Chapter 13

It was Samuel who had spoken. Back when Gianna was living with the Parkers, the one she feared most was him. Just now, her heart inexplicably skipped a beat. She stammered instinctively, "S-Samuel…" Her timid greeting was a far cry from the arrogance she showed the other day at the site. Gianna was scared as Samuel knew her too well. He'd see right through the fake scar in a heartbeat. She quickly rolled her sleeve down, trying her best to compose herself and act like nothing was wrong. Samuel's face was tense as he strode over to Abigail. His voice softened. "Abby, are you alright? Did you get hurt?" Abigail shook her head. "I'm really fine…" Samuel gave her a once-over. Seeing no visible injuries, he finally turned to face the others. His dark eyes were sharp, and his lips were pressed into a firm line. There was a hint of anger in his otherwise indifferent tone. "I don't know what brings Ms. Newman and Mr. Dawson here today. You didn't come all this way just to humiliate our family again, did you?" Gianna widened her eyes, pretending to be innocent. She shook her head and replied weakly, "No, Samuel. I just…" Matthew gave her a brief, indifferent glance before shifting his gaze to Samuel. "You've misunderstood. I came because your father and sister's cooking is quite good. I simply wanted to eat here again. There's no need to say something so harsh." "Yes! Samuel, I just wanted to see Mom and Dad..." Gianna added. With Matthew around, Gianna had to endure it and keep up her act no matter how unhappy she was. She couldn't afford to let him notice anything suspicious. Samuel curled his lips into a cold smirk. "What right do you have to call them 'Mom' and 'Dad' now?" Then, without hesitation, he grabbed the boxed meal Abigail had just brought over and hurled it to the ground. Food scattered everywhere. "Even if we have to throw it to the dogs, we still won't let you touch a single bite of our family's food ever again." Gianna flinched in shock and instinctively leaned toward Matthew. However, he subtly stepped to the side, keeping his distance. She tried to squeeze out a few tears and said in a choked voice, "Samuel, how can you think that of me? I just can't bear to see you all continue to live such a hard life, so I want to do what little I can do to help..." Samuel simply waved his hand, cutting her off. "No need. Even if our family ends up on the streets, we won't need anything from you, Ms. Newman. Take your so-called help and keep it. But if you ever lay a finger on Abby, even a single strand of her hair, our family won't sit back and do nothing." His gaze swept past Matthew as he spoke. There was a sharp gleam in Samuel's eyes when he fixed his gaze on Gianna once more. Gianna could sense the strong hostility from his gaze. Rage simmered in her chest, and the hatred in her eyes deepened. Her hands, resting at her sides, curled into fists. "Samuel, why are you being so unfair? Back when I was still a part of the Parker family, you were always strict with me. But now that she's back, you've completely changed. You've been showering her with affection. Why are you treating us so differently?" She finally managed to squeeze out a few tears, and her voice was full of grievance. Samuel was amused by her words. "Are you seriously asking me why?" His smile was cold and full of mockery. "Because she's not like you. Abby isn't someone vain and materialistic. She doesn't worship the rich and scorn the poor. She'd never speak ill of the parents who raised her for over 20 years just because of money." It was the first time Abigail had ever seen Samuel this emotional. She tugged on his arm and gently rocked it. "Samuel, it's fine. I'm really okay. Don't be mad." "Alright, I won't be angry. It's not worth it for people like that." When Samuel faced Abigail, he was utterly gentle and doting. Gianna's temper flared. She couldn't hold it in and raised her voice. "Abigail!" Everyone turned to look at her. Gianna pinched her thigh hard to calm herself down and then softened her tone again. "You've misunderstood me." She wiped away the tears she had squeezed out and looked at Matthew. "Matt, you should know." Matthew looked bewildered. He knew nothing at this point. "I just think that the Parkers have been having a tough time over the years. No matter what, my foster parents from the Parker family raised me for so long, and I truly came today just to repay their kindness. Life with them might not have been luxurious, but the Parker family gave me a warm and loving home." As she spoke, she pulled out a bank card. "My biological parents asked me to bring this over for the Parker family. They heard your whole family is out here running the stall in the heat and felt really bad about it. They even told me that the Parkers can rent our shop downtown." Gianna was lying through her teeth. She knew exactly what the Parkers thought, especially Samuel. He was incredibly proud and would never accept help from her. She was merely putting on a show for Matthew. "We'll never take the Newman family's money—" As expected, Samuel's expression was filled with undisguised disgust and rejection. Abigail raised an eyebrow. A flicker of delight flashed across her face as she exclaimed in surprise, "Gianna, are you saying the Newman family is giving us a shop and a large sum of money?" Gianna's lips twitched. She hadn't said it was free. But at this point, she had no choice but to play along. She just nodded reluctantly. Matthew nodded slightly too. His attitude toward Gianna changed slightly. "It seems that Ms. Newman does have a sense of gratitude. Perhaps what happened before was just a misunderstanding." Abigail clapped her hands in agreement. "Exactly! Mr. Dawson, you're absolutely right. Your display of gratitude was perfectly timed, Ms. Newman." As she spoke, she didn't waste time. She reached out and took the card straight from Gianna's hand. Gianna was still gripping it tightly, but Abigail had been born with supernatural strength. She tugged it free effortlessly. "We've only been running this stall for a few days, but business is clearly picking up. I was just worrying about how we'd fit everyone. And we don't have a solution for when it rains or gets windy. Gianna, be sure to thank Dad… I mean Mr. and Mrs. Newman for me, okay?" Samuel frowned slightly and pulled Abigail aside. Turning his body toward her, he lowered his voice. "Abby, if you want a shop for us, I can find a way to get you one. There's no need to take anything from the Newmans." "Samuel, don't be silly. The Newman family is giving it to us for free. Only a fool would say no. Besides, Gianna is so ungrateful. This is just payback for how she has treated Mom and Dad."