Noah froze for a moment, staring at Logan in disbelief. "Logan, you really care about Selina."
After a pause, he made a direct promise. "I won't bring this up again. As a friend to both of you, if she truly is that person, I'll stay neutral and won't get involved."
Logan gave a slight nod.
At that moment, Noah's phone rang.
Raising an eyebrow, he smirked. "Looks like she's handled things on her end... time for me to step in!"
...
Meanwhile, Selina followed Natalia to see her "new room."
Natalia led her to the basement level of the villa, down a side hall and through a series of turns, stopping in front of a door.
In most homes, the first floor is for the living spaces, with bedrooms and studies on the second and third floors. The basement is typically reserved for entertainment rooms or staff quarters.
Assigning Selina a room in the basement made Natalia's intentions crystal clear.
Selina narrowed her eyes, surprised that Natalia and Katie weren't even trying to put on a facade. With so much at stake, they still had the audacity to shove her into the basement. They were practically handing her ammunition against them.
Two fools.
Putting on a sweet, considerate face, Natalia said, "Sister, this is the nicest available room in the house. You'll have to make do here."
The room reeked of mildew.
Natalia's eyes sparkled with smug satisfaction.
So what if Selina had Noah's backing? Natalia was still the prized daughter of the Clark Family, while Selina was just an unwanted outcast fit for a basement.
Selina surveyed the room briefly and asked, "The nicest available room?"
"Yes," Natalia replied, biting her lip as if restraining herself. "The house is full, you know. And you've been gone for ten years, so there's just no space left. This was the only room available—the servants' quarters."
"If you like, I can have your things moved here right away. But then again, you don't seem to have much to move, right?"
Selina let out a quiet laugh.
Who did Natalia think she was insulting? Did she really think Selina needed her pity?
Selina glanced around the room and casually asked, "If this is my room in the basement, where does my dear sister stay?"
Unable to resist showing off, Natalia boasted, "Oh, I live in the master bedroom on the second floor. Dad and Mom love me so much they combined several guest rooms to make a walk-in closet for me. The whole second floor is mine."
"Sister, don't feel bad. They only spoil me more because I've been here with them while you were away."
Natalia waited eagerly for a jealous reaction, but all Selina did was let out a nonchalant "Oh" and nod.
Then, as if pondering aloud, Selina added, "You know, back when I lived here, Mr. Clark's taste wasn't this terrible. But after marrying Katie, it's like his aesthetic sense completely fell apart."
She sighed thoughtfully. "I guess that's just the influence of a mistress. Normal people wouldn't even consider being with one."
Natalia was on the verge of exploding. She had been talking about rooms—what was Selina even rambling about?!
"Selina, stop being so passive-aggressive! If you're jealous of me and Mom, just admit it. Why drag Dad into it—"
Selina cut her off, blinking innocently. "I'm just commenting on Mr. Clark's taste. Why are you so defensive?"
"This villa belongs to my mother, which technically makes me its sole rightful owner. If Mr. Clark is putting the owner in the basement, he must think it's the best room in the house."
"For him to prefer the cramped basement over the spacious rooms upstairs says a lot about his preferences, doesn't it? Seems like his taste took a hit after marrying Katie. Do you think he might need a doctor to check if something's wrong with his head?"
Natalia's throat tightened as her words stuck, choking her into silence. "!"
What kind of twisted logic was this?!
"Dad is perfectly fine! He doesn't like basements. He lives upstairs! Sister, are you trying to spread rumors?"
"Oh—so Mr. Clark, you and Katie both live in the master bedroom upstairs," Selina suddenly turned to her, a smirk playing on her lips. "Then why does the owner of this villa—me—have to live in the basement?"
The room fell into a dead silence.
Selina's voice was the only sound as it filled the air, steady and sharp.
"You, a mere illegitimate child, get to live in a luxurious master bedroom, while I, the legitimate daughter, am supposed to sleep in a basement. Sister, you and Katie are shameless, to say the least."
The servants bustling around the house all lowered their heads, pretending not to hear.
—But wasn't she right? The eldest daughter was the rightful heir, yet she was treated worse than a servant.
Without waiting for a reply, Selina turned on her heels and made her way up to the second floor.
Natalia was so furious she could barely breathe, biting her lip hard. When she realized Selina was heading upstairs, she panicked and quickly chased after her.
What was Selina trying to do?! A mere country bumpkin like her should be grateful for a room in the basement! Did she dare try to take her room?
In less than a minute, Selina reached the second floor.
The lighting was perfect; the rooms were spacious and bright—a stark contrast to the dark, damp basement.
Her eyes landed on Natalia's bedroom: elegant floor-to-ceiling windows, a lavish king-sized bed, walk-in closets filled with rows of designer clothes, and even a six-figure rug beneath her feet.
Every detail screamed that Natalia was the princess of the Clark Family, living a life of luxury far beyond anyone's reach.
Natalia finally caught up, teeth clenched in frustration. "Sister, can you stop making a scene? There really aren't any extra rooms for you on the second floor…"
Selina nodded. "I know."
Natalia's jaw tightened. "If you know, then why—"
"I don't want another room. I want yours," Selina interrupted, her tone impossibly calm. "You have thirty minutes to move out."
Natalia looked as though she'd been struck by lightning. She raised her voice, trembling, "What did you say—"
Selina repeated, enunciating every word, "I said, I want your room. Don't you understand?"
"Sister, you…" Natalia's eyes reddened, tears streaming down her face in seconds.
"What's going on here?" James and Katie hurried upstairs, alarmed by the commotion.
Seeing Natalia's tear-streaked face, Katie's fury surged. She shoved Selina with force, her voice rising to a shout. "Haven't you had enough? Why are you always bullying Natalia?!"
Selina tilted her head slightly, her voice indifferent. "Mrs. Bryant, which eye of yours saw me bullying Natalia?"
Katie was so enraged she could hardly speak. "If you're not bullying her, why is Natalia crying?"
Natalia buried herself in Katie's arms, shaking her head and sobbing pitifully. "No, Mom, it's not that. It's just… Sister didn't like the room I picked for her. She… she said she wanted my room and told me to move out. But it's okay! Sister really didn't bully me…"
James frowned, his tone laced with impatience. "Why would you take Natalia's room for no reason?"
Selina clicked her tongue. Natalia's ability to play the victim was a skill she couldn't hope to match.
In just a few words, Natalia had painted herself as a poor, helpless girl—truly a master of the art.
Selina's expression turned cold as she asked evenly, "Dad, are you sure you won't let me stay in Natalia's room?"