their hands in alarm, then eagerly listened to Mirabella’s account of what happened, their hearts growing heavier with each detail of her ordeal.
Bard also took a seat beside Mirabella, expressing his concern about her injuries and experiences.
Eunice brought them freshly brewed tea, and as the adults gathered, she leaned in to whisper to Mirabella, “I once said that no matter how many remnants of Doom’s influence were left in Dawnstar, I’d root them all out. Now they’ve been caught, and there are hardly any left. You can enjoy your time in Dawnstar without worry now.””Thanks, Aunt Eunice,” Mirabella replied, touched that her aunt had been working to eliminate those threats while she was away, realizing how much her aunt truly cared for her.
“Here, have some warm tea,” Eunice offered her a cup, adding with a smile, “Can you tell what kind it is?”
Mirabella had recognized it immediately, “Is it that tea we always drink at your place?”
“Sharp nose,” Eunice chuckled, her lips curving into a smile. “I knew you liked it, so I brought six boxes for you this time.”
Eunice had indeed pulled some strings to gift her niece six boxes of an incredibly rare tea. It was a gesture that spoke volumes about the lengths she would go for family.
“Thanks, Eunice,” Mirabella said with a warm smile.
“Don’t mention it, kiddo. We’re family, after all,” Eunice chuckled, her eyes twinkling with affection. “Go on, drink up while it’s hot. Whatever you want, just ask and it’s yours.”
At that moment, through the sliding glass doors leading to the patio, Louisa caught sight of the gardener, Edith, making secretive gestures, beckoning her outside.
Not wanting to interrupt the family chat, Louisa excused herself and slipped through the doors to join Edith among the flower beds. “What’s going on?” she whispered.
“Ma’am, did Sean do something wrong? It’s freezing out, and he’s been standing outside the front door for over an hour now. I’ve seen him coughing.” Edith’s voice was laced with concern. “The holidays are nearly upon us, and it would be terrible if he got sick. If it’s because he wasn’t here when Ms. Bella arrived, surely a stern talking-to would suffice? It’s below freezing, and he’s hardly dressed for it.”
Louisa was taken aback, “Sean’s back?”
When did that happen? Why hadn’t she been informed? She hadn’t heard a peep from the other servants.
“Yes, I’ve been busy supervising the garden’s winter pruning when I noticed Sean still out there.” Edith trailed off, visibly puzzled. “You didn’t ask him to stand there, did you? What are he and Steward doing out front without coming inside?”
Edith was at a loss, and she didn’t dare to probe further.”I’ll go check it out,” Louisa resolved, equally clueless about what Sean and Steward were plotting.
Outside, the two men were a sorry sight, their lips tinged with the blue of the cold. They had underestimated the chill, having traveled by plane and car in a rush to get back. Sean, coming straight from a hospital visit, hadn’t even thought to wear a coat, and now the gentle snowfall was turning into a bitter reminder of their oversight.
“Are you going to figure something out or what?” Sean shot an icy look at Steward, his breath forming frosty clouds as he spoke.
The cold was biting, and the security guard in the nearby booth was snug in his thick coat and the warmth of a heater.
“Sean, if I had a way in, I’d have taken it already.” Steward stammered, his hands rubbing together for warmth. The desire to retreat to the heated car was overwhelming.
At the suggestion, Sean’s eyes narrowed with a cunning glint. “How about I tie you up and let my sister take her frustrations out on you?”
Steward’s eyes bulged in disbelief. He thought, “Seriously, Sean? Why don’t you let her take it out on you? It’s not like I’m the one who angered her, or the one who left her stranded at the mountain—it was you!”
But he dared not voice his thoughts, instead, desperately grasping for excuses. “Sean, I’m too skinny, it wouldn’t be satisfying enough for her. Maybe…”
His gaze inadvertently settled on the true culprit.
Sean gave him a warning glare that seemed to say: Are you looking for trouble?Steward had no choice but to change the subject. “I think Ms. Bella’s upset mainly because Mr. Bynes broke up with her!”
“As if that guy dictates my sister’s mood,” Sean scoffed, clearly dismissive. Yet, it irked him to think that something—or someone—could hold such sway over his sister’s emotions that he had to stand out in the cold like this. That Timothy would have to settle his debts later.
“How about we grab Mr. Bynes and let her take it out on him?” Steward suggested wildly.
“Sean, look, it’s Mrs. Collins! She’s coming out to us,” Steward suddenly blurted out, spotting her approach and hopping from foot to foot in excitement. “Mrs. Collins, it’s us!”
From a distance, Louisa could see Steward hopping up and down with excitement, waving frantically at her and shouting with an ecstatic voice, “Madam, we’re back, please help us open the door!”
Surely if it was Madam who opened the door, Ms. Bella wouldn’t have any grounds for complaint, right?
Louisa was puzzled. Why was Steward acting more thrilled to see her than if he had found a lifeline?
