Chapter 27
True to form, Samantha remained sound asleep until well past five o’clock “hile, Ryland and Isaac had managed to
eatch over a dozen fish,
When Samantha finally woke up and opened her eyes, she found herself staring into a pair of deep, captivating eyes,
She felt slight dizziness, possibly due to having slept for an extended period of time.
In a state of confusion, she had a faint sense of familiarity with those eyes,
For a brief moment, she was in a confusion,
Francis couldn’t help but be captivated by Samantha’s dazed expression, finding it adorable, like that of a little kitten. He suddenly had an urge to gently stroke her hair like how one stroked his ca
However, as soon as he extended his hand, Samantha swiftly slapped it away.
“What are you doing?” Samantha looked at him vigilantly.
“Nothing. There was a leaf on your hair, and I wanted to help you remove it, he explained innocently.
“Oh, okay.” Samantha replied, not suspecting any ulterior motive. She gently patted her head and stretched her body comfortably.
After such a long sleep, Samantha felt incredibly comfortable and refreshed.
She stood up and observed the fish that Ryland and Isaac had caught. Curiosity piqued, she asked, “So, who caught more?”
“It’s a tie. We both caught six fish each. Now, it’s a race to see who can catch the seventh one first.”
“If so, there’s no need to fish for more. Let’s stop fishing. We already have 12 fish in total. Who can finish them all?” As a matter of fact, Samantha couldn’t wait any longer. Her appetite was piqued after seeing the lively fish. She was eager to taste them without any delay.
“Okay, let’s go back to eat the grilled fish.”
Isaac glanced at Samantha. At that moment, he sensed a slight tug on his fishing line. However, he resisted the temptation to immediately reel the fish in.
Isaac felt a sense of contentment realizing that a draw with his brother could be a good outcome.
The four of them had a discussion and agreed to keep four of the fish they had caught to enjoy for dinner that Meanwhile, they also came to the conclusion to release all the remaining fish back into the water.
night
After savoring the delicious grilled fish, they returned to the Johansson residence. By the time they arrived, it was already half past eight in the evening.
The mother and the children returned home with joy, but as soon as they stepped into the living room, they were met with a scolding.
“Samantha! You’re finally back!” Darius face was filled with anger “Tell me, where did you take Ryland to fool aro
“Samantha, we have called you many times. Why didn’t you answer it?” Lucille asked worriedly.
“That’s right, Samantha. Do you realize how worried everyone has been about you? And you brought Ryland along with you! It’s late at night now. What if something had happened to you both?” Elise was filled with concern as well.
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Samantha stood there, a smile still on her face, but her eyes gradually filled with a chilling hostility.
In her eyes, these three people appeared to be driven by a sinister desire to sow chaos in the world. Samantha couldn’t help but question whether they had nothing better to do with their lives
These three individuals couldn’t seem to take their eyes off her, and Samantha couldn’t help but wonder if she had done something serious to offend them, causing them to treat her with such hostility.
Samantha, having lived for over 20 years, was not intimidated by anyone, except for the memories of her violent and umultuous past before the age of 12.
Furthermore, she was determined not to let anyone or anything bring frustration into her life.
Since the three would not leave her alone, Samantha was determined to address the matter and unleash her anger. A sinister chuckle crossed her mind as she thought about it..
Then, Samantha discreetly gestured for Ryland to stand behind her, seeking to protect him from the things that would take place later.
Afterward. Samantha impulsively grabbed a nearby vase and hurled it to the ground, shattering it into pieces.
Her action startled Lucille and Elise, causing them to let out screams of fear as they quickly sought shelter behind Darius.
“What business is it of yours where I go and what I do?” Samantha’s gaze was icy as she stared at them, emanating a strong sense of hostility.
Now that you’re back under the Johansson family, it’s our responsibility to discipline you!” Darius expression grew ever darker.
“If that’s the case, then I’ll just move out. All right?” Samantha responded coldly.
“You can leave, but Ryland must stay.”
Samantha sneered after hearing that, grabbing a vase and hurling it at Darius.
Darius, startled by the sudden airborne vase, fell to the ground as his legs gave way beneath him.
The vase then broke beside him.
Lucille and Elise, overwhelmed by fear, stood frozen in place, unable to gather the courage to assist Darius.
They could only tremble with fear, seeking solace and safety behind Darius.
