Chapter 248
William Lowell met Victoria Lowell's piercing gaze, his heart sinking like a stone.
He forced a smile. "Who in this family doesn't adore Emily?"
Victoria studied his feigned nonchalance. "I'm not talking about sibling affection."
She cut straight to the chase. "Do you want to marry Emily Lowell?"
The question struck like lightning.
William's pupils constricted. His entire body froze.
It took him several seconds to find his voice. "Mother! What kind of joke is this?"
His tone trembled. "We're siblings!"
Victoria observed his shocked expression, her brow furrowing slightly.
"Is that truly how you feel?"
She'd always suspected her son looked at Emily differently.
But apparently, he remained oblivious to those feelings.
William answered without hesitation. "Why would I lie about something like this?"
Victoria held his gaze for a long moment before finally relenting. "Good."
Her tone shifted. "But you must maintain proper boundaries. Without blood relation, excessive closeness invites gossip."
The memory of her sons competing to embrace Emily made her chest tighten.
No wonder they doted on Emily so excessively.
This was how they behaved in private.
Utterly inappropriate.
William instinctively protested. "Mother, you're overreacting! What's wrong with siblings being close? Those internet trolls—"
"William." Victoria cut him off. "She's not your biological sister."
The words doused him like ice water.
William's expression hardened.
After a prolonged silence, he spoke hoarsely. "...I understand."
This thought had never occurred to him.
Only now did he realize Emily shared no blood relation with him.
An image of Sophia Laurent flashed through his mind.
His eyes darkened with complex emotions.
Victoria sighed and left.
Once alone, William immediately ordered his team to control the online narrative.
Soon, negative posts about Emily were mass-deleted.
Anyone could tell money had silenced the critics.
But the heavy-handed approach only bred greater resentment.
"The Lowells flexing their power again! Money talks, huh?"
"Showering their adopted daughter with love while freezing out their real daughter. How ironic!"
"Stop mentioning Sophia. She's moved on from them!"
"Is Lowell Entertainment finished after this scandal?"