Rebirth Of The Forgotten Heiress - Chapter 50: Chapter 50

"Look, I'm sorry if I sound harsh. I'm trying to see you as a sister, but I'm not sure you see me as a brother. So let's not sweat the small stuff," Chancey said.
Quinlyn just stared at him. He was in his prime right now. He looked sharp and handsome in a dark blue button-down that somehow made him seem gentle.
He had this thing where he could be gentle or razor-sharp, depending on who he was dealing with. He saved the sweet side for family and turned on the edge for everyone else.
She remembered meeting Chancey for the first time. Back then, she'd thought, 'Oh, so this is what a real brother actually looks like.'
Chancey would never smack her around or scream at her like Yarden did. And he definitely wouldn't stare at her with those gross, creepy eyes like Yarden.
Chancey was just a big brother, heartbroken for the little sister who'd suffered so much. He was like this solid wall between Quinlyn and all the crap life threw at her.
For a split second, Chancey noticed a flicker of something weird in her eyes. But just as quickly, it vanished.
Quinlyn casually brushed her hair back, looking away. Her voice was breezy. "Chancey, what do you think I really want?"
Chancey sat down first and gestured for her to sit. Then he asked directly, "Do you have feelings for Zachary?"
Quinlyn smiled faintly, her eyes sweeping across the room. After a deliberate pause, she turned to Chancey and asked, "What do you think?"
Chancey said flatly, "Honestly? I think you couldn't care less about Zachary. But Yalena told me you showed up at the last party with some guy named Yasin. Said you two were so close. That you even spent time in his room late at night."
"Whatever. Let's get back to Zachary. Even though I don't think you're into him, you're in a weird mood these days. I wouldn't be surprised if you tried to get with the Fletcher family just to stick it to Yalena."
Chancey's voice turned cold and businesslike, nothing like how a brother should sound. He might as well have been haggling with some random client.
He continued, "So, let's make this simple. Tell me what it'll take. Name your price, and we'll try to make it happen. But you have to leave Zachary and Yalena alone."
Quinlyn reached over and snagged a lime from the table. "Okay, but what if I'm into Zachary?" she asked, her voice way too casual. "Technically, we were engaged first. What're you gonna do about that?"
She cradled the lime in her palm, looking bored. But her eyes held a spark of pure mischief. She was backing Chancey into a corner, and she was enjoying it.
Quinlyn was his sister by blood. Yalena wasn't, but she might as well have been. She was the one who had grown up coddled and adored by the entire Guzman family. Spoiling Yalena was second nature to them.
Quinlyn thought, 'That's it. Keep pretending you're Mr. Fair-and-Square. Let's see it, Chancey. Make your choice.'
It wasn't just Quinlyn waiting for an answer. The whole Guzman family was hanging on his every word. Whatever Chancey said right now would speak for all of them.
Yalena's tears even dried up as she stared at Chancey, her face full of desperate hope. She thought, 'Chancey loves me most. I know he does. He'll pick me... right?' But as the silence stretched, a sliver of doubt began to creep in.
Finally, Chancey looked at Quinlyn coldly. "I'll find you someone else. A family just as powerful as the Fletchers. Yalena and Zachary grew up together. You have no right to get in the middle of that."
The tension melted from Yalena's face instantly. A tiny, triumphant smirk appeared as she sat up straighter. She gracefully picked up a piece of Chancey's favorite fruit and placed it on the plate in front of him.
She thought, 'I knew it. Chancey will always give me what I want. He's always been this way.'
Quinlyn loosened her grip, and the lime rolled onto the floor. She kept her fist clenched tight. Her palm was sticky from the lime's juice seeping out.
Chancey frowned at Quinlyn. "Stop making trouble over nothing," he said sharply. "Think about something you actually want."
Graham jumped in. "Chancey's absolutely right. We will find you a husband who is every bit as good as Yalena's. And he will be someone who truly loves you."
Everyone wore different expressions, but Quinlyn couldn't care less. She just shrugged and said, "Fine, here's what I want. I want 10% of Fletcher Group."
"You want what?" Graham lost it and snapped first.
Quinlyn stretched and yawned, acting like she didn't even hear Graham losing his mind. She said, "Think it over. I'm going upstairs to chill.
"Oh, and Yalena? Quit crying. You've got dinner at the Fletchers' tonight. If your eyes are all puffy, Mr. Logan Fletcher won't be happy." And with that, she turned and walked away, leaving a wake of silent fury behind her.
Yancy, the only one who had stayed out of it, saw the squeezed lime on the floor. And he noticed how Quinlyn kept her hand balled up tight even after she left.
The moment Quinlyn disappeared up the stairs, the room erupted.
Sighing, Evelyn said, "Honestly, that girl... I don't know how she turned out this way. She's always had a mean streak.
"I know what you all think. You think I'm a terrible mother. But if I were so awful, how did she end up so tall and healthy? Just look at her skin, it's flawless.
"You can see it now. She's been planning this whole thing. Both our families have always treated her as one of our own, but... What more can I say?"
Evelyn wrapped her arms around Yalena, who melted into her. Yalena whispered, "Mom, why is Quinlyn like that? I honestly don't know how I'm supposed to get along with her."
"Then don't bother trying," Evelyn snapped. She'd seen how Quinlyn completely ignored her. Any motherly feelings she'd had were totally dead now.
Evelyn thought, 'If Quinlyn and Yalena can't both live in this house peacefully, I'd rather keep Yalena. She's the one who's actually a daughter to me. After all this time, who cares about blood? This is better.'
Graham snapped, "What are you talking about? Quinlyn is our daughter."
Evelyn shot back, "Don't you dare raise your voice at me. Look at the chaos she's causing. I try to be her mother, but does she act like I'm her mother?
"Has she said one nice thing to me since she came back? If I knew it would be like this, I would've left her wherever she was."
Graham and Evelyn were on two totally different pages. Evelyn was just furious that she wasn't getting the worship she thought a mother deserved.
Graham was pissed too, but he thought Quinlyn's attitude was actually more Guzman-like. He figured if he could just tame that wild streak of hers, she could be a much bigger asset than Yalena.
Graham sighed heavily. "After all, she's our own flesh and blood."
"So you're really gonna hand over shares? How much do you even own? And you'll give her 10%?" Evelyn snapped.
Yancy and Chancey had no interest in listening to their parents' bicker. One headed off to the office, and the other went upstairs. Seeing them leave, Graham decided to drop the argument and followed Chancey out.
Once the Guzman men were all gone, a sly look crossed Beatrice's face. "You know," she said to Evelyn, testing the waters, "I might have an idea. Just a thought."
Evelyn knew exactly where this was going and cut her off instantly. "No. Absolutely not." She knew exactly what kind of person Yarden was.
Beatrice and Yalena shared a quick look. Then Yalena sweetly chimed in, "Yarden's definitely not good enough for Quinlyn. Don't get worked up, Mom.
"Mrs. Chappell was just brainstorming. Besides, it's what Quinlyn wants that matters most, isn't it?"