Pampered by my three brothers: the return of the neglected heiress novel Chapter 73

Chapter 73: That’s final

The family gathered in the family room. Unlike the usual atmosphere in the family, one could feel the tension in the room even before everyone was seated.

Glancing at Charles in the head seat, Penny pursed her lips.

Her father’s expression was stern and unrelenting, very different from his usual happy-go-lucky nature. Allison still looked gentle, but under this circumstance, one could tell she was in a submissive mode. Atlas and Hugo also shared their father’s unyielding countenance while Slater was just frowning.

Nina, who was seated next to Allison, kept her head down. She had her hands trembling on her lap, and one could see the tears dripping on the back of her hands.

Haines was also in the room, but he stayed in the corner. He was acting more like a spectator, close enough to see and listen to everything, but far enough to be included.

"Hugo, Atlas, Slater, Penny," Charles started, his voice was commanding. "It’s true that we and Mrs. Cortez, the woman who raised Penny and Nina’s blood-related aunt came to an agreement. We’re going to send Nina back to her."

The brothers’s faces instantly turned sour while Allison’s worry leaped to another level.

"Nina has always been a part of our family. Dad, you promised she would stay with us even when you found Penny!" Slater couldn’t help but speak his mind. "How could you go back on your words?!"

Nina hiccuped upon hearing Slater’s remarks. "Third brother, it’s — it’s okay." She lifted her eyes, only to show her swollen eyes and red face from crying.

Seeing how devastated and pitiful she appeared, Slater’s heart clenched.

"How is this okay?" he muttered as a layer of tears coated his eyes. "Dad, please. Don’t send her away. Nina has been with us all these years! How can she live in that household — do they even have a hot shower?"

’Uh, duh?’ Penny mentally rolled her eyes at Slater’s concerns. ’I didn’t work hard at three years old to have cold showers.’

Slater glanced at Nina again and felt pressured to speak more. "Mom, please don’t do this," he shook his head, almost begging for Nina’s stead. "There must be another way."

"Why?" after Slater spoke, Atlas also spoke. "Why is it important to send her away, Dad?"

Charles didn’t back down from his eldest’s cold stare. "This is a hard decision for your mom and me."

"But it doesn’t look like you had a hard time," Hugo remarked, thinking of how their parents happily had dinner with them last night. "Mom, Dad, I’m sorry for losing it earlier and I accept any punishments that come with it. However, it is true, I am still disappointed about everything. I will understand if you can’t tell Slater, but Atlas and I are old enough to understand the situation. This is about our sister, after all."

Allison glanced at her husband, only to see Charles not react. The boys looked at their father sternly.

"Hugo..." Charles’s shoulder relaxed. "... were you also told that we only agreed Nina would stay with her aunt only on weekdays and then she can stay with us on weekends?"

Why did Charles word his question as if he was insinuating something?

’That’s a weird way to ask the question,’ she thought.

Haines sighed. ’Now, she’s acting like she didn’t know about the conditions of the agreement.’