Chapter 20 Made an Apology to Master Sinclair

By dinnertime, the atmosphere inside the Sinclair Villa had weighed heavily on the occupants.

Percival took the center seat in the living room, flanked by George and Ethan. The younger ones remained silent, too afraid to speak.

Kenneth sat across from Percival, his face stern and frigid. Kenneth was unaware of Tom and Owen's mistreatment of Olivia while he was away until Alexander provided a detailed account of the day's events. Even Jessica had asked Olivia to leave their house.

Kenneth, unaware of these developments, initially blamed Olivia for visiting the Edwards family on her own and then being asked to surrender her room for her sister, as everyone else was. He felt that he had failed as a father.

"Kenneth, today's incident was Jessica's fault for being careless. That was my mistake. I'll explain to Olivia and ask her forgiveness..." Lauren tried to take responsibility, sensing the tense atmosphere.

George frowned and gently grasped her hand, expressing his disagreement. "This is not your fault. Jessica is just a child who speaks without considering the consequences. This should not have escalated, and Olivia is exaggerating the situation. She only returned two days ago and now wishes to leave over a minor issue..."

Kenneth interrupted George before he could finish with an icy voice. "George, my daughter has just returned and is being forced out. Is that trivial?"

George's facial muscles twitched, but he remained silent under Kenneth's stern stare.

Kenneth's scrutiny unnerved everyone in the room. "Jessica is young, and her attraction to Olivia's room stems from its aesthetics. It's insignificant. Our family is not lacking. Even if Jessica wants it, we can upgrade the room to meet her expectations. Why must Olivia leave her room?"

George fell silent, and Kenneth's voice lowered even further. "You do not want her to give up her room. You believe that because she has just returned, she should appease you, perform admirably, and seek your approval!"

"Kenneth, you are being harsh! They are children. They don't have the malicious intentions you claim," Lauren defended.

"Are you saying that there are none? If they didn't see her as an outsider from the beginning, why would they say things like 'get out of my house'? Even if it was just a child's outburst, they should know what's appropriate."

Kenneth's tone became stern, prompting Jessica to retreat into Lauren's embrace. Despite her fear, she held back tears, unlike before.

Lauren looked at Jessica with sympathy and quickly said, "Jessica misspoke. I'll apologize to Olivia, ask for her forgiveness, and beg her to come back. I will go personally. Surely, she will not refuse. Kenneth, please don't blame Jessica..."

Owen became irritated by his mother's submissive demeanor in front of his uncle and spoke up.

"Uncle, Olivia's departure was her own decision; no one forced her. And it is not my mother's fault. Why should she have to plead with Olivia to come back? Olivia may have been aware of her transgressions against the Edwards family and feared her grandfather's wrath, so she pretended to leave home for that reason."

Kenneth turned to Owen, serious expression on his face, and replied, "If Olivia makes a mistake, I'll provide guidance, and no one needs to explain anything. But, Owen, if you continue to treat Olivia this way, you will no longer be able to call me Uncle."

Though Kenneth's voice was calm, it resounded with authority, causing Owen and the others to widen their eyes unintentionally.

His gaze moved slowly across the younger generation at the table, which included Tom and Quinn.

"This applies to all of you. If you refuse to accept Olivia, you can stop calling me Uncle."

Kenneth's words, though spoken softly, carried a weight that instilled fear in the younger generation, causing them to instinctively straighten their posture.

Ethan, always respectful of Kenneth, intervened with a sharp slap to Owen's cheek before offering a reassuring smile. "Kenneth, despite the children's words, they have no bad intentions, let alone feelings of acceptance or rejection for Olivia. Olivia has always been a part of the family. It will not come to that."

Kenneth narrowed his eyes and spoke with a tone of restrained authority.

"Olivia was gone for eighteen years. Despite the Parker family's care, as an adoptee, she faced significant challenges. Now that she's returned, I won't let her suffer even slightly. I won't demand that each of you accommodate her, but I will expect you to treat her as if she were family."

He paused briefly, his tone becoming heavier. "If you can't do so, then I choose to live separately with Olivia and Alexander."

Kenneth's statement landed like a heavy stone, instantly changing the mood in the room.

No one expected Kenneth to make such a significant decision this time—one based solely on Olivia's well-being.

Percival, who had been silent until that point, finally spoke up. His tone lacked force, but it commanded respect.

"Kenneth, I don't want to hear such words again," Percival said firmly. "The Sinclairs have united. Nobody will talk about moving away as long as I am alive!"

The room fell silent as everyone took in Percival's words, with no one daring to question them.

Even Tom could only mutter silently when Olivia mentioned moving out.

Percival shifted his gaze to George and Lauren.

"While the children of the Sinclair family may have their desires fulfilled, in indulging them, you must also teach them that they cannot have everything they desire in this world."

"If you can't educate them, I'll do it myself," Percival declared.

Jessica felt on the verge of tears as she heard Percival's words. She thought to herself, 'This is too frightening. I don't want that.'

Meanwhile, George and Lauren bowed their heads and embraced Jessica, silently promising to provide her with appropriate guidance.

Percival refrained from making any further comments after seeing the younger generation recognize the gravity of the situation. He focused his attention on Alexander, who had been quietly observing.

"Set a time to bring your sister back. I've planned a party to formally welcome her into the Sinclair family. She must return," Percival said.

Alexander smiled and nodded. "I understand."

Percival was about to say more when Zach entered and said, "Mr. Kenneth, Zachary, and his wife Jennifer are here."

Kenneth frowned slightly, thinking, 'Zachary and Jennifer are visiting at this time. Are they here because of Olivia? Although Olivia shouldn't have intervened and spoken up, it appears excessive for them to come and question me.'

After being reprimanded, Tom and the others avoided casual conversation. They exchanged secret glances, their eyes revealing hidden satisfaction.

'Olivia must have caused trouble, and they have come to confront her. She avoids responsibility by pretending to leave. It's not our fault,' they speculated.

While they were thinking about this, Zachary and Jennifer rushed into the room, their faces tinged with anxiety.

Kenneth assumed Olivia's actions had caused a misunderstanding. He softened his expression and stood to greet them.

"Olivia caused you trouble today, and I've already reprimanded her..." Kenneth began, hoping to defuse the situation.

However, Kenneth was surprised to see Zachary and Jennifer appear anxious and contrite before he could finish.

"Mr. Kenneth, don't say that. We misunderstood Ms. Olivia. She was trying to gently remind us, but we misunderstood her. We know we were wrong, and want to apologize in person!" they exclaimed.

Their words hung in the air, causing an eerie silence to fall over the living room.

Tom and the others looked stunned, wondering if they had heard correctly.

'Why aren't they here to discipline Olivia? And... why did they refer to her as Master Sinclair?' they wondered, perplexed.