Stella's POV
I exchanged glances with Eric across the table, and we both simultaneously stopped reaching for the food. Our eyes shared an unspoken agreement—the person on the other end of the call must be William.
The uncomfortable silence stretched as Adam ended the call and put his phone back in his pocket. Before anyone could break the tension, Joseph entered the room and approached Adam with a serious expression.
"Sir, I just received a call from the old house," Joseph said carefully. "They've requested your presence. They mentioned this would be a good opportunity to check on Madam's condition."
I saw Adam's face remain carefully blank, but his right hand gripped his cutlery tightly, his knuckles turning white.
There's clearly some serious family issues here.
"Continue your meal," Adam told us, his voice steady despite the tension radiating from him. He gestured for a nearby staff member to bring his coat and prepare his wheelchair.
I immediately stood up. "I'm coming with you."
Adam looked like he wanted to protest, but something in my expression seemed to convince him not to argue. He nodded once, and I went to get my own coat.
Eric watched us curiously, but this time, he wisely remained silent.
Taylor drove us to the Lancaster ancestral home in tense silence, and during the journey, I kept glancing at Adam's profile. His expression remained calm, but I could feel the tension radiating from him like heat from a furnace.
Whatever's waiting for us in that house, it's definitely going to be a disaster.
We were led to a study that seemed frozen in time. William Lancaster sat behind the desk, his silver hair still perfectly coiffed despite the late hour, studying us with cold eyes, his posture straight. To his left sat Thomas and Brian, father and son united in what I immediately recognized as an ambush.
Great. The entire Lancaster clan is here. Just what the fuck we needed.
"Adam," William began without preamble, his voice carrying authority, "was the nightclub incident your doing?"
Adam unflinchingly met his father's gaze. "Yes."
The single word hung in the air, delivered neither with shame nor defiance, but with a matter-of-fact confidence, as if to say: Yes, I did it. What are you going to do about it?
Thomas's face contorted with anger. "Adam, I know you've always had issues with us, but to drag the Lancaster family name and reputation through the mud for your personal vendetta? Have you considered what this means for the family? For your father?"
Adam's lips curved into a contemptuous smile that didn't reach his eyes.
Damn, if looks could kill, Thomas would be a pile of smoking ash right now.
William slammed his palm on the desk, the sound echoing through the room. "Adam! Show some respect when speaking to me!"
"What?" Adam's voice was dangerously quiet. "Are you planning to threaten me with my mother again?"
The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees. I noticed William's expression flicker momentarily, indicating that Adam had hit a nerve.
There's definitely some serious history here I don't know about.
"Why did you do it?" William changed tactics. "We've confirmed that Santorini Resort is your property."
Brian leaned forward, his face flushed with anger. "Uncle, are you jealous of me? Is that it? You destroyed my reputation so you could reclaim your position in the family? Don't forget, Grandfather is still in charge of the Lancaster family!"
Is this idiot serious? As if Adam would ever be jealous of him.
Adam didn't even bother to look at Brian. "Just get to the point. Why did you call me here?"
Thomas cleared his throat, adopting the tone of a reasonable negotiator. "Adam, Brian's situation is entirely your doing. This affects the entire Lancaster family, and you need to provide an acceptable solution. You should publicly acknowledge that the information you displayed was fabricated, apologize to Brian, and integrate Santorini Resort into the family's business portfolio. It would fit well with our tourism division."
I couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Pfft!"
Are they joking? They want him to just give them a billion-dollar resort for free?
All eyes turned to me, expressions ranging from surprise to anger.
"Sorry," I tried to keep a straight face, "I didn't mean to laugh. I just couldn't hold it in."
I noticed Adam watching me, and though his expression remained neutral, I could see a spark of interest in his eyes. He was curious to see what I'd do next.
You want a show, Adam? Here it comes.
William's face darkened. "Adam's wife, if you don't want to listen, you can leave! This is a family matter, and outsiders shouldn't be present!"
I met his gaze directly, refusing to be intimidated. "Mr. Lancaster, isn't this just you as a father showing favoritism to your other son? Doesn't our Adam have only me? Are you trying to send me away so you can all gang up on Adam?"
William's complexion turned an unhealthy shade of red. I could feel Adam's attention intensify at my words, especially when I said "our Adam."
I turned to Thomas, who seemed momentarily taken aback by my direct approach. "Sir, I'm curious—you keep saying 'we harmed Brian,' but was it us who falsified information, or was it us who forced Brian to fake his credentials? You created the lie, but you can't handle the consequences? Brian disrupted my university event, and we're not allowed to respond in kind?"
I could almost feel Adam's eyes boring into me as I deliberately included myself in his actions, defending us as a unit. For just a moment, I glimpsed something in his expression—a flash of vulnerability, as if he wasn't used to having someone stand up for him.
God, has no one ever defended him before?
"And what about family?" I continued passionately, "When you were using family money to buy Brian fake degrees, did you think about Adam? Now that you want Santorini Resort, you suddenly remember he's part of the family? Even beggars know to be polite when asking for something, but you're demanding a multi-billion dollar asset with such entitlement. Sir, do all older men have skin as thick as yours?"
Thomas's face contorted with anger. "Miss Winston, you're being outrageous! Adam, control your wife! This is not a place for your antics!"
Control your wife? Did this misogynistic asshole really just say that?
I glanced at Adam, suddenly worried I might have gone too far. To my surprise, he slowly raised his hands and began to clap.
"Well said," he remarked, his voice carrying rare approval.
My God, he actually liked what I said.
Adam turned to face his family, his expression coldly amused. "I exposed Brian's academic fraud for one simple reason—I wanted to see him crash and burn.
That's all."
This blunt admission seemed to shock everyone in the room into momentary silence.
Thomas was the first to recover. "Adam! The Lancaster name means something. Brian is being ridiculed online, our business partners are asking questions, and you're sitting there looking pleased with yourself!"
"The Lancaster name," Adam repeated, his voice dripping with disdain. "The same name you used to pave the way for Brian's entire life while treating me as the family's disappointment?"
William's knuckles whitened as he gripped the edge of his desk. "Enough! You must resolve this, Adam. The board meets next week, and this matter must be settled before then."
"If I refuse?"