Miss Dunn snorted. "The ancients? Don’t you drag them into this. Even people in ancient times weren’t this backwards. Back then, if a man dared to abandon his wife and son, ignore his bedridden parents and infant child to run off with someone else, he’d be kicked out of the entire clan!"

The other Miss Dunn chimed in, "Exactly. And if you want to be a filial son to your paralyzed father, you should do it yourself. Why do you insist on making your mother do it for you? Is he your father, or is he your mother’s father?"

By now, the crowd of onlookers understood what was going on, and they once again aimed their fire at Regan Sterling and his son.

"Exactly! Your dad took the money to go have fun with his mistress when he was young, not caring if you lived or died, but now you’re all concerned about him! You’re really something else!"

"I think I get it now. This is a family of ungrateful leeches, spanning three generations! The father and son ganged up to run off their own mother back in the day and had no contact for years. Now that they see she’s doing well, the son has come crawling back with his own kid!"

"You little brat, you were playing us, weren’t you?"

"Ma’am, I’m so sorry about before. I had no idea what was really going on. That kid’s crying was so convincing, I actually fell for his crap. PTUI! Disgusting!"

"That old man who abandoned his wife and son really got a sweet deal in life. He didn’t have to carry the child or raise him, and he still ended up with such a devoted son for free."

"You’re a grown man! It’s bad enough you have no sense of responsibility, but to use your own son as a shield and drag him here to cause a scene? Aren’t you afraid you’ll turn him into a delinquent!"

"Oh, come on, that little boy is no good, either. A minute ago he was wailing that he was starving to death, screaming for his grandma. But look at all that blubber on him. When he was rolling on the floor, two security guards couldn’t even hold him down. He’s like a little pig. Does that look like a starving kid to you?"

"Exactly. He also said kids at school tease him for not having a grandmother. How weird is that? I’ve only ever heard of kids getting teased for not having a mom or a dad, who teases someone for not having a grandma? He’s so young, and yet not a single word of truth comes out of his mouth. Like father, like son!"

"That poor lady. Can you imagine taking care of two bedridden parents-in-law? That’s enough to work someone to death. And now this father-son duo wants her to take care of a paralyzed old man on top of that. They’re trying to suck the very marrow from her bones!"

...

Amidst the crowd’s fervent discussion, Regan Sterling and his son were forcibly dragged away by security guards, shoved into an elevator, and taken downstairs.

Seeing that the show was over, the crowd began to disperse and return to their rooms.

The Summers family gathered around Miss Lowell to comfort her. Melody Summers said, "Miss Lowell, Regan Sterling is almost certainly going to lose his job. Don’t worry. He’ll be thrown out of the Nimbus Hotel shortly, and then he won’t be able to harass you anymore."

Melody thought for a moment and added, "And from the looks of it, Theo Sterling is quite chubby. They don’t seem to be doing that badly. They shouldn’t be starving, at least for now."

Melody said this because she was worried Miss Lowell would feel sorry for her grandson. After all, as they say, the bond between grandparents and their grandchildren is a special one.

Grace also chimed in reassuringly, "That’s right. They look well-fed and clothed. You shouldn’t worry about them too much."

Miss Lowell heaved a long sigh. She understood what they were getting at. Shaking her head, she said slowly, "My grandson? ...My grandson is not my weakness."

The fact that Miss Lowell had been able to decisively cut all ties, take all her money, and move to Mount Anworth to live alone all those years ago proved she wasn’t the kind of woman who could be easily controlled by her son or grandson.

She wasn’t going to let herself be bled dry just because someone pleaded, ’It’s for the child’s sake’.

Frowning, Miss Lowell continued, "I’m just afraid they won’t let this go."

Miss Lowell remembered how Regan, in his previous attempts to force her to yield, had contacted the media, showed up at the school where she worked, and even harassed the school’s administration.

When he saw that she still wouldn’t give in, he started spreading malicious rumors about her to her friends and family.

Miss Lowell knew Regan very well. He was the type of person who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.

If Regan lost his job at the hotel, he would be even more unwilling to back down. He might even try to drag everyone down with him.

Miss Dunn walked over, helping the elder Miss Dunn. They comforted Miss Lowell, saying, "Don’t you worry. The Nimbus Hotel has very tight security. These days, plenty of desperate people try to get in here—some who can’t afford food, others who can’t bear the heat outside. If the hotel’s security couldn’t stop a couple of people like them, this place would have gone out of business long ago."

Winnie Summers nodded in agreement. "She’s right, Miss Lowell. Don’t worry. There’s nothing they can do. In a few days, we’ll be moving back to The Metropolis Residences, and they’ll never find us again."

