The Billionaire's Genius Wife

With sincerity in her voice, Scarlett said, "I hope you'll reunite with her soon, Father."

"Thank you, Scarlett, dad appreciated that..." Roland can't help but smile widely to finally hear those encouraging words from his daughter.

...

"What are you both talking about? Why do you look so happy?" Melinda suddenly reappeared in the living room after finishing preparations for lunch.

Scarlett turned to her with a smile. "Auntie, we were just talking about something boring," she smiled. "Is everything alright? Can I assist you in the kitchen?" She offered to help, but Melinda politely refused. 

"Dear, there's no need. Everything is ready..." Melinda said, stopping beside Scarlett and taking her hand. She led Scarlett to the dining table, with Roland following behind them. "Let's eat," she invited them to sit.

"Aren't you waiting for your husband?" Roland asked Melinda after he had taken his seat at the end of the table.

"Something came up in the office, and he couldn't leave," Melinda explained with a hint of regret. She hoped her husband would come home early because she really wanted him to meet Scarlett.

"Allaistar should have retired sooner. Why is he still working so hard like this? He could have asked Theodor to take over the company..." Roland shook his head, expressing his belief that they were all growing old and should be enjoying life, allowing the younger generation to manage the family business. He mentioned how he had passed the throne to Simon.

Melinda could only smile wistfully, sharing Roland's sentiment. She, too, wished for a more relaxed life, but her husband deeply loved his work. Additionally, their son was not yet ready to take on the responsibilities of running the large family company.

To shift the conversation in a brighter direction, Melinda said, "Alright, let's stop talking about that now and let Scarlett enjoy her lunch..." 

Melinda turned her attention to Scarlett, adding food to her plate. "Eat much, Scarlett. I've prepared all this healthy food for you and your baby," she says. Without realizing it, her words made the atmosphere turn gloomy.

Scarlett's hand hung in the air, stunned by Melinda's words. Her once-happy expression gradually shifted to something darker. The shock didn't just affect Scarlett; Roland's worried gaze immediately turned to her, fearing that these memories might upset her.

Scarlett could only lower her head, staring at the food on her plate, rendered speechless by Melinda's comment. She didn't know how to respond.

Just as Melinda was about to continue her sentence, she noticed Roland gesturing for her to stop talking, which left her feeling puzzled. "Why did you stop me, brother?" She asked Roland, utterly unaware of the situation. Roland simply shook his head, choosing not to speak further.

After a few seconds, Scarlett finally turned to Melinda, offering a faint smile before speaking, "Aunty, I had a miscarriage. There won't be any babies—" she felt almost choked hearing her own words. 

"What!?" Melinda exclaimed in shock. However, as she saw the sadness in Scarlett's eyes, she scolded herself for her initial insensitivity. Now she understood why her brother had silenced her. 

"S-Scarlett, I'm so sorry to hear that," Melinda said in a gentle voice while soothingly stroking Scarlett's back.

"It's okay, Aunty. We've already gone through that difficult time. Right now, I just don't want to talk or think about it anymore," she continued, returning to her meal. It had been over a week, but her heart hadn't fully healed. The emotional scar remained, and she wished to avoid discussing it for now, at least until she felt ready.

Melinda immediately nodded upon hearing Scarlett's words, choosing to remain silent and allowing Scarlett and Roland to eat in peace.

However, this calm atmosphere was short-lived, disrupted by the sudden arrival of Maggie Gilwynn.

After she investigated Scarlett's background, her suspicions increasingly pointed towards Scarlett being her father's daughter. And, just an hour ago, she received news that her father and Scarlett were at her aunt's house. She left everything she was doing at her office and rushed here to confirm her suspicions.

Maggie couldn't hold back her anger upon discovering that her father had a daughter out of wedlock. Moreover, she and Scarlett are not much different in age. This means her father was having an affair behind her mother's back. How could she accept this reality? Obviously, this made her very upset, and she really wanted to confront Scarlett Piers.

"I knew it! What I suspected was true... Scarlett Piers, you are indeed related to my family, huh!" Maggie exclaimed, her voice laced with anger and annoyance.

Scarlett and the others abruptly stopped eating, their attention shifting towards Maggie's voice.

"Maggie... Why... Why are you—" Melinda began, but she couldn't find the words to continue as she observed her niece walking into the dining room. Her eyes were sharp, and they fixed on Scarlett with a malicious intensity. It makes her worry. 

It wasn't just Melinda who was concerned; Roland also unconsciously stood up from his chair. "Maggie, you've come?" he inquired calmly. However, Maggie completely ignored him, her intense gaze locked onto Scarlett as if she wanted to pierce Scarlett with her eyes.

In contrast to her father and aunt, Scarlett remained relatively composed. She already knew that Maggie harbored anger towards her, and she understood that Maggie seeing her dining with Aunt Melinda and her father would likely provoke a strong reaction.

Scarlett offered a faint smile to Maggie but refrained from speaking. Feeling amused that Maggie was indeed trying to investigate her. 

"Why are you smiling?" Maggie stopped a few steps from Scarlett. Her eyes flashed with disgust when she saw Scarlett sitting in a chair, smiling as if there was no guilt about being born to a woman who had disturbed someone else's family.

"Are you so delighted to be the daughter of the woman who stole my father? My mother's husband? You slut!" Maggie continued her tirade, causing Roland and Melinda to startle when they heard her curse.

Scarlett's composed expression gradually shifted. Hearing Maggie insulting her mother, she felt her heart pounding like war drums.