"You''re already in your twenties and still acting like a child. Your father passed away young, so your brother''s in charge of you now-what''s so wrong with that?"


    "Hmph! You all just take Eleanor''s side! She''s your real granddaughter. I''m not." With tears streaming down her face, Serena ran upstairs.


    Gina started to follow her, but Magdalen stopped her with a quiet word. "Let her be. She needs time to think."


    The old woman cast a meaningful nce at her daughter-inw. "From now on, let the young people handle their own messes. We shouldn''t meddle. You don''t really understand pain until you''ve been hurt yourself. That goes for Serena-and forn too."


    Gina was taken aback. She could ept her daughter muddling through life, but her son? He was anything but clueless.


    "Ian''s always been a brooder, even as a boy. Stubborn too. He acts aloof, pretends not to care, even when he does. Sigh."


    Gina understood the message behind her mother-inw''s words. She replied honestly, "Mom, that''s just not possible. Ian''s always known exactly what he wants. If he still had feelings for Eleanor and wanted to get back together, he''d do something about it. He''d never just sit back."


    Magdalen let out a soft snort. "If he did something, he wouldn''t tell anyone about it."


    At that moment,n strode into the living room. His steps were steady, his expression unreadable. Seeing his mother and grandmother together, his brows furrowed. "Where''s Serena?"


    "She''s upstairs, throwing a tantrum," Gina sighed. "Ian, why did you freeze her bank ount-"


    "Mom."n cut her off. "I have my reasons."


    Magdalen turned to Gina. "I told you, let the kids sort out their own problems. We need to stay out of it."


    Gina''s heart ached for her daughter-her son could be so cold when he wanted to be. Sometimes, his ruthlessness could really hurt.


    "Come on, let''s make dinner. The whole family''s home tonight. Let''s just have a nice meal together," Magdalen suggested.


    "Ian, walk with me in the garden," she added, rising to her feet.


    It was chilly outside. Ian draped a coat over his grandmother''s shoulders before they stepped into the garden.


    n..." Magdalen began slowly, "I heard you bought an apartment right below Ellie''s? Now you''re neighbors, just a floor apart?”


    "It makes it easier to look after Evelyn,"n replied.


    Magdalen chuckled. "Is that the only reason? You expect your grandmother to believe that?"


    "How are Ellie and Evelyn these days?"


    "They''re both doing well."


    Magdalen stopped walking and lookedn straight in the eye. "Ian, do you still have feelings for Ellie?"


    His brows drew together. "Grandma, Eleanor and I are divorced."


    "So what? Divorce doesn''t mean you can''t get back together," Magdalen pressed. "Aren''t you afraid someone better wille along and sweep her off her feet?"n''s jaw tightened. He swallowed hard. "That''s her choice."


    "You!" Magdalen rolled her eyes, exasperated. "You''ve always been like this- care so much, but refuse to admit it. Would it kill you to say something nice for once?"


    She sighed. “Ellie put her life on hold for you. Who knows how much she gave up. If she hadn''t been looking after you, she might have gone so much further by now."


    "I held her back,"n admitted.


    Magdalen''s voice softened. "You''ll never find another girl like her if you let her go." "She deserves better,"n replied.


    "You''re as stubborn as ever. Just wait-you''ll regret it one day," Magdalen said, shaking her head. For all her coaxing, she never got a straight answer out of him.


    "Alright, I won''t push you anymore." Magdalen patted his arm. "But remember what I''ve said: some people, once missed, are missed for a lifetime."


    When dinner was ready, Serena came downstairs, sulking. She kept her head down, didn''t say a word, and refused to even nce atn.


    "I''m not going," Serena snapped, turning her face away.


    "Then you can move back into the old house,”n replied, putting his fork down.


    Under the table, Gina nudged her daughter''s leg. "Enough, Serena. Listen to your brother."


    Serena had thought it over upstairs; as much as she wanted to rebel, she knew she couldn''t win. In the end, she always had to do what her brother said—or life would get a whole lot harder.


    "Fine! But I want the best floor. The penthouse,” Serena huffed.


    "That''ll cost fifty million. What does a single girl need with a ce that big?" Gina shot her daughter a look.


    "Isn''t big brother so worried about me embarrassing Xavier? Then he should show


    he means it," Serena retorted, still trying to get undern''s skin.


    If spending money meant his sister would stop mooning over Xavier,n considered it a bargain.


    Serena still looked unhappy, but she epted thepromise.


    Just then,n''s phone rang. He picked up. "Hello."


    "Mr. Goodwin, someone''s reported you for illegal stock option transactions. Theint''s gone to the Securities Commission. We suspect someone on the board is behind it-they''re using you of backdating options for personal gain."


    He ended the call and walked back into the living room. "Something''se up at work. I need to go."


    Magdalen looked at him with concern. "Is everything alright?"