Chapter 18

The way Rachel put it… made it seem like Lana and Charlotte had come to the Grant residence to demand compensation. Lana immediately explained, "We're all family, Mrs. Grant Senior. There's no need to be such strangers, formally offering to cover our medical expenses and whatnot. I just hope that you can help teach Kylie a lesson for me and have her apologize to her sister." Rachel ignored her and turned to Kylie instead. "You did a great job, Kylie. We daughters-in-law of the Grant family naturally shouldn't allow ourselves to be at a disadvantage or suffer any injustices. "We have to let others know that we're not easy targets for bullying! That way, people will have to think twice before even attempting to act against you again." At that moment, Lana and Charlotte had a whole series of expressions. They stared at Rachel in disbelief, not having expected her to adopt such an attitude toward this matter. She was being far too partial! Kylie, on the other hand, was smiling brightly. Rachel's protectiveness was like a gentle current flowing through her body, making her feel warm. She wasn't alone, and there were actually people on her side, supporting her. Margaret felt rather helpless, but since Rachel had made her opinion clear, she naturally wouldn't go against her. She got up and left for a while, coming back with a check in hand, which she placed in front of Lana. Lana fell silent, staring at the check on the table. Just then, Rachel asked, "Is there anything else?" It was evident that she was… "politely requesting" that Lana and Charlotte leave the premises. Lana stiffened for several seconds before saying, "We'll be taking our leave first, Mrs. Grant Senior and Mrs. Grant. However, please take this check back, because we definitely won't be accepting it." Then, she turned to Charlotte and said, "Let's go, Lottie." Charlotte stood up with a pale face, nodded politely to Rachel and Margaret, and left with Lana. … "James," called Rachel. James quickly entered the living room. Lana and Charlotte had only just exited the Grant residence when they were stopped in their tracks. He smiled and slipped the check into Lana's grasp. "Mrs. Grant Senior says to please accept this money, and the matter will be considered settled. She doesn't wish to hear any mention of this incident in the future." He then turned and left before Lana could say anything. Lana was practically shaking with anger at the sight of the check. Medical expenses? What medical expenses? Rachel was, to put it bluntly, just buying their silence! She had visited the Grant residence today in the hopes of making the Grants hate Kylie. Also, she had been hoping that this would allow Rachel and Margaret to see more of Charlotte and thus gain an appreciation for her. She hadn't expected things to turn out like this! Pursing her lips, she complained loudly, "Mrs. Grant Senior is far too biased! Even in such a situation, she's still supporting Kylie!" As she spoke, she turned to Charlotte and sighed regretfully. "How nice it would've been if you had been the one Mrs. Grant Senior first took a fancy to, Lottie. Then, you would be the one being addressed as Mrs. Grant." Charlotte lowered her head at this, her long eyelashes obscuring the emotions swimming within her eyes. Exactly! How could Kylie have been so lucky as to win Rachel's favor? As she thought of Rachel's words just now, her heart was filled with envy and longing combined with jealousy toward Kylie. It was a confidence only someone who married into the Grant family could boast. … Back in the Grant residence, Margaret looked at Rachel and said, "Whether or not Charlotte wanted to frame Kylie, it was still wrong of her to deliberately scald Charlotte with soup, Mom. You—" Rachel cut her off unceremoniously. "Kylie did the right thing. Charlotte was trampling all over her. Was she still expected to endure the bullying instead of fighting back at that point?" She reached out to hold Kylie's hand and patted it with a kind expression. "I'm on your side, Kylie. There's no need for us to force ourselves to bottle up such frustrations." Kylie nodded and smiled sweetly. "Thank you, Rachel." After chatting with Rachel for a while, she headed upstairs. The moment she returned to her room, her expression darkened instantly. She had never expected Lana to come directly to the Grant residence to complain about her in front of Rachel and Margaret! Had it never occurred to Lana that speaking ill of Kylie in front of her in-laws might only make her situation even more difficult? Or, was that actually Lana's goal? Kylie felt her heart ache at the thought. She chuckled hopelessly in her heart. This was her biological mother she was talking about. She took a deep breath and looked toward the ceiling, holding back her tears. … In the afternoon, a stylist and makeup artist arrived at the Grant residence to give Kylie a makeover. Isaac sat on the couch downstairs, glancing frequently at his watch with a hint of impatience on his handsome face. He frowned and commanded James, "Tell them to hurry up, Mr. Managhan." James simply smiled. "That's just how it is with women, Mr. Grant. They naturally need to spend more time on makeup. Please just wait patiently! I believe that Mrs. Grant will definitely amaze you when she comes down later." Isaac snorted coldly in response, looking completely uninterested. Just then, there was some movement from upstairs. Then, James announced, "She's here. Mrs. Grant is on the way down." Isaac stood up, straightened his suit, and turned around. He looked up lazily and glanced at Kylie, who was making her way down the stairs. That single glance caused his eyes to dilate in shock. Kylie was wearing a tight blue suspender dress, the tight-fitting design showing off her fine figure to the fullest while her slender legs peeked out from under the fringed hem. Her skin, as flawless as polished marble, was dazzling enough to enthrall any onlookers. Additionally, her ash blue hair was tied into a puffy bun with a few locks of straight-cut hair hanging down on both sides of her cheeks. Her fringe, originally parted in the middle, had been combed into straight bangs. Overall, her hairstyle complemented her face perfectly. The makeup on her face was done exquisitely, and the few eye-catching pearl sequins next to the mole under her left eye served as the finishing touch. Isaac couldn't deny that Kylie truly looked stunning tonight. The moment Kylie looked up, she found herself meeting Isaac's gaze, who looked so dazzling today that it was hard to look away. He was wearing a well-tailored black suit that accentuated his height. His features were bold and pronounced, as sharp and angular as if they had been carefully carved by the hand of a master sculptor. Under the stern line of his eyebrows were long, narrow eyes, and beneath that was a prominent nose bridge and thin, inviting lips. Kylie's face heated at the sight of Isaac gazing unblinkingly at her, and her heartbeat sped up unconsciously. When he finally came back to his senses, Isaac couldn't help feeling rather annoyed that he had actually become entranced by Kylie's appearance. He frowned heavily and said in a low voice, "Let's go." Isaac then turned around and walked out without waiting for her. Neither of them said a word on the way to the banquet venue. … When they arrived at Cashington Hotel, they got out of the car and walked inside together. However, it wasn't until they were standing at the entrance to the banquet hall that Isaac bent his arm and signaled to Kylie with his eyes. Kylie understood what he was trying to say and reached out to take his arm, after which they walked into the hall together. The instant they stepped into the banquet hall, a hush fell over the originally noisy venue.