CHAPTER 411

With a tight clench of her hand and her teeth biting down hard on her lip, Clara felt an agonizing pain slowly welling up in her heart.

She thought she could have maintained her calm, even in the face of the prospect of Emmett being together with Leah. But then why did it still hurt so much for her? is the owner.

“My boy, you haven’t gotten over her, have you?” Sophia’s words hit like a sledgehammer. She quickly pulled her son aside. “Don’t waste your pride on a woman like that. Kick her out of the Melendez family now! It’s been humiliating enough having her around, and now you’ve given her a job in our house? Are you trying to give me a heart attack? Every time I see her face, I feel

sick!”

“Well, then I’ll have her work with me and keep her away from you.”

“You’re missing the point entirely, son. She…”

Before Sophia could finish speaking, Emmett interrupted her curtly, “I have my reasons for my decisions. You brought Leah back without consulting me, didn’t you?”

“I… I…” Sophia was at a loss for words. “I did that for your own good. Leah is the biological mother of the two children, and if you two could be together, it would be good for everyone involved. That includes me, the Melendez family, and the kids. You should sever all ties with Clara and let each of us go our own way. Doesn’t that sound better?”

Emmett’s lips thinned, and after a moment, he spoke in a low voice. “I know what I’m doing, and I don’t need you to interfere. You better look after yourself!”

As she watched her son walk away, Sophia was angry but didn’t dare to vent her anger on him. Instead, she turned her ire towards Clara, who was still standing by.

“What are you standing there for? Didn’t you hear the young master tell you to serve us dinner? Hurry up and bring the plates! Change all the utensils!”

Clara nodded and was about to turn around when Sophia suddenly called out to her. “Also, I better not see you during dinner! I don’t care whether you pretend to have a stomach ache or feel nauseous. Just find some excuse to get out of the dining room!”

“Yes, I understand.”

Sophia gave her a dismissive glance before speaking again. “If this dinner goes well, Leah might soon become the lady of the Melendez family, and you’ll regret it then! You’ve let down my son’s affection for you, even going so far as to defy me, his mother. Clara, you really don’t have a heart, do you? Women like you deserve no sympathy. You’re nothing but a lowly wench. Now, scram!”

Clara’s hand remained clenched tight, her nails digging deep into her flesh.

She had expected her life in the Melendez family to be tough, but she hadn’t anticipated that her self- esteem would be trampled on her very first day!

And she had no power to resist. She could only endure!

Dinner began.

Sophia and Leah had already taken their seats, but Emmett was nowhere to be seen.

Clara’s eyes swept the room in search of Aiden and Alex, but none of them were present. Whether they were held up by something or Sophia had deliberately kept them away, the real reason was unknown.

As she looked around, a tall, slender figure suddenly entered her line of sight.

Emmett was here.

He was dressed in a formal black suit today.

It seemed that he was taking his meeting with Leah very seriously.

Clara instinctively looked away, unwilling to watch any longer. However, Emmett walked straight towards her, and in full view of everyone, he said, “Pull out the chair next to Leah for me. I’ll be sitting there.”