Grace Sutton also nodded. "That’s right. Let’s go downstairs and get something to eat first!"

Miss Lowell slowly nodded. "You’re right. Let’s eat first. We’ll deal with whatever comes our way. Worrying won’t help. Come on, let’s go eat!"

Seeing Miss Lowell manage to rally her spirits, everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief. The Summers Family then said their goodbyes to the Dunn mother and daughter and headed downstairs to the buffet restaurant.

Thanks to the commotion caused by Regan Sterling, the Summers family arrived at the buffet restaurant a bit late. The breakfast service had already ended, and many of the serving trays had been cleared away.

The Summers family grabbed some steamed buns and tea-leaf eggs, and also got a few bowls of noodle soup.

Even though it was scorching hot outside, the hotel had the air conditioning cranked up so high that Melody Summers, dressed in light clothing, was starting to feel a bit chilly.

A bowl of hot noodle soup was just what she needed, and she soon felt a pleasant warmth spread through her body.

They tried to liven the mood as they ate, and before long, they had all pushed the unpleasant incident with Regan Sterling to the back of their minds.

*

「Meanwhile, in the staff dormitory for the buffet restaurant.」

Regan Sterling was on his knees, kowtowing repeatedly to the cafeteria manager standing before him. He pleaded incessantly.

"Please, I’m begging you, be lenient! I have an old parent and a young child at home, I can’t lose this job! My entire family depends on me for support. Please, just give me one more chance!"

The cafeteria manager’s face was cold as he viciously kicked Regan Sterling. "You still have the nerve to talk?" he snarled. "I warned you yesterday! The guests here are not people you can afford to provoke! I can’t believe you actually brought your kid to a guest’s door to cause a scene! And now, thanks to you, I’m getting dragged down with you!"

He had been demoted from manager of the cafeteria to a regular waiter, and his compensation had been drastically reduced. Before, his family had been allowed to live with him at the hotel. Now, he had to cram into the staff dorms with the other waiters, and his family had to move out of the Nimbus Hotel.

At this thought, the manager kicked Regan again, even harder this time. "Get the hell out of here! Or I swear I’ll kill you!"

Kicked aside, Regan scrambled back on all fours and clung desperately to the manager’s leg. "No, I can’t go!" he wailed. "If I leave, I’ll just starve or die from the heat anyway! Please, let me stay! I’ll do anything! I’ll sweep the restrooms, scrub the toilets, I’ll do it! I’d even lick the guests’ shoes if you told me to!"

The manager knew Regan was just being a shameless pest, so he didn’t rush. Instead, he gave a cold snort. "So you’re not leaving? Fine. You can wait right here."

Just as a hopeful look appeared in Regan’s eyes, the manager’s cold voice cut in again. "Let me give you a piece of advice. The Nimbus Hotel belongs to the Jennings Family. You pull this kind of stunt with them, and you can expect to be taken apart and sold for parts. I’m giving you a chance to walk out of here in one piece. If you don’t take it, don’t blame us when you’re shipped out in a hundred little boxes."

Regan Sterling shuddered. He stared blankly up at the manager and saw from the man’s expression that he wasn’t bluffing. A cold sweat instantly broke out across his skin.

Regan knew things were chaotic outside these days. Robberies and murders were commonplace, but what was even more terrifying were the stories of people who disappeared without a trace, only to be found later with their bodies hollowed out. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Regan finally understood. The Nimbus Hotel had powerful backers. Playing the shameless victim wouldn’t work on people like this.

With that realization, Regan didn’t dare say another word. He turned numbly, picked up his luggage, and slowly walked away with his head hung low.

*

Ever since seeing the Summers family at the art exhibition at the Nimbus Hotel, Elaine Hughes had been feeling uneasy.

Elaine remembered Melody Summers telling her that Sylvia Lancaster had sold her antique sapphire necklace, a family heirloom.

Elaine couldn’t believe it. ’Sylvia is so well-behaved and thoughtful, the most considerate of all my children. How could she possibly sell such a priceless necklace?’

Elaine tossed and turned all night after returning home. The next morning, she went straight to the home of Ethan Sutton and Sylvia Lancaster.

Sylvia Lancaster was surprised by Elaine Hughes’s sudden visit. She quickly poured her mother some tea and asked, "Mom, what brings you here so early? You didn’t even call to say you were coming."

Elaine watched Sylvia bustle about, but instead of her usual warmth, she didn’t take her daughter’s hand to chat. Her face was cold as she spoke. "Sylvia, there was an antique sapphire necklace, a family heirloom, in the dowry I gave you. Get it and show it to me. Now."