The traffic light switched to green, and Curtis''s car slowly pulled away from the amusement park.
Evening had begun to settle in. After onest stroll around the park, McNeil gathered Gwh and her mother, ushering them toward his SUV.
Victoria quickly realized that McNeil was taking a route she''d never seen before. It was clear he was determined to bring her and their daughter to Madonna''s vi tonight.
Gwh sat in the backseat, cradling a pile of plush toys she''d won from the w machines, herughter bubbling with delight.
But even she noticed that the drive felt unfamiliar. In her sweet, childish voice, she piped up, "Daddy, where are we going now?"
"To Grandma''s house," McNeil replied, voice cool and matter-of-fact.
Gwh''s smile vanished.
"No, I don''t want to go. Why do we have to see Grandma?"
She''d never liked Madonna.
Victoria felt the same way, though she wasn''t about to stop her daughter from seeing her father''s family. Still, she had no desire to go herself.
"McNeil, I just remembered I-”
"We''ll be there in five minutes," he interrupted. "You can stay in the car if you want, but don''t expect to see Paul again if you do."
Victoria froze, blurting out, "Paul already belongs to you-why shouldn''t I be allowed to see him?"
The SUV rolled up to a stately vi. The staff, recognizing McNeil''s car, hurried to open the gates.
Victoria, McNeil, and Gwh stepped inside.
Madonna was seated on the living room sofa while the housekeeper busied herself setting the table in the dining room.
Noticing their arrival, the staff greeted them, "Wee home, sir."
One housekeeper nced curiously at Victoria and Gwh. "And these two are...?"
Neither had met Victoria or Gwh before, though the child did bear a striking resemnce to McNeil.
"This is my wife, and our daughter," McNeil said, holding both Victoria and Gwh by the hand. Victoria tried to pull away, but he didn''t let go.
The staff were stunned. Since when did the young master have a wife and child? Was the girl some long-hidden secret, only now revealed to the family?
The moment Madonna saw Victoria, her breath caught. She nced at the housekeeper. “Go call Mr. James and Mrs. Nelson downstairs. Tell them their nephew''s home and it''s time for dinner."
Victoria offered a cursory "Mom," but Madonna ignored her, heading straight to the dining table and fixing her gaze on McNeil.
"What possessed you toe home for dinner tonight? And to bring them along?" she asked, her tone frosty.
Then, with a pointed pause, Madonna added, "Where''s Violet? Why isn''t she here?"
McNeil carefully ced a piece of shrimp onto Gwh''s te her favorite. "This is a family dinner. No need to invite outsiders."
Madonna snorted, making it clear she didn''t see Victoria as part of the family. Upstairs, Paul and Mrs. Nelson came down, one after the other.
The moment Paul spotted Victoria in the dining room, his eyes widened in shock. "Rabbit? What are you doing here?"
Both Mrs. Nelson and Madonna frowned. Mrs. Nelson quickly pulled Paul down into the seat beside her, giving him a sharp look. "Don''t make a scene at your aunt''s house, behave yourself."
Victoria studied the trio across the table.
So Madonna was Paul''s aunt, which meant McNeil was-
"This is your sister-inw, Paul. Say hello," McNeil said, his voice calm but final. Madonna''s expression soured even further.
She''d never liked Victoria. In all the years since their marriage, she''d routinely summoned her son home for her homemade soup but had never once invited Victoria to join them. As far as she was concerned, Victoria''s existence was an inconvenience, a secret to be kept.
She knew McNeil and Victoria''s marriage was a quiet one. Aside from the immediate families, almost no one in the extended family even knew they were married.
Paul sat there, frozen.
He''d idolized McNeil since he was a kid, trailing after his legendary cousin-the same cousin who, in his early twenties, had single-handedly rescued the familypany from the brink and built it into what it was today. Paul had always thought he knew his cousin.