"Oh please. She really thinks she’s all that. Did you see her?" Nathan’s tone was sharp as he glared at his sister in annoyance.
"What did she do so wrong?" Ella asked, confused. "Milli had no right to hit Aiden."
"Stop, Ella," Nathan said, cutting her off. "No one is here but me. You don’t have to pretend to be the caring sister anymore. I know you enjoyed it too—him getting hit."
Ella straightened and glared at her brother, "You’re wrong, Nathan," Eesha replied. "Yes, there are things I don’t like about Aiden, but that doesn’t mean I hate him or want him to be hurt for no reason. Whatever our differences with him and whatever his problem with out father, the point is that he has never done wrong by us."
"That’s where you’re wrong," Nathan said, his voice colder now. "Believing that he hasn’t done anything wrong. Aiden Hawk is dangerous and by closing your eyes to the truth, you cannot escape it.
"Nathan, stop," Ella interrupted, her eyes widening as she noticed a figure that had just entered silently behind her brother. She gestured subtly, hoping he would take the hint.
But Nathan was too caught up in his anger to notice. "You think he’s innocent, but you’re just as blind as grandma. On the surface, he is fair and responsible towards us. But just you wait till the day he has everything under control and then we’ll see how much of a caring brother he is. And Ella that day, you are the one who is going to suffer the most for not..."
"Nathan!" Ella’s voice was more urgent now as she even tried to kick the man under the table, but he paid no heed. So, before he could say more, she forced a calm smile and called out, "Serena! You’re back from the hospital. Would you like to join us for breakfast?"
Nathan finally paused, the words dying on his lips as he turned to see Serena standing there with an her unreadable expression on her face. He shot a glance back at Ella, and then asked sourly," Is that why you were trying to quiet me down and kicking me? What? Are you scared that she would hit me like she did Millie?"
Ella shook her head, and tried to maintain her smile as she said," Don’t talk nonsense, Nathan. She is not..."
Before Ella could say something to soothe the sudden tension in the room, Serena stepped forward, her gaze steady as she looked directly at Nathan. "That depends," she said coolly, "on whether you plan on behaving as foolishly as the others."
Nathan stiffened at her words, unsure how to respond. "Do you really think I would let you hit me like you did, Millie. I am not scared of Aiden and his so-called power."
Ella kicked her brother under the table once again and turned to Serena, "Ignore him please. Serena, was there any improvement in grandma’s condition?"
Serena’s eyes flickered briefly with irritation, but she didn’t rise to Nathan’s taunt. She had no energy in fact to do so. All she wanted was to eat something and then catch some sleep.
So, she gave a slight nod to Ella, acknowledging her attempt to steer the conversation away from the brewing conflict. "Grandma’s condition is stable, but there’s no significant improvement yet. The doctors are doing what they can."
Ella breathed a small sigh of relief, grateful that Serena had chosen not to engage in Nathan’s provocations. "That’s good to hear," she said, trying to keep the atmosphere light. "Let’s hope she continues to get better."
"You might hope for that, Ella. But are you sure that Aiden would want the same?"
"Nathan!"
Serena’s glare sharpened, her patience wearing thin. Even the last time when they’d met, she had not appreciated the attitude. "What exactly are you implying, Nathan?" she demanded.
Nathan met her gaze, unfazed. "I’m saying there are too many coincidences where Aiden is concerned. You’re so quick to defend him, and yet, you don’t know the truth."
He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms as he continued. "Grandma mentioned that Aiden needed to be married to get his share of her estate? Not long after that, he was conveniently married. To you. Then, when you were in the hospital, everything was quiet. No drama, no accidents. But now that you’re back, and off on your honeymoon, Grandma has a heart attack? And the only person in the room at the time was Aunt Vera, who practically believes that Aiden is God . She’d do anything for him."
Serena felt a chill run down her spine, but she refused to show any sign of doubt. "Are you seriously suggesting that Aiden orchestrated all of this? That he somehow caused Grandma’s heart attack just so he would gain his inheritance?"
Nathan didn’t back down. "I’m saying it’s suspicious, Serena. Too suspicious to ignore. Aiden’s always had a way of getting what he wants, and he’s not above using people to do it.
"That’s enough!" Serena snapped, her voice rising with anger. "You’re throwing around accusations without a shred of evidence. Have you even for a moment considered that how worried Aiden is. Even now, when you’ve returned to the luxury of this home, he is sitting there, waiting for the news about Grandma."
"Nathan Hawk. You should be ashame of yourself to think that your brother is someone like that!"
Nathan’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t respond immediately. Ella, sensing the tension escalating again, quickly intervened. "Nathan, stop it. We don’t need this right now. Grandma is in the hospital, and we should be focusing on her recovery, not tearing each other apart."
Serena snorted," At least someone in this family has some sort of commin sense. I am full. Thank you for the breakfast. And if you have any more baseless accusations, keep them to yourself."
As Serena walked out, Ella and Nathan exchanged a glance. Nathan was about to say something but Ella shook her head and stood up, as she quietly spoke," Not now, Nathan."