"Did she really believe my acting? I did good, didn’t I, brother? You believe now, don’t you? I still have my acting chops intact!"
The older woman’s grin stretched wide as she clutched a little doll tightly to her chest, her eyes gleaming with a mixture of triumph and mischief. She glanced up at her younger brother, her expression expectant and brimming with childlike eagerness, as though his approval were the most important thing in the world.
He let out a soft chuckle, patting her gently on the head. "Yes, you’re still the best actor. You had convinced too. If I wasn’t constantly worried about you getting hurt, I’d have written roles for you in movies myself. You’d have swept every award there is to win."
Her giggle was light and lodic, more fitting for a girl decades younger, as she spun the doll in her hands. She cast him a coquettish glance, her lips curling into a playful pout. "I don’t need awards, brother! I already have the best prize— you! What could an award possibly an to when I have the best brother in the world?"
He shook his head at her theatrics. She tilted her head, her mood shifting ever so slightly as a pensive look crept into her eyes. "But, brother..." Her voice softened, and she glanced at him almost shyly. "That girl... The one you sent to judge my acting. She looked so much like my best friend from all those years ago. Like Edwina. It was startling. For a mont, I—I almost forgot to act. I could barely stay in character when I saw her face. It was like a ghost from the past had co alive."
Her brother’s gaze narrowed, his eyes lingering on her for a mont before he let out a asured sigh. Still, he reached out and gently patted her head comfortingly. "Then it’s good that you didn’t break your act. You did well, and you will be rewarded for this. Now, I want you to go back to your room and rest for a while. I have so things to discuss with Michael here."
The woman pouted, her lips forming a dramatic curve of discontent as she turned her attention to the man seated silently at the table. Her eyes narrowed at him with playful defiance, and she wrinkled her nose like a child who had been denied her favorite treat. "I don’t like him," she declared petulantly, her voice rising just enough to emphasize her displeasure. "He’s always taking up your ti. You spend too much ti with him, brother."
Her older brother’s jaw tightened at her words, and his sharp glare made her flinch slightly. "Nvidia," he said firmly, his voice low and steady, "don’t speak like that. Michael is important to you, isn’t he? Don’t you rember how he used to play with you when we were younger? He’s been there for you, always."
Nvidia crossed her arms and shifted on her feet, her pout deepening into a sulk. "Well, he doesn’t play with anymore," she muttered under her breath, her tone sulky but tinged with genuine hurt. She glanced sideways at Michael and stuck out her tongue childishly. "So I don’t like him anymore. Go away, Michael."
Instead of taking offence, the man smiled and shook his head,"Okay okay. I know you are angry with . I’ll definitely co play with you next ti, hmm? We can play hide and seek. No, go and rest mother."
The old woman wrinkled her nose at him and shuffled back towards her room. She was tired. Her body was too weak.
Michael watched his mother go and felt the familiar ache in his heart. This child-like woman was his mother. But she had no knowledge of it. As a child, he used to think that she was so ecccentric aunt of his, so it had taken a lot of ti for him to co to terms with the fact that this was his mother. Nvidia Dawn was the woman who had given birth to him. The woman who had always been like a child. And everyti he looked at her, it galled him to accept this state of his mother. It was why he usually avoided coming to see his uncle. But today, there was need. He didn’t understand why he was doing this.
He was brought out from his distraction by his uncle’s voice who scolding Nvidia because she was still not leaving. "Don’t do that, Nvidia. Behave yourself."
Nvidia’s lips pressed together tightly, and she dropped her gaze, shuffling her feet in a mixture of defiance and submission. She gave one last, exaggerated huff before clutching her doll tightly to her chest as she stood at the door. But just as she was about to leave, she cast one more glance over her shoulder at Matthew. "You’ll co play with later, won’t you? You promised."
"Of course. Now go rest. I’ll co by soon."
Once Nvidia Dawn had left the room, Matthew turned to his uncle," Now tell . Why did Serena act like that? She took an about turn and offered Ava a way out instead of trying to continue froward. And why is she suspecting my mother of all people?"
Corrick’s lips curved into a sly smile, his eyes gleaming with the satisfaction of soone holding all the cards. He leaned back in his chair with deliberate ease, tapping his fingers against the armrest. "Your mother is my hidden card, Matthew," he said smoothly. "Quite a remarkable actress, wouldn’t you agree, despite her sickness, isn’t she?"
Matthew’s brow furrowed, "Yes, I’ll admit she can act well enough for short-term situations. But only because of those damn drugs you keep feeding her. That doesn’t explain what’s really going on here."
"Patience, my boy. Fine, let break it down for you. Do you rember how I drove Edward and his dear mother apart? The misunderstandings, the carefully placed doubts, and everything else that followed? It is ti to use the sa thing with Serena"
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