Pampered by my three brothers: the return of the neglected heiress

Chapter 1651: I had to do it... to protect my child.

"You better have answers. I'm not in the mood to play nice either."

The woman trembled under their gaze. She could hear her own gulp echoing in her ears, and her throat drying up quickly. The tension in the room was so thick it felt like it had grown limbs, reaching out to choke her.

"Priscilla Reed," Mint called to get her attention, stressing each syllable. "Let's have a nice chat, shall we?"

The woman, Priscilla, Nina's biological mother, turned to Mint. She drew a deep, jagged breath as she clasped her hand on her lap. But before she could say anything, a painful throb struck her head.

"Aw-" Priscilla winced as she touched the side of her head where it throbbed painfully.

"Don't be dramatic," Slater clicked his tongue in irritation. "You were hit in the head, but it's nothing serious. Sleep it off and you'll be fine."

Priscilla clenched her teeth and glared at him.

"What?" he asked dryly. "Why are you glaring at me? If anyone should be glaring here, it's us at you."

"Third Brother." Penny gently raised a hand and rested it on his chest. "It's alright.'

Slater gritted his teeth silently but held back the storm of words brewing inside him. Priscilla might have been around their parents' age, but that didn't stop him from wanting to unload every harsh word in his vocabulary-words he'd practically rehearsed for a moment like this.

Penny, by contrast, maintained her composure. Her gaze locked with Priscilla's— cold, distant, unyielding.

"Priscilla Reed," she began, her voice low and tightly controlled. "You owe us an explanation. It's time to repay that debt."

"You better start talking," Mint added, giving a casual nod. "Or would you prefer we spell out all the questions we already know the answers to?"

her eyes remained on Penny. She bit her inner lip, her head pounding, but she forced

asked at

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room responded

"Please... just this once-"

even have the right to make a request like that?" Penny cut in,

Priscilla said nothing.

her eyes beginning to redden as she met Penny's icy stare. She knew she had no right. Not even to look at Nina from afar. The moment she did

again. Her voice cracked slightly at the edge, thick with restrained emotion. "Why

Her eyes flicked to Slater's grim expression, then to Mint's sharp, assessing

had to," she whispered. "I had to

back, scoffed.

"Third Brother "

to a family that never saw her as their own."His voice trembled with fury. "You

every breath. "How the hell is that

line as she stared at his profile. Slater might be too emotional-but in truth, he was voicing the

She was watching Priscilla's every move, every

her

just wanted to save her," she whispered, her voice thin but clear in the silence. "I knew I had no right to be forgiven. But

brimmed at the corners of her eyes. "I had to act quickly. I had so

leave her behind... even if it meant entrusting

cracking. "If I had another option, I

"And if I had to choose again... I would do

held him back. His eyes burned with rage, jaw clenched so tightly it trembled. There was no remorse in this