Rebirth Of The Forgotten Heiress - Chapter 46: Chapter 46

Hannah chuckled softly and headed upstairs without looking back. As soon as she left, Kevin followed.
Rita had intended to remain Yalena's stalwart supporter, but the moment she met Quinlyn's gaze, a chill ran down her spine. With almost everyone gone, she chose to beat a temporary retreat and play the deserter for now.
The moment Rita slipped away, the hall fell into an eerie silence. After all, only the timid ones remained.
After a brief pause, Elsie started walking forward. She was halfway there when Yarden finally snapped out of his daze and followed after her, still looking out of it.
Quinlyn glanced at Yarden out of the corner of her eye and thought, 'Did the seawater scramble his brains?'
Now that everyone had left and nothing was happening, Quinlyn decided to get some medicine for Yasin. As for Zachary, who looked completely spaced-out, Quinlyn just ignored him.
She thought, 'He hasn't toughened up yet, maybe his mindset isn't there, or he is just way too soft. He has experienced too few of the harsh realities of society.'
After just two steps, Quinlyn paused and turned back to face Yalena.
Standing a full head taller, Quinlyn's presence was downright intimidating. It made Yalena look like a defenseless little bunny about to be bullied.
Quinlyn reached out and pinched Yalena's chin, forcing her to look up.
This scene finally snapped Zachary back to reality. He opened his mouth but didn't immediately voice any objection. He just frowned and sat up straighter, clearly ready to intervene if Quinlyn went any further.
Yalena hadn't regained her composure yet. The resistance and disgust in her eyes were obvious as she tried to slip away.
Quinlyn bent down slightly and called out in a teasing tone, "Yalena."
Yalena stared into those dazzling eyes, jealousy surging through her even as her body tensed up.
Quinlyn sneered, "What are you so afraid of? Think I'm gonna bite? Relax, I'm just giving you some perfect evidence to take back and tattle to our parents."
At the mention of their parents, Yalena composed herself and asked, "What are you talking about?"
Quinlyn bent even lower, her lips nearly brushing Yalena's ear as she whispered, "So, when are you planning to use that other ace up your sleeve?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, Quinlyn straightened up coolly and walked away without a backward glance, leaving two glaring red finger marks on Yalena's pale chin—striking and impossible to miss.
That was the evidence Quinlyn left behind, the perfect ammunition for Yalena to go running home and complain.
Quinlyn thought, 'If I don't stir up some trouble, this plot is going to crawl along painfully slow. Since the Narrator keeps playing dead, I might as well take matters into my own hands. How satisfying would that be?
'Besides, I am no saint to begin with. Causing a little chaos is only natural for me.'
Just then, Quinlyn heard a faint sound in her mind. She ignored it. She thought, 'The tables have turned. You ignored me; now, I'm not giving you the time of day.'
Though Quinlyn had left the living room, the shadow she cast lingered without fading.
Yalena trembled like a leaf in the autumn wind. Panic rising within her, she thought, 'Quinlyn knows everything.'
Quinlyn's voice was barely above a whisper, so even though Zachary had been watching them the whole time, he couldn't catch what the two sisters were discussing.
As he noticed Yalena's face growing paler and her body starting to sway, Zachary strode forward. Just as she was about to collapse, he caught her by the waist.
Zachary's eyes were calm and steady. Even with his disheveled appearance, he still exuded the refined and gentle air of an heir of the Fletcher family.
As Zachary's arms wrapped around her, fresh tears slid down Yalena's cheeks. She immediately clutched his waist, burying her face against his chest. In a choked, plaintive whisper, she called out, "Zachary."
Zachary's hand froze mid-air.
"Zachary, you hate me now, don't you?" Yalena whispered.
"No," Zachary replied.
Yalena clutched Zachary's shirt tightly and said, "I'm just so flustered. I'm scared. I feel like a thief, like I stole everything that should have belonged to Quinlyn.
"I'm terrified that one day, none of this will be mine anymore, my parents, my brothers, even you. What if you all end up loving her instead?"
Showing genuine vulnerability had always been a winning card in one's playbook.
Yalena knew how to play the game. She thought, 'Rather than staying stuck in a stalemate, it's better to strategically reveal some of my soft spots.'
Zachary's body stiffened for a few seconds. Then, almost instantly, he blurted out, "I would never fall for Quinlyn."
No matter what his reasons were, Zachary knew he could never let himself fall for Quinlyn. After all, the drama at the last birthday party had already become a public spectacle.
He thought, 'If I couldn't even stand my ground on this, how could I manage to establish my authority in the Fletcher Group?'
As for other reasons, Zachary refused to dwell on them.
And just like that, Zachary and Yalena made up inexplicably, yet inevitably.
Quinlyn stood at the second-floor landing, holding medicine, watching Zachary and Yalena embrace below. She had witnessed scenes like this countless times before, but this was the first time she'd seen it since she was resetting.
Her feelings were complicated. There was a hint of that old bitterness and helplessness from her past, yet at the same time, she felt like a detached audience member watching a TV drama.
The two emotions tangled together until even she couldn't tell what she truly felt.
Quinlyn glanced up at the ceiling, then back down at the statue-like couple downstairs. After standing there for a few more minutes, her legs went numb, and drowsiness set in.
No matter how desperately the lovebirds downstairs seemed to want to melt into each other, Quinlyn strolled down at a leisurely pace.
When their eyes inevitably met, Quinlyn inclined her head with a hint of amusement. "Pardon the interruption. Do carry on," she said, then headed straight for Yasin's room.
Zachary watched the direction Quinlyn had gone, his brows furrowing involuntarily.
He thought, 'She never listens to a word I say. Running off to some barely acquainted guy's room in the middle of the night, how can she trust that random stranger so much?'
Yalena could instantly sense the change in Zachary; ever since Quinlyn appeared, even his breathing subtly shifted. Yalena drew in a deep breath, trying to steady herself.
She clenched her fists and thought, 'Just two more days. In two more days and we will be going back. I can't let Quinlyn keep showing up in front of Zachary. I can't let her keep stealing the spotlight.
'As for the other half of the medicine, I know exactly when it would come in handy.'
The group was supposed to return the day after tomorrow, but by noon the next day, those whose smartwatches were still functioning received a notice: they could leave by sunset, and Logan had thoughtfully prepared gifts for them.
Spirits lifted considerably at the news. After all, they knew Logan's gifts wouldn't disappoint.
Just as everyone was cheering with excitement, Logan walked in with a thunderous expression.
Only then did it dawn on everyone that there were as many as three patients in the house. And worse yet, Zachary seemed to have taken a turn for the worse this morning.