Amelia did not say anything as she stood close to the doorway as if she was confused about whether to go further into the room or not. Her feigned awkwardness was almost as good as Leila's act of sadness and humility.
"You are still a young girl. It would be better if you had family to look out for you. There are a lot of bad people who might try to take advantage of you if you are alone." Charlotte said with a little less wariness. "Amelia, make sure to take care of Leila during this period."
"Is something wrong?" Amelia asked with that same confusion.
Isaiah spoke up before Charlotte. "I heard that Leila asked you to accompany your grandparents."
Charlotte frowned slightly, but she looked at Amelia. She also wanted to know the answer and catch Leila in a lie. So far, Leila had been an angel and did not show anything that indicated ulterior motives.
"Yes, but I told her that I would be busy because of my internship," Amelia answered dutifully. "Then, she asked Mason if he was willing to go to the village to help them. He agreed, and Leila asked him to talk to you first."
Amelia was hoping that Leila did not tell the truth. Then, she would cover for her and tell her parents that she had probably misunderstood something. With that, they would have a stronger bond.
Charlotte and Isaiah looked at each other, surprised that the issue was clarified, and Leila had not encouraged Mason to rebel. Mason, who had been forgotten, raised his head defiantly, but his parents did not look at him.
"Very well," Isaiah said. "Mason can go to visit the village for a few days when the school holiday starts."
Charlotte nodded. "You girls must be tired. Go ahead and take a shower. I will have Auntie Rosemary send you some calming tea."
Upstairs, Holly dialled her friend's number. It was the person with whom she had spent the afternoon during her tantrum after brunch. Scarlet Powell answered her phone and greeted her perfunctorily.
"I can't stand her. She is turning everyone against me." Holly said without explanation. She did not need to do so because she had been complaining endlessly to Scarlet about it earlier in the day.
"What did I tell you? You must be calm when dealing with someone crafty. You have to be patient, or you will look stupid. Once you understand your opponent, you can strike at their weakest moment." The words were a little ironic coming from someone like Scarlet who had a spoiled princess temper.
"But she wants to send me to the village!" Holly said. "The lucky thing is that the little idiot, Mason, wants to go there. I told them that I would never go there, even if they killed me."
"Holly, you must remember that you are the young miss of the Campbell family. No one can shake you from that position." Scarlett comforted. "Also, try to be closer to your father during this period."
"But he is not standing on my side against that little b!tch!" Holly whined.
"When Amelia is busy with her internship, and Mason is not around, you can butter up your father. If you play your cards right, you might even become the heir of the company. You are the only one suitable for the entertainment industry." Scarlet's voice was almost hypnotising.
Holly immediately saw the light, and her eyes lit up. She was her father's favourite. As long as she acted a little, he would forgive her. Then, she would be the most beloved Campbell in the family again.
After a few more words, the call ended with Holly back in a good mood.
Powell Family
Scarlet sneered as she put away her phone. She was disgusted that she had to call someone as idiotic as Holly a friend. If she was not the daughter of the owner of the most prestigious entertainment company in Lake City, she would not have tolerated her.
"Was that Holly Campbell?" Her younger brother asked.
"Yeah." Scarlet rolled her eyes and settled on the couch next to him.
The two siblings were closer in age, so they were closer to each other than with their older siblings. Therefore, they often hung out together and even created some of the online content like videos and streams together.
This younger brother was called Oscar Powell, and he was seventeen years old. However, he was already quite familiar with the ways of the world. His demeanour was that of a typical second-generation.
"What did she want?" Oscar sounded annoyed. "She has been here for the entire afternoon, and she still wants to talk to you?"
Scarlet snorted. "What are you complaining about? You hid in your bedroom as soon as she came into the house. I, on the other hand, had to deal with her whining and crying. I could barely concentrate on editing my unboxing video."
"Your video was fine," Oscar said.
Scarlet punched him lightly on the arm, but she smiled a little when he was not looking. She worked hard on the skills to be a good content creator, so she liked hearing compliments, even from her annoying brother.
"You know she has a huge crush on you," Scarlet said. "That is the reason she always wants to be around me. Why don't you date her for a while? I could benefit from that arrangement."
Oscar made a mock gagging expression. Holly was a good-looking girl, but her personality was just not worth it.
"You know I do not date anyone with whom our parents can see a future." He spoke with a snort. "The last thing I want is an unwanted engagement, even as a verbal agreement. It would be difficult to shake her off if she found a reason to cling to me."
Scarlet laughed. "You are already so cynical at your age. In the future, you will find it hard to convince a proper girl to marry you. You will be used goods, and every woman will look down on you."
"A man can never be used goods. I am sure I will find a mature girl like Verity Calliwell or a sweet one like Lara Westwood. Maybe, I will have a harem of beauties begging to serve me and marry me together." Oscar said.
Scarlet started laughing hard as she looked at her delusional brother.
"Do you think life is an ecchi manga? Those are written and drawn by middle-aged men who are shut-ins in small apartments and live on instant noodles. Real-life girls want a mature rich man who they can show off to their friends and enemies." Scarlet said while still laughing.