Chapter105 The Price to Pay
Lancaster Manor.
Before Miranda even entered, she heard laughter drifting from the dining room.
"Ariana, eat more. You suffered in that place."
"Thank you, Uncle Dominic. As long as my sister isn't angry anymore, a little suffering doesn't matter."
"Don't mention that ungrateful girl! You're her sister, and she actually had the heart to send you to jail. Absolutely heartless!"
Miranda stood in the entryway, listening to the conversation inside, her stomach churning with nausea.
She walked in quietly.
The atmosphere in the dining room was painfully warm.
Dominic was serving Ariana food with a doting expression, the kind of tender look Miranda had rarely seen in over twenty years.
Harrison sat nearby, saying nothing but considerately passing Ariana napkins.
What a heartwarming scene.
When she and Harrison divorced and Ariana had inserted herself between them, Dad had acted the same way, saying Ariana didn't understand and asking Miranda to be generous.
Now it was clear. There was no "didn't understand." This had all been calculated from the start.
"Ahem."
Miranda stood in the dining room doorway and coughed loudly.
The sound wasn't loud, but it shattered the cozy atmosphere.
All three people turned at once.
The moment they saw Miranda, their expressions were priceless.
Ariana jumped like a startled deer, her fork clattering onto the table as she instinctively shrank behind Dominic, her eyes immediately reddening.
"Miranda..."
The warmth vanished from Dominic's face, replaced by embarrassment and rising anger.
Harrison frowned, looking at her with complicated emotions, seeming both guilty and somehow justified.
Miranda took in all three reactions, laughing coldly inside while putting on a surprised, vulnerable expression.
"Oh, cousin, you're already back?"
She adopted a gentle, harmless smile with just the right touch of delight and stepped inside.
"I was just thinking about coming home to get Dad so we could pick you up from the police station together. I didn't expect you to move so fast."
Dominic and Harrison both froze.
This was nothing like the storm they'd expected.
Harrison stood up uncertainly. "Miranda, you agreed to write the settlement?"
Yesterday on the street, she'd looked ready to see Ariana behind bars for good. That hadn't seemed like an act.
Miranda blinked innocently.
Inside, she rolled her eyes. I didn't write any settlement, but you forged my consent and got her out anyway. Since the result's the same, I might as well build my image and get something out of it.
"Of course."
Miranda sighed, walked to the dining table, and even picked up Ariana's fallen fork for her.
"Ariana is my cousin, after all. The Lancaster family raised her. Yes, she spread lies about me online and incited harassment, but how could I really watch her go to prison?"
The statement was flawless.
She acknowledged Ariana's crimes while establishing her own magnanimous, family-oriented image.
Ariana clearly hadn't expected this move and couldn't figure out how to respond. She could only ask weakly, "Then why didn't Miranda write it sooner? I was so scared in there."
She dabbed at her eyes, trying to redirect the narrative.
Miranda didn't take the bait. Instead, she turned to Dominic, her eyes instantly reddening, her voice catching with hurt.
"Dad, do you really think I'm that cold and heartless?"
She sniffled like a child who'd been terribly wronged but was trying to be mature about it.
"Since we were kids, whatever Ariana wanted, when have I not given it to her? Clothes, jewelry, everything. When have I ever competed with her?"
Dominic was caught off guard. His anger dissipated, replaced by guilt.
It was true. Over the years, though Miranda could be cold, she'd never deprived Ariana materially.
"Then this time..." Dominic's tone softened.
"This time I was just jealous."
Miranda lowered her eyes, her voice small and dejected. "I saw how good you were to my cousin, how you protected her first when something happened. I'm your actual daughter, Dad. In that moment, I felt like you only loved my cousin and didn't love me anymore."
The words struck with precision.
On one hand, they hit Dominic's soft spot as a "father." No father could resist this kind of plea for attention from his daughter.
On the other hand, they subtly reminded him who the legitimate daughter really was. Don't be too obvious about it, or people will talk.
Dominic felt guilty.
Looking at his wronged older daughter, then at his meek younger one, his internal scale still tilted, but he had to maintain appearances.
"Child, what are you talking about! How could Dad not love you?" Dominic coughed awkwardly. "Dad just thought Ariana was pitiful, with neither parent around, so I gave her extra attention."
"I know Dad has a kind heart." Miranda seized the opportunity, wiping away nonexistent tears. "As long as you care about me, that's enough. I never really wanted to hurt Ariana. I just wanted to scare her a little so she'd learn her lesson. I didn't know you'd all panic like this."
She glanced meaningfully at Harrison.
Harrison shifted uncomfortably, the speech he'd prepared stuck in his throat.
He'd expected Miranda to cause a scene. He'd even prepared a check to calm her anger.
Instead, not only did she not make trouble, she turned it around and blamed them for not trusting her.
It felt like punching cotton, frustrating and ineffective.
"Since it was a misunderstanding, talking it out is good." Dominic quickly smoothed things over. "Family shouldn't hold grudges overnight."
"Yes, family." Miranda smiled, though her eyes held no warmth. "But Dad, even though I'm not pursuing this, the online situation hasn't calmed down. Several projects at my company have stalled because of the damage to my reputation."
Emotional appeal complete. Time to talk money.
Hearing this, Dominic waved his hand grandly. "That's easy to fix! The commercial center project we just secured downtown, your company can handle that. Also, next quarter's dividends from the company, I'll allocate two points from my share to you as compensation."
Miranda's heart leapt with joy. Suppressing her disgust, she linked her arm through Dominic's. "Thank you so much, Dad. I knew you loved your actual daughter most."
She emphasized "actual," clearly seeing Ariana's expression darken.
Harrison, caught in inexplicable guilt, pulled out a check.
"The compensation I promised if you wrote the settlement, I'll double it. Plus, I have a villa by the bay. I'll transfer it to you as Ariana's apology."
"How generous of you, Mr. Whitmore."
Miranda accepted the check without hesitation.
This meal, though Miranda didn't eat a bite, was the most "satisfying" one yet.
She'd secured a core project, plus significant cash and property.
Meanwhile, Ariana watched Miranda walk away with so much from both Dad and Harrison, so angry she nearly ground her teeth to dust.
Under the table, she twisted her clothes, her nails nearly breaking.
She was the one who'd just gotten out. She was the victim. So why did Miranda get all the benefits?
Worse, as Miranda left, she deliberately walked over and patted Ariana's shoulder affectionately.
"Ariana, you'd better behave from now on. I can forgive you this time, but next time I might not."
She leaned close to Ariana's ear, whispering so only they could hear:
"By the way, I heard your father who went to prison has been released. Think he'll come looking for a family reunion?"
Ariana's pupils shrank in terror as she stared at Miranda.
But Miranda had already straightened up, leaving her with a meaningful look before walking out of the Lancaster home.