Chapter 224

"John made dumplings, and there's that beef and scallops too-your favorites." Samuel looked up, startled by the voice. When he saw Louise standing there, his expression turned cold. "Who said you could come in?" Louise set the glass on the coffee table, her tone calm. "This is my house. Why wouldn't I come in?" She stood her ground, gaze locked with his, fists clenched at her sides. She hadn't planned to argue, but the second he hit her with that cold, dismissive tone, she was already fired up. "Come on, it's New Year's, no need to carry bad blood into the holidays, right?" John hurried over with a bowl of steaming hot dumplings and placed it in front of Samuel. "Miss Bennett made these herself earlier. She even picked up a bunch of stuff for you. She just doesn't show it, but she cares." John had spent enough time with this family to get the gist of their dynamic. Louise was the one footing the bill, so naturally, she tried to smooth things over for her. "Take it away! She comes here