Chapter 198 Cracks at the Table


    Chapter 198 Cracks at the Table


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    Tracy shoved her te a little farther away and took a deep breath, forcing down the nausea as she said, “Sorry. I don’t cat seafood.”


    Erin’s face instantly crumpled, her voice trembling with fake hurt. “Tracy, are you saying you don’t want what I gave you? Do you … hate me that much?”


    Her eyes reddened on cue. She sniffled dramatically, then turned toward Liam. “It’s fine, you serve her instead. I promise, I won’t fight her for attention.”


    Liam wasn’t even listening. His eyes had been locked on Tracy, watching how her disgust toward seafood didn’t look staged at all. Something about it left a knot in his chest. He barely registered whatever Erin was saying.


    He just heard her calling him and subconsciously responded, “Huh? Okay.”


    Erin’s smile froze. She almost bit her own tongue.


    Absolute moron. Was he out of his damn mind?


    She swallowed her rage, tears streaming down her cheeks like pearls dropping one by one.


    Daphne rushed to pull Erin into her arms, ring at Liam. She smacked him on the back of the head. “You idiot! Erin’s your sister. How could you treat her like this?”


    Liam blinked, baffled. What the hell did I even do?


    Andrew gave him a sharp re, wearing his gold-rimmed sses.


    Then he turned his cold eyes on Tracy. “Tracy, today’s supposed to be a family reunion. Stop stirring things up. Apologize to Erin.”


    Tracy’s face was still pale from holding back her gag reflex, but she wasn’t surprised in the slightest.


    If this meal ever went smoothly, that would be the real miracle.


    She stayed calm, but Franklin finally snapped.


    “Enough!”


    He mmed his cutlery onto the table, shattering a porcin te.


    Food sttered, but not far. Benjamin, Daphne, Andrew, and Liam instinctively threw themselves in front of Erin like a human shield. No one even nced at Tracy sitting across the table.


    It was ridiculous. The food barely left the te, but their exaggerated act made Franklin’s expression turn gloomy.


    “You dare bully Tracy right in front of me? God knows what you’ll do when I’m not around.”


    Franklin’s re cut across the table, cold and sharp, before itnded squarely on Erin. “This family runs a business, not a circus. If you’re so desperate to put on a show, then take it out to the street-plenty of folks


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    Chapter 198 Cracks at the Table


    out there would love the free entertainment.”


    It was the first time Franklin had ever openly criticized Erin like that.


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    He’d never liked her much, but she was still blood-rted, and the others doted on her. He usually held back, unwilling to sh with his own granddaughter.


    But tonight, she’d pushed him too far.


    Erin hadn’t expected Franklin to lose it like this. His words sliced straight through her pride, cruel and humiliating.


    She shrank, tears spilling down her cheeks, then buried herself in Liam’s chest, sobbing silently like a helpless child.


    Even Benjamin, usually quick to defend, kept his hands folded neatly under the table, keeping his head low and not daring to speak.


    Liam, though—Liam was hotheaded, and protecting Erin had always been second nature to him. His braingged behind his mouth, and the words tumbled out before he thought twice. “Grandpa, you’ve got it. wrong. Erin’s not like that.


    ‘She’s gentle and kind. She even risked her life for me once. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t even be here today.”


    Back at that race at Suncord Mountain, when he’d slipped and fallen off the cliff, everyone thought he was gone for good. His parents even picked out a burial plot. But Erin refused to give up. She’d searched for him on her own, dragged him back half-dead, and saved his life.


    For that reason alone, he’d always stand by her side.


    Franklin knew the story well-but he’d always seen it differently.


    ‘The rescue teams searched for you for days and couldn’t find a trace. But somehow she waltzed in and stumbled on you right away? She hauls you out of there without a scratch-hair neat, clothes spotless- except for a little scrape on her hand. Use that pig brain of yours, Liam. Does that sound right to you?”


    Liam’s hand, which had been rubbing circles on Erin’s back froze mid-motion.


    He remembered falling into the river, fighting to crawl out, wandering lost in the forest for days until he copsed from exhaustion.


    When he woke up, he was in a hospital bed. Everyone told him Erin had found him. He’d seen her hand wrapped in gauze, and he believed it. He never questioned it.


    And while he’d been missing, Tracy had gone on a trip, which only fueled his bitterness toward her. He had been too wrapped up in that resentment to look deeper into Erin’s so-called miracle rescue.


    Erin felt his hesitation immediately. The muscles in her face twisted with rage, but she buried it against his


    chest so no one else could see,


    Damn old man. Why wouldn’t he just go to hell already?


    She should’ve finished him off two years ago, made sure he didn’t live to ruin her ns today.


    2:09 pm M


    Chapter 198 Cracks at the Table


    +10 Free Coins


    Franklin’s eyes burned with disappointment as he red at Liam. His breathing turned ragged and his once ruddyplexion draining pale under the strain.


    2:09 pm M