Chapter 30
During dinner, Sarah had Vanessa and Phoebe sit on either side of her, while Theodore was placed next to Phoebe.
This seating arrangement was quite clever.
It wasn't clear if Sarah did it on purpose or not, but Theodore and Vanessa were seated far from each other, preventing any interaction during the meal. After dinner, everyone moved to the game room.
Sarah was quite skilled at cards in her younger days.
Sarah sat down, and Phoebe turned to get a cushion, thoughtfully placing it behind Sarah to make her more comfortable while playing cards.
Seeing Phoebe quietly doing all this, Sarah felt immensely gratified and said, "Phoebe is so considerate. Her goodness is in the details of life. Theodore, you must cherish such a good wife."
Theodore glanced at Phoebe out of the corner of his eye, nodding in agreement, though his thoughts were unclear.
Once the card game started, Phoebe sat next to Sarah. She usually took this spot to help Sarah with her cards and keep her happy.
Madison and Vanessa sat nearby, scoffing, "Such a schemer, just trying to please Grandma to get her on her side!"
Vanessa heard this and smiled gently, but she was already feeling unsettled inside.
Since dinner, Vanessa had clearly felt a change in the Reynolds family's attitude toward her.
While still warm as ever, there was a newfound layer of courteous distance.
Sarah held Phoebe's hand and had her sit next to her and Theodore.
"Phoebe, I haven't been back for so long. You have to help me. Secretly tell me what cards Theodore has."
Theodore protested, "Grandma, you can't do that."
Sarah immediately laughed.
Upon seeing Sarah happy, the Reynolds family members also started laughing.
Phoebe affectionately held Sarah's arm and laughed, "Alright, Grandma. I'll secretly tell you."
Theodore glared at her, pretending to be displeased. "You're siding with an outsider."
"Grandma is not an outsider," Phoebe retorted, rolling her eyes at him.
Sarah laughed heartily, "Right, how can I be considered an outsider?"
Sarah had a good hand and played two rounds with such dominance that everyone around was stunned. She was so happy that she couldn't stop smiling and said, "Phoebe is my lucky charm. Every time you sit next to me, I have great luck."
"That's because of your good luck, Grandma, not mine," Phoebe said, handing Sarah a tea. After Sarah took a sip, Phoebe took the cup back and placed it on a nearby shelf.
Theodore glanced at her. When Phoebe wanted to make someone happy, she was incredibly thorough and attentive. No wonder Sarah liked her so much.
But why was it that he couldn't enjoy this kind of goodness?
Thinking of this, Theodore felt a bit resentful and rolled his eyes, saying, "I can vouch for that. She's sitting next to me too, but why do I keep losing?"
Sarah gave Theodore a look and said, "I think you're just jealous."
Theodore was taken aback, realizing he might actually be jealous, which shocked him. However, being naturally proud, he quickly denied it in his mind and said haughtily, "I am not."
Everyone around laughed again, and it seemed the Reynolds family hadn't been this happy in a long time.
Vanessa sat quietly on the side, watching the harmonious and warm scene, her face growing increasingly grim.
Alice Wright glanced at Theodore and Phoebe and said with a smile, "Mom, do you see it? Theodore and Phoebe are becoming more alike."
Sarah turned to look at Phoebe and then at Theodore, saying, “I didn't realize until you pointed it out. They're really starting to look alike. That's awesome. You know what they say, right? A good couple is like one person."
Everyone looked at Phoebe and Theodore. Phoebe felt a bit uncomfortable under their gaze, coughed lightly, and quickly lowered her head, not daring to look at Theodore.
She thought that Theodore was probably very annoyed right now, especially with Vanessa sitting right there.
Vanessa stood diagonally behind Theodore. Observing from her vantage point, Theodore's look towards Phoebe didn't convey any sense of dissatisfaction; rather, it exuded warmth.
A sudden wave of panic washed over her heart.
The harmonious atmosphere in the room made Vanessa feel out of place. She couldn't believe that in just three years, Phoebe had formed such a deep bond with the Reynolds family.
And the only thing Vanessa could rely on was Theodore's feelings for her.
But what if Theodore's feelings for her were gone? What would she do then?
Vanessa stood for a while, watching them play a few rounds, and instinctively wanted leave here.
As she was about to leave, Theodore immediately stood up and said, "I'll walk you back."
Sarah frowned slightly and clapped her hands. "It's getting late, Vanessa doesn't come by often, why not stay over tonight?"
Vanessa was taken aback. She hadn't expected Sarah to ask her to stay, especially since Sarah had clearly favored Phoebe since they returned to the Reynolds Mansion.
Taylor looked at Sarah in confusion. "Mom, it's not a big deal. We can have the driver take her; it's not far."
"We have plenty of guest rooms, Riley Scott, go tidy up the guest room across from Phoebe's bedroom." Sarah had everything arranged, leaving little room for further objections from the others.
Everyone could see that Vanessa still had feelings for Theodore. Letting her stay at the Reynolds Mansion wasn't good idea.
Moreover, having Vanessa stay opposite Theodore and Phoebe's room seemed very odd.
Phoebe clenched her fist and stood up, saying, "Riley and I will go together. Miss Fitzroy is staying over, we need to treat her well."
With that, she left the game room.
Vanessa felt a secret joy but said, "Grandma, this is too much trouble for you. I should just go back."
Sarah said to Vanessa gentlely, "You came all this way to visit me, you're our guest. The Reynolds family doesn't send guests home in the middle of the night. Just stay here for the night; I'll talk to your parents about it."
Vanessa's momentary sense of delight evaporated. It turned out Sarah had offered her to stay over out of courtesy to a guest, not because she held any special regard for Vanessa.
She bit her lip and looked at Theodore with a sense of grievance.
Sarah saw the interaction between Vanessa and Theodore clearly. Her brow furrowed slightly as she tossed the playing cards in her hand onto the table. "It's getting late. Help me back to my room to rest. Theodore, you work so hard; don't stay up too late."
Vanessa wanted to help Theodore escort Sarah back to her room, but Madison suddenly ran up and affectionately grabbed her hand. "Vanessa, come on, I'll take you to the guest room. Tell me about your interesting experiences abroad."
Vanessa couldn't refuse and was reluctantly pulled away by Madison.
In the room, Taylor helped Sarah lie down on the bed. She was very puzzled and asked, "Mom, didn't you see that Vanessa still likes Theodore? How could you let her stay? Phoebe will be so hurt."
Sarah said, "If she's hurt, she should be more proactive. She can't expect Vanessa to back off. Phoebe is great in every way, but she's too soft when it comes to relationships. I want to push her a bit!"
Taylor was taken aback by Sarah's bold statement, suddenly reminded of some rumors. Despite Sarah's current kind and gentle demeanor, she had been quite formidable in her younger days.
Alice walked over to Taylor and said, "Mom is siding with Phoebe. Despite Miss Fitzroy's high-class background, having Theodore escort her home late at night could lead to rumors. Plus, they're both so young. What if something inappropriate happens? Of course, with Theodore's character, he might not do such a thing, but how can a man resist such temptation?"
Taylor thought Alice's words made sense, but hearing her discredit Theodore in front of Sarah made her face darken. "Alice, you should worry about your husband and make sure he doesn't mess around with young girls."
Alice was speechless.
Alice didn't believe Theodore could really control himself. With the woman he once loved staying right across the hall, he might sneak over to Vanessa's room in the middle of the night.
That would make for quite a show.
