Chapter 10

As for Justin, he was the adopted son Grace brought home out of pity. Now that she was gone, Arthur naturally had no reason to care for someone who wasn’t even his blood. Life at the Montgomerys was rough for both Denise and Justin. In fact, hardly anyone in Seaville even knew these two existed in the family. That last time Denise barged into his room? That was actually Arthur trying to curry favor with Mr. Donovan by offering up his own daughter. If not for the documents laid out in front of him, Jason would’ve thought Denise was just playing some manipulative little trick to get close to him. Turns out last night? Pure accident. Now, Jason looked at Arthur in a whole new light. This guy was actually willing to hand over his own daughter just to get ahead? That’s cold. People say even the fiercest beasts don’t harm their young—guess that doesn’t apply to him. ... When Denise and Justin got back to the Montgomery house, they were caught off guard by Arthur’s sudden shift in attitude. Not only did he not scold Denise for letting Jason take her away, he even spoke to them calmly. "Denise, don’t act out anymore. And stay away from Jason. He’s going to be your future brother-in-law—it’s just not proper. If you two behave from now on, I will treat you better," he said. Denise and Justin traded glances—this total 180 from Arthur? Definitely suspicious. White-faced and silent, Vivian and Samantha sat stiffly nearby. But the daggers in Samantha’s eyes made Denise uneasy. That hatred was real. "I got it, Dad," Denise replied, knowing now wasn’t the time to go against him. She went back to her room soon after, but could still pick up bits of the conversation happening downstairs. "Dad, why didn’t you let me teach that girl a lesson? She actually dared to seduce my Jason!" Samantha fumed. She’d been waiting eagerly to put Denise in her place, only for Arthur to hold her back. "You don’t get it," Arthur replied. "Jason just called me. He didn’t come right out and say anything, but clearly, we can’t piss Denise off right now. You’re about to marry into the Harrington family, and they care a lot about manners and appearances. So you need to act like the perfect sister. Only then will Jason see you as the ideal wife." Samantha was still about to argue when Vivian stepped in and tugged her sleeve. "Listen to your father—he’s right." Upstairs, Denise smirked. So Jason had already given Arthur a heads-up. No wonder the old man suddenly did a full turnaround. Seemed like her future brother-in-law wasn’t all that bad after all. Next morning, Laura Smith had breakfast ready and was waiting for Denise and Justin to come down. Since they weren’t really considered part of the family, they usually ate separately from Arthur and the others. "Denise, come on down. I made pancakes and scrambled eggs for you. And Justin, your favorite orange juice is ready too," Laura beamed kindly. "Thanks, Ms. Smith." In this whole house, only Ms. Smith treated them kindly. She had been working in the household ever since Grace married into the Montgomery family. Grace had treated her well, and after her death, Laura made it her duty to care for the two siblings. "Oh right, Mr. Montgomery said after breakfast you should go pack up a little. You’ve got lunch with the Harringtons today," Laura said to Denise.