His outburst cut Quennel off mid-sentence. Quennel blinked, feigning confusion, while even Mary paused, her utensils hovering over her te as she watched him.


    The dining room once again descended into a dead silence.


    Lionel''s breathing grew ragged. He clenched his hands into tight fists, the veins on the back of them bulging.


    "Stop talking such nonsense, Quennel. You can lie to yourself, but you can''t lie to me. You did this. I can''t find any evidence here, and you''ve destroyed the surveince footage, but I will find something else!"


    Lionel pointed a finger at him, continuing through gritted teeth, "And Sandra has already agreed to stand with me. She will expose your crimes."


    Despite Lionel''s fury, Quennel''s expression remained unchanged, as calm andposed as ever.


    With that, Lionel turned and stormed out, leaving mother and son alone in the dining room.


    Mary finally spoke. "Is he having another fit?"


    "He can''t find evidence and he can''t win an argument against me, so all he can do is rage impotently. I have no idea what Hannah saw in a fool like that. If she had met me sooner, she would have been living a wonderful life, not suffering like this."


    Mary frowned at his words, her voice low with warning.


    "Don''t forget what I told you. Even if she gets a divorce, you two can''t get married. Your rtionship is a scandalous affair that could never see the light of day. Don''te bringing her home after the divorce is final, telling me you want to marry her." The thought that her eldest son might actually do something so reckless sent a shiver down her spine. She warned him again.


    "Remember what I said. You are not to marry her. Keep it light. Nothing beyond this. Do you understand?"


    Quennel nodded. "I know, Mom. I''ve kept your words in mind. Don''t worry, I won''t bring shame to the Rosenberg family like Lionel has."


    Though he said it calmly, his heart was bleeding.


    If only Hannah had met him first instead of Lionel, perhaps things would be different now.


    He would have made her the


    happiest Mrs. Rosenberg. He would have let her do whatever she wanted and she never would have had to go through any of this. The more he thought about it, the more his hatred and anger grew.


    Why did Lionel get to meet Hannah in her prime, only to waste her best years? What right did he have?


    When Lionel returned home, a maid reported on Sandra''s condition. All day, she had been quietly eating, drinking, sleeping, and looking out the window in her room. She hadn''t


    done anything else no fuss id else no fuss fo


    noise, no requests to see him. She was as still as a marite.


    While this was the oue he''d wanted, Sandra''s state unsettled Lionel. He had a


    sinking feeling that this was the calm before the storm.


    He thought for a moment, then went to her room.


    Just as the maid had said, Sandra was sitting on a chair, her head turned to watch


    the scenery outside the window, exceptionally quiet.


    In all the years he had known her, he had never seen her like this. It was truly unnerving.


    "Don''t you have anything you want to say to me?"


    Sandra heard his footsteps and his voice. She turned her head, lifted her gaze to look at him, then said. nothing and went back to staring out the window.