Filed to story: The Daughter in the Shadows (Yunice) Book by Una Norris
Yunice didn’t hide it from him. “Moss suddenly fell seriously ill. It’s too late to get him to a vet.”
Wyatt caught the implication and frowned. “You want to go?”
“I don’t suppose…” Yunice said hesitantly, “you have a way to delay the dinner for a bit?”
If the dinner began and everyone was present except for her, the gossip would be merciless. She knew this would make things hard for Wyatt, but Moss’s condition was urgent. Birds were delicate creatures-any delay could mean death. Moss was the one she’d raised from the start…
Wyatt’s voice was cold. “Are you really this naive, or are you pretending?”
Dragging her away right before dinner to save a bird-this had clearly been planned. Yunice’s face flushed with embarrassment. She was torn, both by her worry for Moss and the impossible choice between Moss and Wyatt.
Each second that ticked by felt heavier than the last. In the end, she couldn’t betray her feelings. Her voice was low but firm. “I’m sorry! I’ll take full responsibility for the consequences.”
With that, she lifted her skirt and took off running toward Maplecrest Manor. She didn’t want Moss to die; she didn’t want to let Wyatt down either… Dragging the maid along, Yunice burst into Maplecrest Manor and immediately saw Moss lying motionless in the pet room. His head was tilted to one side, eyes wide open but clouded and dim with the shadow of death. There was a faint secretion at the edge of his beak. His enormous wings were splayed out, completely still and lifeless.
(Continued)
The maid had dealt with Yunice before, but never like this-never with this intensity. She flinched. “No, it wasn’t me…”
“You’re the one in charge of feeding Moss,” Yunice snapped. “You think you’re off the hook if something goes wrong with his diet?”
The maid trembled.
Yunice’s voice dropped into an icy tone. “You still have a chance to fix this. Do everything you can to stall Paul; buy me time.”
“Stall…” The maid’s mind had long since stopped working. “How?”
Yunice whispered instructions in her ear. The maid nodded and darted off.
With the backup plan in place, Yunice headed straight into the pet room. She pressed down on Moss’s crop. Moss twitched and vomited up some food. Yunice caught a sharp, chemical stench-something like disinfectant. Her eyes shot to the bottle of sanitizer kept in the room for daily use. Moss was mischievous: he could open caps, so accidental ingestion was possible-but this wasn’t an accident. This had been done on purpose.
Meanwhile, in the dining room, Linda saw that Wyatt was the only one sitting on the couch, his face like stone. She smiled and instructed the staff nearby, “Start preparing the meal. Go invite Mr. Jackson-tell him everyone’s here.” Then she walked over to Taylor with a pleasant smile. “Ms. Taylor, would you mind fetching Paul?”
Taylor frowned slightly. She didn’t like the task, but she knew Linda was handing her an opportunity. She had something to say to Paul anyway. After Taylor left, the others began taking their seats one by one.
Elianna, having just finished helping out, noticed the empty seat beside Wyatt. Only then did she dare approach. “Wyatt, it’s time to sit down.”
Wyant sat there silently, his face still cold. Elianna glanced at the empty space next to him. “Where’s Mrs. Cooper?”
And then, as if realizing something, she frowned. “Wyatt, you spoil her way too much. It’s bad enough she won’t help out-now she’s just running off and leaving you behind!”
Wyatt looked up. “Don’t talk badly about my wife.”
Elianna was full of resentment. What exactly was it about Yunice that made Wyatt so protective?
Wyatt continued. “And by seniority, you can address me as your elder brother. If you don’t want to, just call me Wyatt.” Don’t let me hear any more inappropriate titles, Wyatt thought.
Elianna stood there awkwardly for a moment, then quietly returned to the table. The side branches of the Powell family were already seated, and all eyes turned to Elianna the moment she arrived alone. Someone immediately asked, nosily as ever, “Why didn’t you bring Wyatt with you?”
Elianna muttered, “He’s waiting for Mrs. Cooper.” The moment she said it, a wave of laughter followed.
“You really treat that lunatic like your sister-in-law?”
“What lunatic?” Elianna had spent the past few years abroad; she barely knew anything about Yunice.
