Chapter 257: Chapter 257: A Daughter’s Worth

At this point, Robert Lancaster didn’t really care whether his biological daughter was Sylvia Lancaster or Melody Summers.

Melody Summers was the Lancaster family’s biological daughter, but she treated them like enemies. Robert didn’t want a daughter like that.

As for Sylvia Lancaster, not only had she lost her value for a marriage alliance, but she’d also had an affair and an illegitimate child, bringing utter disgrace to the Lancaster family. Robert didn’t want that daughter either.

Robert Lancaster wanted neither of them. So his anger didn’t stem from the nanny swapping the babies, nor from the fact that his own daughter had suffered all her life because of it.

What angered him was that he, the powerful head of the Lancaster Group, had been fooled by a mere nanny!

A rage born of being schemed against and deceived welled up from deep within him. He glared at Sylvia Lancaster, his eyes filled with hatred, and said in a low voice, "So, this was all a scheme concocted by you and your mother!"

Frightened by Robert’s hate-filled glare, Sylvia immediately shrank into Simon Lancaster’s arms.

Simon hugged Sylvia tighter and said to Elaine Hughes in an exasperated tone, "Mom, this all happened so long ago. Why are you bringing it up now?"

Elaine stared at Simon in disbelief. She pointed a trembling finger at Sylvia and shouted, her voice hoarse, "How can you say that?! Didn’t you hear me? Your sister was deliberately switched by her mother!"

Elaine’s screams just made Simon’s head throb.

Whether it was a mix-up or a deliberate swap, he couldn’t bring himself to care.

Sylvia, held tightly in his arms, felt so light and soft. Her small, pale face was streaked with tears, making her look so fragile it seemed the slightest touch might shatter her.

An overwhelming sense of protectiveness surged through Simon.

No matter what, Sylvia was the only sister he would ever acknowledge.

He treasured her above all else.

He looked up at Elaine and said wearily, "Mom, what’s done is done. Harassing Sylvia isn’t going to change anything. Besides, you said it yourself—that nanny was the culprit! Sylvia was just a baby in swaddling clothes back then. What could she have possibly done? She’s innocent, too!"

Hearing those words, "She’s innocent, too," Elaine felt her knees go weak.

She swayed, instinctively reaching out to brace herself against the wall and keep from falling.

There was a time when she had said the very same thing to Melody Summers.

She had told Melody with her own lips, "Sylvia is innocent, too."

Recalling this now, Elaine just wanted to slap herself.

’What was I thinking back then? Was I out of my mind?!’

’How heartbroken must Melody have been to hear those words?’

The mere thought of it filled Elaine with overwhelming guilt.

She took a few deep breaths, then turned to Sylvia and said, "That’s it. I will not allow you to stay in this house. Get out!"

Simon immediately shot back in disapproval, "Mom! It’s freezing out there, and it’s snowing! Where do you expect Sylvia to go?"

Tears streamed down Sylvia’s face. "Mom," she sobbed, "Lily Adler may have been my mother by name, but she’s dead. You’re the only mother I have now... And this is my only home. I don’t want to go anywhere."

"Shut up! I am not your mother!"

Seeing that Elaine was unmoved, Sylvia gritted her teeth and pressed on. "Please, just let me stay. I still have some money; I can use it to help support the family. Now that Simon is unemployed, the family needs money for living supplies!"

Hearing this, Robert, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up. "Fine. Let her stay for now."

Elaine whipped her head around to stare at Robert, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Robert! How could you?! It’s because of her and her mother that we were separated from our own flesh and blood! How can you still let her stay in this house?!"

Robert was completely unmoved by his wife’s words.

He was a businessman, and businessmen prioritize profit.

Melody Summers had disowned them; there was nothing to be gained from her.

If Sylvia could support the family now, then she was, by definition, more valuable to them.

As far as Robert was concerned, whoever was more valuable was his daughter.

So, Robert pulled Elaine into the bedroom to lay out the hard facts for her.

"Have you forgotten what kind of world we’re living in?"

"We’ve sold nearly all the furniture, and we’re flat broke!"

"Even Simon is unemployed. Our income has been completely cut off! Do you want to be reduced to eating sand vine cakes?"

"Sylvia still has some savings from the Hayes Family. If we let her stay and use that money for the house, we can eat a few more proper meals."

"We raised her for over twenty years, giving her a life of silks and fine food. To kick her out now... wouldn’t that just be a total loss for us?!"

"..."

Listening to Robert’s relentless arguments, the anger in Elaine’s heart gradually subsided.

She knew he was right.

Sylvia had money. For now, letting her stay was their best option.

Besides, in Elaine’s mind, Robert was the head of the household, and his words carried the most weight.

So, she could only swallow her anger and resentment, nodding at Robert. "I understand... In that case, let her stay for now..."

******

Seeing that Elaine had come around, Robert returned to the living room with her.

On the living room sofa, Simon was still holding Sylvia, whispering words of comfort.

The sight nearly reignited the anger Elaine had just managed to suppress.

Before Elaine could erupt, Robert grabbed her arm and shot her a desperate, warning look.

Elaine closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and let out a cold snort, remaining silent.

Robert cleared his throat. "We’ve discussed it," he announced. "Sylvia can stay for now."

Simon breathed a sigh of relief. He smiled down at Sylvia in his arms. "See, Sylvia? I told you. Mom and Dad still care about you."

Sylvia also breathed an inward sigh of relief. ’She knew it,’ she thought. ’No matter what, Robert and Elaine still had a soft spot for her.’

’After all, she’d shared twenty years of her life with the Lancasters. That much time together had to count for something!’

Remembering how, in her past life, Robert and Elaine had been willing to personally help her dispose of Melody Summers for her sake, Sylvia’s panicked heart finally settled.

Sylvia wiped the tears from her face and asked Elaine again, "Mom, how did your talk with Melody Summers go? Did she agree to give us the house?"

It was already starting to snow. Thinking of the blizzards that would rage for the next few months, Sylvia grew anxious. She had to sort out their living situation.

Elaine’s voice was ice. "No. She refused."

Sylvia froze, stunned.

’She refused?’

’How could Melody Summers possibly refuse?’

’In her past life, she had always been so obedient to Elaine!’

’Melody would do whatever Elaine told her to, without a moment’s hesitation.’

’Why is everything so different in this life?’

Just as Sylvia stood there in a daze, Silas Lancaster came thundering down the stairs. "Trouble!" he shouted to everyone in the living room. "Dad! Mom! The snow on the roof is piling up too high! The wall in my room is starting to crack from the weight!"

Everyone in the living room shot to their feet and scrambled upstairs...