Pampered By Power: The True Heiress Returns

Chapter 248 84% +13) Just as Elysia was about to ask her questions, Javier’s voice came from behind her, “After all these years, this room has waited for you.” Confused by his words, Elysia turned to him in surprise until he explained, “On Evelyn’s fifth birthday, she received a separate room. Mom thought you should have one too.” He continued, “Even if you don’t actually live there, it’s a cherished memory. She decorated it just for you. For all these years, servants have come every day to clean it, and the furniture has been replaced time and time again.” Hearing this brought tears to Elysia’s eyes; she had never realized that Quinita had put so much thought into preparing this room for over a decade. It turned out she had her own room in this house all along. Turning to Quinita, Elysia embraced her tightly, inhaling her gentle, comforting fragrance. Elysia’s heart swelled with an indescribable warmth. Her home was simply too sweet. Javier watched the tender moment between Quinita and Elysia and pretended to complain, “Elysia, you have no idea how hard we fought to get into this room when we were kids; Mom wouldn’t let us in, worrying we’d mess up the floor.” Quinita shot him a sidelong glance, quickly retorting, “You were always such a messy little rascal. If I had let you in, the floor would have been filthy in no time.” “Alright. We all know how much you prefer our sister; we’ve gotten used to it,” Javier said with a chuckle. Just then, Holden chimed in with a fake sad tone, “They say the youngest son is the most spoiled, but that’s far from my case. Throughout my childhood, Mom never decorated a room for me.” “Are you done?” Edward’s deep voice echoed from behind Holden, causing him to jump. Holden’s expression changed in an instant, and he nodded. “Yes, I’m done.” A hand came down sharply on the back of his head, the impact making it clear that Edward wasn’t going to be lenient just because of family ties. Rubbing the back of his head, Holden wore an innocent expression, puzzled as to why both his brothers and his dad were upset with him. Edward raised an eyebrow and spoke gravely, “Are we not treating you well?” Holden barely dared to say “no“, hastily shaking his head and stammering, “Y–You treat me just fine; I was just joking around. Please don’t take it too seriously.” Satisfied with his answer, Edward nodded, then turned to Elysia and softened his voice, “Elysia, my brother Jim has received news and wishes to meet with you.” Holden frowned. “Jim is ruthless; his desire to meet Elysia surely isn’t for any good reason.” He added, “Mom nearly had a miscarriage because of Jim’s ex–wife; just mentioning it makes me angry. Their illegitimate daughter has spoken badly about Evelyn.” Jim has two daughters: the eldest, Lindsey, is from his ex–wife, while the younger, Esther, is from his second wife. Jim, known for his cheating, had started an affair with Ashley after marrying his ex–wife. When Lindsey was eleven, Lindsey’s mom found out about the affair and, in a fit of rage, confronted Ashley but tragically crashed her car on the way back. Less than a month after her death, Jim brought Ashley and Esther into the family. Edward had never been close with Jim, and this incident made their divide even wider. 1/3 24 Chapter 248 Aside from their work interactions, they hardly engaged with each other, Edward hoped Elysia could avoid this meeting, but Olive was living with Jim and was determined to sex Vyers. Edward thought, ‘Elysia is incredibly beautiful, far surpassing Jim’s two daughters. If she doesn’t meet the other family members, rumors may start about her behind her back, Thinking it over, Edward looked at Elysia and returned to his gentle tone, “Elysia, don’t be afraid; we’ll go with you, Your grandmother is eager to meet you.” Hearing this, Holden couldn’t argue; Olive had always treated them well. She had lived with them until Evelyn’s passing, after which she couldn’t bear the grief and moved to Jim’s place. If it meant visiting their grandmother, he couldn’t disagree. He believed she would be delighted to see Elys. Elysia, catching on to the underlying tensions, sensed that Jim and Edward weren’t particularly close. Esther had spoken poorly of her sister before, so Elysia felt a fierce curiosity to meet Esther. No one should dare cross her. When they mentioned Olive, everyone grew remarkably respectful, indicating the high regard in which they held her. Elysia felt a spark of excitement at the prospect of meeting her grandmother. Noticing the concern on their faces, Elysia smiled and reassured them, “Don’t worry; with all of you by my side, I’m not scared.” Quinita squeezed Elysia’s hand as they left the Evans residence. After about twenty minutes, they arrived. Elysia linked arms with Quinita while Edward and his sons followed closely behind. As they stepped into the living room, they saw several people seated on the sofa. Ashley was the first to spot them and quickly approached. “How nice of you to arrive earlier than expected,” she said, her words dripping with sarcasm, implying that their presence was unwelcome. It wasn’t that they were too sensitive; had this remark come from someone else, it might not have felt so sharp. But coming from Ashley, it reeked of disdain. Edward’s expression darkened as he chose not to engage with her comments. He simply asked, “Where is my mom?” “She’s upstairs and will be down shortly. Please make yourselves comfortable.” Ashley spotted Elysia beside Quinita, and her heart sank. “Is this Evelyn’s twin?” When no one answered, she continued talking, “She really looks like Evelyn; no wonder they are twins.” Jealousy seeped into her heart. Despite being a country girl, Elysia didn’t fit that stereotype at all; her striking beauty surpassed anything Ashley had anticipated. In the past, Evelyn was often sick, and her face never had a healthy flush throughout the year; it remained pale and lifeless, concealing any trace of her beauty. In Ashley’s mind, she imagined a country girl with broader shoulders from hard labor, someone who would surely appear less refined. Yet seeing Elysia in person left her utterly astonished–this was far from what she had imagined. Locking eyes with Ashley, Elysia noticed the swirl of emotions on her face, and a faint smirk barely touched her lips as she asked, “Ashley, is there something on my face?” Ashley quickly responded, “No.” “Then why do you keep staring at me?” 2/3