Chapter 506

chapter506

Samantha had been a constant presence in Mackenzie’s life, a silent guardian who had watched her grow from a reserved child into a formidable leader. Within the Quillen household, whispers had always circulated about the stark differences between Mackenzie and Felicity. While Mackenzie shared little of her mother’s temperament, she possessed a quiet dignity that mirrored Samantha’s own. Samantha, who had chosen a path of independence, looked upon Mackenzie with the devotion of a mother, determined to see her niece find the happiness she herself had never sought in a traditional sense.

When news of Mackenzie’s marriage broke, Samantha was the most heartened. She was eager to meet the man who had managed to reach the heart of the "Ice Goddess." Although Felicity had officially proposed the dinner, it was Samantha’s anticipation that had driven the family to gather. Seeing the guest of honor absent, she was not about to remain silent.

“What exactly are you implying, Felicity?” Samantha asked, her voice cutting through the hall with clinical precision.

Felicity, whose relationship with Samantha had always been fraught with tension, met her gaze with a frozen expression. “I’m implying exactly what I said. The dinner was your idea, yet the person we all came to see is nowhere to be found.”

“Do you take us for fools?” Samantha didn’t mince words. “You organized this gathering. We all adjusted our professional schedules to be here, to welcome Mackenzie’s husband into the family. And yet, before the first course is served, he’s gone. Did you think our time was yours to waste, or do you simply have no respect for the family’s collective interest?”

Felicity’s face flushed with a deep, suppressed fury. In the Quillen hierarchy, Samantha was the only one who consistently challenged her authority.

The tension in the room was palpable. Neither Mackenzie nor Beatrix made a move to intervene, knowing the depth of the history between the two women. It was Sarah who finally stepped forward, her voice trembling slightly.

“Aunt Samantha, don’t blame Mom. It was Emmanuel’s own decision to leave early.”

Samantha offered a sharp, skeptical laugh. “His decision? Are you telling me a man invited to his first formal family dinner with the Quillens just decided to walk out for no reason? Why would he have come at all if that were the case?”

Sarah was silenced by the logic. Samantha’s background in high-level administration had given her a mind like a steel trap; she dealt in facts and motivations, not convenient excuses.

“Step aside, Sarah,” Samantha said, her focus returning to Felicity. “You owe this family an answer. You drove off the person this dinner was meant for. Is this how you handle family unity?”

Felicity, backed into a corner, finally reached her breaking point. “Show me some respect, Samantha! I am the mistress of this house. Regardless of your lineage, I am the one who manages the daily affairs of this family!”

In keeping with the strict traditions of their circles, Felicity felt her position as the wife of the head of the household should grant her absolute authority over family matters—an authority she felt Samantha was constantly undermining.

“Do any of you treat me like family?” Felicity’s voice rose, her composure finally shattering. “Emmanuel is my son-in-law. Am I not allowed a private conversation with him? I am his mother-in-law. What right do you have to interfere in how I communicate with him? You may be his aunt, but you do not dictate the terms of his relationship with this branch of the family!”

The room fell into an uncomfortable silence as Felicity’s words echoed. But Samantha was a straight shooter, and she wasn't finished.

“I care because the Quillen name is at stake!” Samantha fired back. “We are a family of shared interests. You married into this name, yet it seems your loyalties still lie elsewhere. Don’t think the rest of us haven't noticed how often Quillen resources find their way into Lenoir projects. You live under this roof, yet you act as a silent partner for your maiden family!”

This was the unspoken truth that many in the family had ignored to maintain a veneer of peace. Hearing it brought out into the open sent a shockwave through the room. Mackenzie closed her eyes for a brief second, feeling the weight of the family’s long-standing fractures finally giving way. The dinner that was supposed to bridge gaps had instead opened a chasm that would be much harder to close.