“You joined the Powell family late, so you wouldn’t know. Ms. Saunders was originally supposed to marry Paul, but then she had a breakdown and stabbed someone. Spent three years in a psych ward. When she got out, somehow she latched onto Wyatt…”
Elianna frowned in disgust. “That’s outrageous…”
“That’s just the beginning. Paul figured things out early-he’d been sleeping with her for years. But Wyatt? He’s not picky, I guess. He can even stomach that…” They exchanged mocking looks, their laughter full of scorn.
Just then, Linda walked over. “That’s all in the past. No need to gossip or stir up drama. Whatever Ms. Saunders is like, the only thing that matters is that Wyatt likes her.”
The others forced some smiles, all thinking the same thing: Who’s she trying to fool? The whole reason this family dinner was organized was so they could talk about exactly this.
Still, with Linda stepping in, Elianna clenched her fists under the table, silently feeling indignant on Wyatt’s behalf.
At that moment, a maid approached and whispered something in Linda’s ear. Linda glanced at the seating chart and frowned. Why hasn’t Taylor brought Paul over…
Jensen entered through the doorway and took the second seat at the head of the table. He glanced at Wyatt, who still hadn’t taken his seat, and said with irritation, “Where’s Paul? The dinner’s about to start. He thought he could act like someone else and ignore all decorum?”
Everyone subtly looked Wyatt’s way-they all knew Jensen was throwing shade. Linda had already tried calling Paul, but he wasn’t answering.
Just then, footsteps echoed from the hall. Linda smiled. “Paul and Ms. Taylor must’ve lost track of time talking. They’re on their way now.”
Hearing that, the guests exchanged glances. Sounds like Paul and Taylor are basically a done deal. Everyone turned to the door, waiting to offer well-wishes to the presumed couple.
Under the weight of all their stares, she didn’t flinch; she simply ignored them and walked with composure toward Wyatt.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” she said softly, leaning down and meeting his cold gaze. Knowing he was angry, Yunice whispered, “Save it for later, okay? Yell at me when we get home.” She raised her brows slightly and pressed her lips together-an expression of sincere apology, quietly asking for forgiveness.
Wyatt held his cold expression for a solid half-minute before his eyes dropped to her hand. Yunice, sharp as ever, held out her hand like a servant offering help to an old empress. Only then did Wyatt take it, rising to his feet with her help.
Yunice quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Wyatt’s a bit dramatic, but at least he’s easy to coax. Everyone at the table stared as the two of them walked over and sat down together, hand in hand, exchanging stunned glances with each other.
Almost as soon as they were seated, the old man finally made his entrance. As the eldest of the Powell family, Jackson naturally came in last, with all the weight of tradition behind him. He sat down and first looked toward Wyatt and Yunice, then noticed two empty chairs. His brow creased. “Who’s missing?”
Jensen shot Linda a glare, and Linda couldn’t have looked more embarrassed. She’d already sent someone to find Paul, but not only was the boy missing-Taylor was nowhere to be found either.
Seeing Jackson’s face begin to sour, Linda quickly improvised. “Paul’s with Ms. Taylor. They must’ve gotten caught up talking.”
Others around the table jumped in, laughing to lighten the mood. “Exactly, young people! Let’s not box them in with rules. Love’s more important,”
Jackson’s face eased up slightly. If Paul and Taylor were really getting that close, it was a good thing. He said, “It’s been years since the Powell family added a new branch.” Then he looked at Wyatt. “You’d better not let your child fall behind Paul’s.”
The side relatives chimed in with chuckles. “Age gap doesn’t matter-if Paul’s kid comes first, Mr. Jackson’s dream of seeing four generations under one roof could finally come true.”
Everyone at that table was a pro. Not a single word was wasted.
That remark was a veiled jab-mocking Wyatt’s bad leg and implying he couldn’t have children, so, of course, Paul’s child would be born first. Yunice looked up, meeting the crowd’s smug, malicious smiles. They weren’t just mocking Wyatt’s condition; they were also mocking her personal life. Some people simply couldn’t stand to see others doing well. They always found a way to flaunt their sense of superiority by picking at someone else’s weakest point. Like ants biting an elephant’s leg-then running off, bragging like they’d conquered a mountain.
Yunice shot the relatives a mocking glance, then turned to Jackson with a smile. “Uncle, I’ll do my best to give you a grandchild.” The moment the words left her mouth, the room plunged into an awkward silence. The others looked at her with barely concealed contempt, while Jackson still hadn’t recovered from her switching “Grandpa” to “Uncle.” Wyatt sat in silence, his face like stone. To him, Yunice’s attempt to defuse the situation only made things worse-trying to cover it up only drew more attention.
