Hannah paid her threat no mind and returned to her room to continue unpacking.


    That evening, as dusk settled, Samuel came upstairs to call Hannah down for dinner.


    When they reached the dining room, her Grandpa and Grandma, Samuel''s parents, Peter, Cherry, and several other senior members of the Temple family were already seated.


    Cherry, with her dog on herp, sniffed loudly.


    "We had to send a special invitation just to get you to the table," she remarked sarcastically. "You certainly have a high opinion of yourself, Hannah.”


    "Did you send a special invitation?” Hannah asked, turning to Samuel with a look of feigned confusion.


    "No, of course not."


    "Then why would she say that?" Hannah pressed, her voiceced with innocence.


    Samuel shot his cousin a re. "Cherry, is there something wrong with you? Are you stalking me now? I went upstairs and called her down once. There was no ''special invitation.'' Are you just trying to stir up trouble for no reason?"


    Cherry paused, stunned that her own cousin would side with an outsider. She mmed her palm on the table.


    "How dare you speak to me like that! All the elders were waiting for her. It was her duty toe down early, not keep us waiting. I was right, wasn''t I?" she snapped, her eyes wide with indignation.


    Ignoring their argument, Hannah calmly took out her phone. With a few taps, a recording began to y.


    ["Of course. I wouldn''t expect someone like you—no mother, no father, raised in an orphanage—to have any manners. Don''t worry, I won''t hold it against you."]


    ["You have a mother and a father, Cherry, yet you seem to have no manners at all. Did they neglect to teach you, or are you just incapable of learning?"]


    When the short exchange ended, a dead silence fell over the dining room.


    Her Grandpa, Grandma, and the other elders stared at Cherry in disbelief. Even Cherry herself was frozen, looking at Hannah as if she''d seen a ghost.


    "You... you''re shameless! You secretly recorded me!" she sputtered, pointing a trembling finger. "Hannah, you''re despicable! To do something so sneaky, so underhanded... you''re vile!"


    "I''m vile?" Hannah replied calmly. "You knew my mother suffered a tragedy thatnded me in an orphanage, yet you used it to mock me. Does that make you noble?"


    She continued, her voice steady and measured. "just arrived at the Temple estate today, and you came to my room uninvited just to insult me, alt because I didn''t address you as myrader, cousin, if you dare to treat me this way inside the family home, what would you do to me out in the world? Would you have me killed?"


    Cherry''s mouth twitched, a flicker of panic in her eyes as she nced toward her grandparents.


    Her Grandpa''s face was thunderous.


    "Cherry, you will not eat tonight. Go to your room and reflect on your behavior. Such disrespect at your age! Your cousin just arrived, and you greet her with insults First thing tomorrow morning, you will


    home. You are not wee in this house for the time being!"


    "Grandpa, I... didn''t mean it! I was just... her reputation is so bad, I was afraid she was an imposter, here to scam, the family! You''ve all been so desperate to find Aunt Cheryl''s child,


    I was worried she took advantage of that!"