“Why aren’t you guys going in? Didn’t you say that the youngest just had surgery?” As Louisa approached, she noticed that the front gate was bolted shut, and the security guard in the booth seemed to be engrossed in his smartphone.
No doubt the youngest had forgotten his keys, called for the guard who didn’t hear, so they couldn’t get in.
“Why didn’t you call me?” Louisa asked, then went over to knock on the security booth’s door, “Did Sean come home and not even think to unlock the door? It’s freezing out here.”
“Madam.” the guard opened up, saluted with a bow, and said with a helpless expression, “It’s not that I didn’t open the door for Sean, it’s Ms. Bella. She wouldn’t allow it.”
“Why not?” Louisa was taken aback and looked towards Sean and Steward, who both wore expressions of guilty silence. Had these two somehow upset Bella?
But they had just returned; when could they have possibly angered Bella? Had they run into her on the way, or had they done something elsewhere to provoke her?
“What on earth happened?” Louisa pressed the guard for an answer.
“Well, earlier, Ms. Bella was at the gate talking to Sean. Then she got angry.” The guard didn’t dare to say what Sean did to upset Ms. Bella, merely adding, “Ms. Bella ordered me to keep the gate shut,saying if either of them dared to enter, I was to ‘take them down’.”
Louisa was shocked by the severity of the situation.
“Madam, it’s all a misunderstanding.”
Before Steward could finish explaining, he saw Madam reaching for a stun baton inside the booth, which made him quickly hide behind Sean, whispering, “Sean, is it too late to ask for leave? I need to be home for the family dinner on New Year’s.”
Louisa’s wrath was something to be feared, something even her husband couldn’t contain.
“You two, not coming home for half a year is one thing, but you made Bella this upset.” Louisa then turned to the guard, “Aren’t you going to open the gate? I’ll teach them a lesson.”
They hadn’t even made it inside and had already managed to infuriate their sister.
Knowing Bella’s gentle nature, Louisa knew it must have been something egregious they did to enrage her like this.
The guard, not wishing to displease Louisa, quickly pressed the button to open the gate, which slowly began to swing open.
In this household, Ms. Bella was the top priority, which surely placed Louisa a close second.
He wouldn’t dare cross Madam’s wishes.
Steward’s eyes widened in disbelief at how unreliable the guard was, not only failing to shield them from Madam but actually fueling the fire by opening the gate for her.
As soon as the gate opened, Louisa charged at Sean with the baton.Even though she hadn’t turned on the electricity, the blow from the stick would definitely hurt.
“Madam, please calm down, Sean’s got injuries, you can’t hit him.”
Steward’s plea was cut short as he took the hit meant for Sean. In his haste to shield Sean, he hadn’t anticipated Louisa’s strength.
He yelped in pain, lamenting that Louisa’s recent hearty meals had significantly boosted her arm strength.
Seeing she had struck the wrong person, Louisa stopped, looking at Sean with a mix of irritation and concern, “If Bella wanted you to stand out here, then you’ll stay until she cools off. Close the gate!”
“Hey, Madam, listen.” Steward began, wanting to say he didn’t mind, but he thought they should at least let Sean in. After all, Sean had been standing out there for quite a while.
But the moment he caught the razor-sharp glare from Louisa, his bravado melted into a sheepish stammer, “Take care now. Cool off. No need to stoop to our level.”
Louisa stormed out, leaving an aching Steward to rub his sore arm and turn to Sean, “What do we do now, Sean?”
Even Louisa wouldn’t bail them out.
Sean was at a loss, so he whipped out his cell and texted David, the usual go-to guy for clever schemes.
[Got any tricks up your sleeve to cheer up Bella?]
Barely a second passed before his phone buzzed with a barrage of shocked, popcorn-munching, and roaring laughter emojis from David.
Sean shot back, none too pleased, [Are you asking for a smackdown?]
David called him immediately, “Sean, I mean, come on, you had the nerve to tick off Bella in your own house? You’ve got some guts, buddy. I won’t even start on the fact that she could send you flying with a roundhouse kick.”
. Sean’s frown deepened, “So everyone knew sis is a martial arts whiz but me?”
“Guess you should visit more often. I’ve always said that listing Bella’s talents could fill nights on end.”
“Got any bright ideas, then?””Sean, why do I hear a chill in your voice? You cold? She didn’t lock you out, did she?” David could almost picture Sean’s scowl when silence answered him, “No way, Sean, don’t tell me I’m right? Are you literally out in the cold?”
“Keep laughing, will you?”
David struggled to contain his mirth, “No, no, no, I’m not laughing at you. I’m the master at making sis happy, you came to the right guy. But hey, there’s this cool sports car about to hit the market, and I’m torn about the color. Let me decide, and I’ll get back to you.”
Sean caught the hint, “Pick one, I’ll buy it for you.”
David was floored by Sean’s unexpected generosity, thinking he might as well fleece Sean while he’s at it.
“Sean, just so you know, it’s five million bucks.”
“I said it’s on me.”
“So you’ll transfer the money now?” David was keen on sealing the deal, “I need to make a down payment.”