Sure enough, someone couldn’t help themselves. “Ms. Saunders wants to beat Paul to the finish line, huh? But having a kid isn’t something you can do on your own.” Another chimed in, “Come on, she’s not new to this-plenty experienced. Maybe she really can crank out a kid or two.” They bounced off each other, treating Yunice’s bedroom life like a joke-jabbing at her history with Paul. Elianna clenched her fists under the table, bitter that Yunice’s big mouth was dragging Wyatt into public embarrassment. Wyatt’s eyes dropped, the look in them ice-cold. His lips were tight, the corner of his mouth twitching with a murderous edge. He was about to snap-until a soft hand landed on his back under the table. That feather-light pressure held back a storm.
Yunice turned slightly, her eyes on the woman who’d just spoken, her tone smooth and mocking. “You flatter yourself. You’re the one with a son and a daughter-you’re the real expert. Must’ve racked up a lot of hands-on experience, right?” The woman forced a smile. “Just a joke. Don’t tell me you’re mad?” “Oh, not at all,” Yunice said, still smiling. “I’m complimenting you. And it’s perfect timing-my dear nephew could use some of that experience.” The woman recoiled. “Your nephew?” “Yep,” Yunice said pleasantly. “Paul.”
Linda and Jensen both turned to look at Yunice. Even Jackson gave her a sharp glance. Jensen, who already disliked her, said, “Why are you dragging Paul into this? We’re talking about you.” Linda followed up awkwardly. “Ms. Saunders, this is the Powell family. It’s not like the Saunders family, where you talk about such crude topics at the dinner table.”
But Yunice wasn’t finished. “Besides, the Powell family’s lineage depends on us now. Paul can’t have kids anyway…” Jensen caught a hint of her muttering and slammed his palm on the table. “What did you just say?” Yunice didn’t answer. She just gave him a look-figure it out yourself. That pause made the atmosphere at the table suddenly feel scalding hot. What did she mean, Paul can’t have children? How would she even know that? Could it be because of…?
Everyone’s faces stiffened, lips tight, like they’d just heard juicy gossip but were pretending they hadn’t. Jackson’s expression darkened with barely restrained anger. Jensen, furious and humiliated, snapped, “Wyatt! Can’t you control your woman?” Wyatt looked up. His cold, mocking gaze landed on Jensen, but his words were meant for Yunice. “Why waste time talking to them?” His eyes swept over the two gossiping women. “If you’ve got a tongue and don’t know how to use it, I can cut it off for you.” Both women stiffened in fright, their eyes dropping to the fork Wyatt was casually spinning in his fingers.
Wyatt losing it at the dinner table wasn’t new. Last time, he’d stabbed a relative’s hand with a steak knife. Ever since, the family made sure no knives were placed at any table where Wyatt was present. But back then, Jackson hadn’t let him off easy. No one thought he’d dare pull that again. Of course, Jackson was right there, and he wasn’t about to let Wyatt act like that. Jackson grabbed the porcelain bowl beside him and flung it at Wyatt. Everything happened fast-Yunice leapt up and threw herself in front of him. The bowl smashed against the back of her head.
Still fuming, Jackson snapped, “Shameless! Ruining a perfectly good family dinner!” Wyatt looked at Yunice, struck by the bowl, and fury ignited behind his eyes; a vein throbbed at his temple. He pushed himself up with one hand on the table and yanked the tablecloth in one motion-plates, cups, silverware, all flew off, soaked in sauces and broth, crashing toward the other side. People screamed and ducked, but it couldn’t drown out Wyatt’s low, furious growl. “If no one wants to eat-then no one eats!”
Yunice and Elianna were startled, but being seated on Wyatt’s side of the table, they avoided the chaos. Jackson’s face was already dark with fury after such blatant defiance. “You little bastard! Think I can’t handle you? Go kneel!”
“Heh,” Wyatt kicked aside a shattered porcelain bowl with his cane, took Yunice by the hand, and swaggered out of the dining room. He left the other guests, splattered with sauce and stunned into silence, unsure whether to sit or stand. Everyone stared nervously at Jackson, terrified he’d turn his wrath on them next.
Just then, rushed footsteps echoed from the hallway. Taylor appeared at the dining room entrance, panting and out of breath. She froze when she saw the wreckage.