Spoiled By My Brothers: Return of The Lost Heiress-Chapter 149: The Party Begins!

Seraphina’s POV

I kept staring at my grandmother and was trying to find any sign that might indicate where she was sick and unwell.

I wanted a simple clue that could warn me so I could stop it this time. But all I saw was the same straight back, the same sharp eyes that could make even my father go silent.

Alistair squeezed my hand and pulled me forward. My feet felt heavy as I walked toward her.

When we reached her, she looked up. For a moment, I couldn’t read her face. Then she gave me a rare, small smile.

Everyone in the room froze for a second, stunned to see Old Madam Lan smile like that.

She wasn’t the type to hand out smiles. People knew her for her cold, stern face and the way she carried herself with a straight spine and unshakable will. She was stubborn, yes, but she was also the woman who had held the Lancaster family together when her husband’s health had collapsed, taking on every burden without flinching.

"Seraphina," she said, her voice soft yet strong enough to hush the air around us. "Baby, come here! Let me see you!"

The word baby slipped out of her mouth as if she had wanted to say that for so long.

It caught me off guard. No one here had called me that in a long time. Grandmother used to do that until she was alive.

I stepped toward her, feeling the heat of dozens of eyes following me. My lips twitched, trying to form a smile, but it barely came out. I didn’t know how to act. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Her hands reached out before I’d even made it all the way, her grip warm, made me sense of belonging. The faint scent of her perfume wrapped around me was familiar and comforting in a way that made my chest ache.

I had decided not to pay attention to the people who were talking about me and ignore them, but then the whispers stopped. The judging looks turned into a curious one.

But most of all, I’d remember the warmth of her hands and the promise I made to myself that this time, I would protect her, no matter what!

"How are you, dear?" she asked, patting the seat beside her. I sat down, trying not to notice how the rest of the room seemed to lean in toward us.

"I wanted to see you for so long," she continued, "but your mother... she said you were busy with something."

The words gave me the feeling of pure déjà vu.

With the same line and the same tone. In my past life, she’d said this too, and I’d turned my head toward Mrs. Lancaster, only to meet a sharp, warning glare that told me to keep my mouth shut.

And here we were again. Mrs. Lancaster’s eyes locked on me from across the table; her smile was polite for the crowd, but her stare was sharp enough for me, ordering me to think before speaking.

But I wasn’t here to be the quiet, bullied version of myself from my past life.

"Grandma," I said softly, my voice calm but steady, "I don’t remember being busy... unless you count being unconscious for a long time."

Her eyes froze as she looked at me with stunned eyes. I felt the tension ripple through the air around us.

Even though the crowd couldn’t hear our conversation properly, I could tell that just by Grandma’s reaction, they must have sensed something was wrong.

The moment I said it, I regretted it. I hadn’t meant to tell her that when I knew how fragile her health was. What if it made her worry and fall sick sooner?

"Unconscious?" she asked, her brows pulling together. Her hand held mine tighter.

I gave her a small smile, already thinking of how to change the topic before it went somewhere I couldn’t handle.

"What can you expect from a barbaric girl?!" Mrs. Lancaster, my so-called mother spat, her voice sharp enough to bleed my heart. "She only knows how to play around and waste our money!"

Heat rushed to my face, but I didn’t move. "Excuse me?!" Brother Alistair’s tone turned icy as he stepped forward, seeming ready to fire back.

Before he could say more, I caught his eye and gave a small shake of my head. My fingers twitched at my side, but my expression stayed still.

It was not his turn to defend me. As I said, I wasn’t here to let them walk all over me.

I held his gaze until he stopped, though I could still feel the anger rolling off him.

"Really?" I turned toward Mrs. Lancaster, my voice was low but sharp. "How much money did you actually give me to waste?"

Her lips parted, but before she could answer, my father’s voice cut in. "Seraphina!" His eyes locked on me, they were cold and heavy. "This is not how you speak to your mother."

"Is that so?" I let out a short and humorless chuckle. "Then ask her... Ask if she has ever even given me the right to call her that. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to ask yourself the same question."

Thankfully, the crowds were a little away from us, but still, a ripple of murmurs ignited in the room.

"What does this mean?" Grandma’s voice broke through the tension. Her sharp gaze moved between me and my parents. "Did you not have enough money? And... what is she talking about?"

Her eyes landed on Liam and Stephanie, but they stayed silent, completely frozen. They just stared at me like I was an animal who’d somehow learned to talk out of the blue.

"How dare you demean us in front of the whole family?!" Mrs. Lancaster’s teeth clenched as the fury under her polite mask started to crack. "Even Sean’s family is here, and you still dare to act like this?"

===

How’s the Chapter? Do comment to let me know!