Chapter 116: Chapter 116

Eugene Vaughn’s eyes were full of tenderness as he gazed into her uneasy eyes. Seemingly reluctant to distress her, he pondered for a moment and said, "Charlie Spencer has organized a gathering. He invited a few friends to go camping by the beach, set off fireworks. Come with me."

This sounded pretty good.

Beach camping, fireworks, and other people.

As long as it wasn’t just her alone with Eugene Vaughn.

"Okay." Victoria Sinclair nodded and agreed readily.

Eugene finished packing up the chess pieces and asked, "Want to continue playing?"

"Sure, but with no bets. You’re quite good at chess."

Eugene chuckled softly.

Victoria noticed a hint of deeper meaning in his smile, prompting a sliver of doubt within her. Leaning her elbow against the table, she quickly reached over and grabbed his wrist.

Eugene’s large hand was pulled out, empty of anything. He looked bewildered, glancing at the woman just inches away, his Adam’s apple gently bobbing. "What’s wrong?"

"Where’s your phone?" Victoria asked.

Eugene pointed behind her.

Victoria sat back and turned her head to look.

Eugene’s phone was indeed on the sofa behind her, and at that moment, she was even more convinced of Eugene’s superior chess skills.

However, in the games without stakes that followed, Eugene lost five matches in a row.

He seemed genuinely happy to lose.

Victoria could also see that he was going easy on her.

As time ticked by, the sun set, the world darkened, and the living room lights turned on.

In the final match, Victoria still won.

Exhausted, she didn’t want to move, turned on her side and leaned on the sofa, closed her eyes to rest, and murmured weakly, "I want to go home and get some sleep. So tired."

Eugene slowly packed up the chess pieces. "You can rest here. I’ll make you dinner."

"No need." Victoria picked up her bag and got up. "I’m going home to eat."

Eugene didn’t insist on keeping her.

Dragging her tired feet, she headed for the door.

Eugene stood up, followed her, and stood at the doorway, watching her enter the elevator before reluctantly shutting the door.

It took Victoria just under a minute to go up one floor and return home.

She opened the door with her fingerprint and walked inside, changing her shoes at the entrance hall.

A familiar woman’s voice came, "I don’t blame you at all. In fact, I’m really grateful you sent me away, it let me live the good life I have now."

Victoria’s heart trembled as she slipped on her slippers and walked in.

The living room was filled with heaps of expensive gifts.

Her parents and brother were sitting on the sofa, warmly entertaining a guest.

No, it should be a family member, the daughter who was once sent away by her parents—Renee.

There must be something strange; a woman abandoned by her birth family, raised to stardom by her adoptive parents, returns to see her biological family. And not only that, she forgives the parents who abandoned her due to favoritism? It was truly absurd and unbelievable.

"Victoria, you came back just in time." Mrs. Sinclair excitedly waved at Victoria Sinclair. "This is your fifth sister, quick, say hello."

Renee smiled warmly, but the coldness in her eyes was all too apparent.

She stood up and politely addressed Victoria, "Sister, long time no see."

Victoria placed her bag on the counter, walked forward without showing much kindness. "Are you here to reclaim your roots, or just here for a reunion?"

Renee’s face turned somber, displaying a look of grievance, tears welling up, "Seems like sister doesn’t welcome me."

Seeing this, Mrs. Sinclair, in a fit of rage, smacked Victoria so hard her arm stung.

A burning pain flared up, and Victoria stepped back, clutching her pained arm, looking at her mother in disbelief.

Mrs. Sinclair roared, "Are you looking to die? Your fifth sister’s first day home, and this is your attitude? Do you know how successful your fifth sister is now? She’s a big star, she earns more in a day than you do in a year. You better adjust your attitude."

Victoria sneered, deeply disappointed.

Timothy Sinclair walked over to touch Victoria’s arm, angrily chastising Mrs. Sinclair, "Why did you hit my sister?"

"She was disrespectful to her sister in the first place, shouldn’t she have been hit?" Mrs. Sinclair gritted her teeth, her eyes icy cold. "In the past, your dad would’ve broken her legs with a stick."

Sorrowful childhood memories rose to her mind, and Victoria took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

For all these years, anything she had given to her family, whether money or affection, couldn’t compare to the reconciling of this sister who’d been sent away.

Victoria knew her parents were shallow, uneducated, stubborn, about impossible to communicate with reasonably.

While Renee was an actress, tears could come at any moment without hesitation.

"Are you planning to come back to support parents in their old age?" Victoria locked eyes with Renee, enunciating each word clearly.

Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair looked at Renee with some expectation.

Renee quickly nodded, "The grace of giving birth is greater than the heavens. As long as I have a bite to eat, my parents will never go hungry."

That sounded even better than singing.

And with such a clumsy performance, her parents were moved to tears, gazing at Renee full of affection.

Victoria found it deeply ironic.

Since she was young, no matter how intelligent she was, her parents never praised her.

No matter how hard she worked, her parents never worried for her.

No matter how much money she gave her parents, they were never satisfied, always feeling it wasn’t enough, even resenting her for studying too much and hindering her brother’s future. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel✶fire.net

For her father’s illness, her brother’s debts, she even gave up her most important career.

And yet it didn’t compare to a few words from the glamorous celebrity sister returning for a family reunion.

Victoria smiled bitterly, took a deep breath, and nodded.

She didn’t want to beat around the bush with pretentious politeness, but rather directly exposed her intentions: "For you to lower yourself, let go of hatred, and revisit this dirt-poor biological family, seems you received quite the benefits. Did Vivian Miller promise you money, or resources?"

As soon as she said this, Renee’s face changed dramatically, briefly flashing a look of panic.

Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair were utterly confused.

Timothy Sinclair understood, but remained skeptical, advising, "Sister, are you overthinking? Fifth sister just wants to look in on mom and dad, see us family, and she’s a big star after all. Her coming to see us poor relatives shows she doesn’t look down on us, is genuinely sincere..."

Victoria interrupted in anger, "Brother, first it was your girlfriend Sarah Lowell, now it’s Renee coming home to reunite, who knows who it’ll be next. My life has already been completely infiltrated by them, how am I supposed to have a decent life?"

"Hmph." Mrs. Sinclair snorted coldly, hands on her hips, "What’s this about? Are you jealous our family’s getting better and better? You’re not happy that your brother attracts an outstanding and beautiful girl? Your sister makes something of herself and finds fame, and you’re upset about her reuniting with the family? Why are you being so difficult?"

Mr. Sinclair also chimed in, "Victoria, don’t be so petty. I’ve met Sarah, she’s a lovely girl, quite pretty, very accomplished, your brother’s lucky to have her. And your fifth sister, she’s a star! You should get along with her, maybe she’ll bring you into the entertainment business to earn big money."

Mrs. Sinclair put her hands on her hips, angrily chastising, "She just can’t stand seeing our family’s fortune improving."

Exhausted, disappointed, helpless.

Victoria didn’t feel like saying another word.

Renee suddenly grabbed her handbag, speaking out in a choked voice, visibly wronged, "Since sister doesn’t welcome me, I won’t disturb you anymore, I..."

"Oh, darling daughter, don’t think like that. We all welcome you, don’t mind her," Mrs. Sinclair quickly grabbed Renee. "Mom and dad regret sending you away, they want to make it up to you."

Victoria exhaled, turned around, and went back to her room.

She had never heard such an affectionate term in her entire life, and now, hearing her mother call someone else like that felt especially jarring.