“I am the one who gave birth to my son. I have the right to take him away whenever I want. Your opinions hold no weight. You’re all a bunch of assholes!”
Samantha maintained her piercing gaze at Darius before firmly gripping Ryland’s hand and leading him upstairs.
“Stop!”
Awoken by the commotion, Alec emerged from his room in his pajamas, tapping his walking stick on the ground.
What? Samantha glanced at him.
“Are you going to move out with Ryland?”
“Yeah, I won’t stay here and let those three people continue to annoy me, Samantha declared firmly.
“What did they do?” Alec asked.
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This time, he refrained from making baseless accusations against Samantha like before. He had learned to inquire about what had actually transpired.
It appeared that Ryland had been making a positive impression lately.
Samantha thought for a while and suddenly smiled.
Π
She then cast a grim gaze at Darius and the other two.
Since Alec’s opinion held significant importance to the three of them, Samantha was determined to further diminish their standing in his eyes.
Today, Ryland and I attended his kindergarten activities. He put in a lot of effort and ended up winning first place. We wanted to celebrate this achievement. Ryland hasn’t had many opportunities to go out and have fun, so I took him out today. Indeed, we came back slightly late than usual, but it wasn’t the middle of the night now. It was just half past eight in the evening. But in their eyes, they accused me of taking Ryland out to fool around.”
She continued, “Grandpa, what do they truly want? Are they genuinely concerned about Ryland’s well–being, or perhaps they are secretly hoping for me to take Ryland out and engage in mischief so Ryland will have a negative impression?”
Alec’s expression immediately shifted upon hearing Samantha’s words.
The astute old man’s gaze shifted toward Darius and the other two, carrying a silent but powerful presence.
Alec’s position as the head of the family granted him the final say and authority. While he could choose to overlook minor issues, when it came to matters concerning his beloved great–grandson, whom he held high hopes for, he prioritized caution and preferred to err on the side of safety.
Darius was overwhelmed by the aura emanating from Alec, and he found himself unable to express his grievances or challenges openly.
Despite the lingering pain in his buttocks from the fall, Darius was not frustrated by the lack of assistance from Lucille and Elise. Instead, it was because they insisted that Samantha must have taken Ryland out to engage in mischief, resulting in her failure to answer her phone, and such caused Darius to vent his anger at Samantha.
It was also the reason to cause him to seethe with anger.
He didn’t expect that things would take such a turn and even caused Alec to be unhappy.
Darius was the third child in the family and was already in a disadvantaged position compared to his siblings.
He was not as good as his elder brother, Terence, in terms of doing business, and he didn’t have the connection his second brother, Julian, had.
The only thing he had was Alec’s preference.
Such a preference stemmed from the fact that Darius had a good daughter who had brought immense reputation and honor to the Johansson family.
However, given the current situation, it seemed that Darius had lost the only advantage he had.
Darius suddenly began to doubt whether it was the right decision to listen to Lucille’s advice and take Ryland and San tha back home.
Seeing Darius‘ silence, Lucille quickly stepped forward and said, “Alec… We’re also concerned about Ryland. We’re afraid that something might happen to them since Samantha was alone with Ryland, and they were outside.”
“So, are you truly hoping that nothing will happen to them, or do you secretly wish for something to happen?
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Chapter 27
Lucille’s heart dropped when she heard Alec’s cold words,
Lucille inunediately realized that Samantha was successful in soring discord between them.
Lucille couldn’t believe that Alec, an old man, was forgetting the fact that they were the ones who invited Ryland back home in the first place. There was no doubt that she didn’t want anything to happen to Ryland at this moment.
Lucille smiled awkwardly and replied, “Dad, are you kidding? Ryland is my grandson, and of course, I want him to be safe and well,”
“After all, he is not biologically related to you,” Samantha retorted.
Alec’s expression improved after being comforted by Lucille. However, upon hearing Samantha’s remark, his expression immediately turned solemn.
Lucille turned to look at Samantha subconsciously.
She saw Samantha leaning against the stairs and looking at her casually with a mocking smile.
“She’s looking at me with that expression and that gaze again!” thought Lucille.
Lucille clenched her fists tightly. Finally, she made a decision, “Samantha, I apologize. We misunderstood you today. We were unaware that Ryland had won first place. It was indeed a cause for celebration. Moreover, Elise’s birthday is approaching in a few days. Let’s celebrate both occasions together. What do you think about combining Elise’s birthday
celebration with Ryland’s victory?”
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