When Mia pushed Lucian's wheelchair into the living room, Mrs. Reed's smile bloomed warm and gentle.
"Mia, you've worked so hard," she said, taking off a pair of exquisite earrings. "Here, take these and wear them for fun."
Facing the older woman's earnest, encouraging look, Mia felt as if the earrings weighed a thousand pounds in her palm.
By the time they reached the main house, Old Mr. Reed and the entire second branch were already seated.
Second Aunt Yang sat there draped in luxury from head to toe. The moment she saw them, she couldn't resist.
"Your son wakes up and suddenly everything's different," she said with a thin smile. "Look at you, coming later than Father himself. Such impressive airs."
Mrs. Reed smiled pleasantly.
"Sister-in-law, what are you talking about?" she replied. "With Father here, how could any of us juniors dare put on airs? Not like you. People are always saying the Reed family's future depends on you now."
Yang Chunhua's face changed instantly.
As if she couldn't hear the barb.
The great Reed family depending on one woman?
And where would that leave the rest of the Reeds—never mind Old Mr. Reed himself?
"Big Sister, how can you say that?" Yang protested. "I just feel bad for Father. He's so old and has to sit here, hungry, waiting for us juniors. If you think I'm speaking out of turn, I'll just keep my mouth shut."
Mrs. Reed simply lowered her head.
"Sorry, Dad," she said softly. "It's our fault for being late."
"All right, enough," Old Mr. Reed cut in. "Arguing first thing in the morning. Are we eating or not?"
The moment he spoke, Yang Chunhua didn't dare push any further. She rose at once, bustling around Old Mr. Reed to serve him, so attentive she practically looked like the true mistress of the house.
A shadow crossed Mrs. Reed's face.
"Please, have some soup," Mia said gently, ladling out a bowl for the older woman. "Eat a bit more, and Lucian… Mr. Reed… won't worry about you."
Mrs. Reed stiffened as Mia mentioned her son, then straightened, eyes brightening.
That's right. Lucian was awake now. The main branch was no longer just a widow and a child.
Yang Chunhua's expression turned stiff.
No one knew better than the elders what kind of man Lucian Reed really was.
Sure enough, the relatives who had been fawning over the second branch quickly shifted their attention. Compliments started flying in Lucian's direction instead.
Lucian ignored all of them.
He looked only at his grandfather.
"Grandpa," he said. "I'm sorry to have worried you. I've been unfilial."
"If you know you've been unfilial, then behave yourself from now on," Old Mr. Reed said gruffly. "If you dare be this stupid again, I'll throw you out of the family. Hear me?"
After breakfast, Old Mr. Reed called Lucian into the study.
Mrs. Reed was quickly surrounded by relatives, their smiles sticky and false. Only Mia was left standing aside, untouched.
In their eyes, she was just a "lucky bride"—a placeholder who could be kicked out at any time.
No need to waste effort currying favor.
Mia turned to head back toward Green Bamboo Garden, the main branch's residential courtyard, but someone stepped in front of her.
Evan Reed.
Mia took in his slicked-back hair, over-groomed face, and smarmy smile and felt a wave of disgust.
"Cousin," she greeted coolly.
"Sister-in-law, no need to be so formal with me," Evan said, leaning closer. "We're family. You can relax around me."
Mia nodded once and moved to walk past him.
"Don't go," he said, grabbing for her arm. "If you're this cold to me, I'll be heartbroken."
Mia dodged his hand, her eyes turning frosty.
"Evan," she said. "Touch me again and I won't be polite."
"Sister-in-law, if you're this cold, that's what breaks my heart," he whined. "I'm the only one in the Reed family really thinking about you."
Mia lifted a brow, saying nothing.
Evan pressed on.
"You saw my cousin's aura today," he said. "If you don't do something, there's no way you'll ever have a place in this family."
"And?" Mia asked.
"You've heard his diagnosis," Evan said, lowering his voice. "From Dr. Shea. He's going to be a cripple from now on. Emmett is his only bloodline."
His lips curled in disdain.
"That brat is glued to you. All you have to do is find a chance to let some traffickers take him away. Or, you know, 'accidentally' get rid of him. Then you and I can have a child together instead…"
He smiled, eyes gleaming with greed.
"Grandpa cares about the Reed bloodline. No matter how angry he gets, he'll protect the child."
Mia's expression went ice-cold.
Then she raised her voice.
"Lucian Reed, did you hear that?" she called. "Your dear cousin wants your son dead and wants me to give him a baby."
Evan just laughed.
"Sister-in-law, that little trick of yours only works once," he said. "I'm not stupid enough to fall for it again. Just give in already. Be mine."
"Give in to you?" Mia echoed. "Why don't I throw myself at you right now?"
"No need." Evan snorted. "Who do you think you are? You think I actually want you—"
He broke off mid-sentence, his expression freezing.
Lucian's voice came from behind him, low and deadly calm.
"Evan."
Evan turned slowly, the smile on his face twisting into something obsequious.
"B–Big Brother," he stammered. "What are you doing out here by yourself? No one's pushing your wheelchair? Why don't you let me do it, as a filial younger cousin?"
"Filial?" Lucian's tone sharpened. "You mean I should give you the chance to kill my son and then help me wear a nice, green hat?"
Evan bent his head, laughing weakly.
"Big Brother, you've misunderstood," he said quickly. "I was just joking. Just joking—"
"Is that so?" Lucian asked. "Funny. I don't find it very amusing. Do you, Mia?"
Mia hadn't expected him to call her name in such a familiar tone. She froze for a second, then felt his gaze slice toward her—light as a breeze, heavy with murderous intent.
She jolted.
"Not funny," she said at once. "Not at all. If you ask me, anyone who says something like that has a heart that deserves to be cut out. At the very least, he should lose the… tool he uses to commit his crimes. That might finally make him behave."
As she spoke, her gaze—and Lucian's—both dropped meaningfully toward the front of Evan's pants.
Evan clapped his hands over his crotch on instinct, nearly scared out of his wits.
"Big Brother, Sister-in-law," he babbled. "I—I just remembered I have something to do, I'll be going now!"
He fled, face white as a sheet, like a man with a ghost on his heels.
"Tch." Mia let out a short, derisive sound. "With guts that tiny, he dares to dream of murder and theft."
"You're not tempted?" Lucian asked suddenly.
"Tempted by what?" she said.
"Kill Emmett," Lucian said slowly, "get pregnant with Evan's child, then control the entire Reed family. Become someone everyone fears and worships."
Mia's lips twitched.
"When my mother gave birth to me, she didn't shortchange me," she said.
Lucian frowned slightly.
Mia's eyes were honest, almost innocent.
"I came out with a brain," she said.
Even if Old Mr. Reed completely lost his mind, all that talk about "bloodline" would only mean one thing: at best, he'd protect the baby and get rid of the mother. Keep the child, discard the woman.
"And besides," she added, "I like Emmett."
Lucian let out a soft, humorless laugh, making it clear he didn't believe a word.
He pulled out his phone and made a call.
"Make sure Evan gets a good wake-up call," he said.
Later, back in Green Bamboo Garden, Mia had barely settled in when she heard the servants whispering excitedly in the corridor.
"Has Second Young Master gone crazy?" one maid hissed. "Swimming naked in the lake in broad daylight… it's so embarrassing."
"I know," another replied. "Old Master almost exploded. He ordered Second Young Master to come ashore, but Second Young Master just said the water was nice and cool and that he wanted to stay in it."
Mia's hand paused for a moment.
Then she turned and headed upstairs.