Chapter 336: Why is She Here Again?
The four of them walked into the dining room together.
The table was already laid with a spread of Yewhaina's most famous local dishes.
Adeline had tried Yewhaina cuisine before in Orienta and thought it was good. Now, looking at the spread before her, it seemed appetizing enough.
But after just one bite, she instantly regretted it.
Adeline shouldn't have insisted on trying the local food because it was absolutely awful.
This didn't even taste the same as the Yewhaina food she'd had in Orienta.
Gracie noticed the look on her face and let out a wry smile. "This is the authentic Yewhaina flavor. We hired a very famous chef to prepare it."
"You're new here, so l'm sure it's hard to get used to," Alberto added.
Adeline thought that maybe she just hadn't given it a fair shot yet.
So, she switched to another dish, give it another try.
After taking another bite, she decided to give up.
She'd rather stick to Orianto food.
"Don't force yourself," Isaac said with a chuckle.
"We have a chef in the house, so let him cook something else for you."
Adeline nodded.
However, she didn't want to trouble the chef with anything too complicated. She simply asked for a bowl of pasta.
When the rich, meaty sauce was poured over the pasta, Adeline felt her stomach come alive again.
She hadn't eaten much on the plane.
She devoured the entire bowl of pasta in no time.
After dinner, Gracie took her on a tour around the estate.
Yewhaina's seasons were the same as Orienta's, and it was winter here as well.
The two of them strolled through the yard,
bundled up in thick coats.
"Don't listen to your dad," Gracie suddenly said.
Adeline was momentarily confused, not sure what her mother meant.
"That banquet is just to introduce you to everyone. It's not a matchmaking event," Gracie said, rolling her eyes. "Don't take what he said about 'young talents' too seriously. He just loves to talk nonsense."
Adeline chuckled and replied, "I know. Dad was just joking."
Gracie sighed. "I know you... Forget it."
She wanted to say more but didn't want to upset her daughter.
"Mom, don't worry. I'm grown up now. I can handle my own matters of the heart," Adeline said with a reassuring smile.
Gracie shook her head helplessly.
Relationships weren't something she could simply handle with age.
Besides, Gracie had heard Adeline say that before meeting Harrison, she had never been in love or even had a crush on anyone.
That meant Harrison was her first love.
First loves were often impulsive and irrational, and Gracie worried that Adeline might miss her chance with someone she truly cared about.
"Alright, let's change the subject. Why don't you tell me about the relatives and friends I'll be meeting in a few days?" Adeline said.
"That way, I'll be a little more prepared when I meet them."
Gracie thought for a moment and began to introduce some of the more important relatives and friends.
In fact, the relatives who still kept in touch with them were the ones who hadn't abandoned them when they were at their lowest, and these relatives hadn't sided with the traitors.
"You have a distant cousin, a daughter of one of your aunts. She's a bit odd and doesn't really like socializing, but she's not a bad person.Just greet her briefly when you meet her."
"This lady is a little spoiled, though. She's been pampered by the family, but she probably won't act up in front of you. If she does, just let me know, and I'll deal with it."
Gracie went on to name a few more relatives, and Adeline made sure to remember them.
The Mendoza family had moved to Yewhaina nearly a hundred years ago, bringing along various branches of the family. Even though they had cleared out some people after the traitor incident, there were still quite a few relatives.
After they moved to Yewhaina, many of them married locals, so now most of their extended family were mixed-race.
Isaac's branch, however, had preserved their pure heritage, and there weren't many of them left.
Once Gracie finished her list, she looked at Adeline with a comforting smile. "Don't worry. Your dad is the head of the Mendoza family and the leader of the group. No one dares to offend him, and no one will dare to offend you either."
Of course, there were always some idiots who didn't know better.
Just then, the butler hurried over to them.
"Mrs. Mendoza, Miss Mendoza, Camilla Mendoza has arrived."
Gracie's expression immediately darkened.
"Why is she here again?"
At this, Adeline's curiosity was piqued. "Who is Camilla Mendoza?"
Since she had the Mendoza surname, Camilla must be a relative.
But Gracie hadn't mentioned her, and from the way she reacted, it seemed like she didn't exactly want Camilla there.
Gracie said, "Do you remember when we told you about the traitor who tried to seize power when your grandfather passed away and even wanted to kill you? He's your dad's cousin." Adeline nodded, recalling the story.
"Camilla is his daughter," Gracie said, her brow furrowing. "After we regained control, that traitor ended up taking his own life. Camilla was only four at the time."
They hated the traitor, and if it hadn't been for him, they wouldn't have had to endure so much pain. Most importantly, they wouldn't have been separated from their daughter.
Thinking back to the twisted face of that traitor, threatening to kill their daughter, Gracie had often thought about ending Camilla's life, too.
In the end, they couldn't bring themselves to harm a four-year-old girl.
Back then, Camilla had worn a little dress and stared at them, innocently asking where her parents had gone.
Her father had been a monster, but she was just an innocent child.
Isaac and Gracie didn't want to become like the traitor.
At that time, Camilla's mother had also committed suicide alongside her father, leaving her alone.
So. the handed Camilla over to relatives on her mother's side to raise.
But ever since Camilla became more aware, around seven or eight years old, she started showing up at the Mendoza family estate, crying and apologizing for her father's actions.
They couldn't bring themselves to hurt a little girl, but Camilla always brought back memories of her father, the man who had tormented them.
Every time Isaac and Gracie saw her, they couldn't help but remember the atrocities her father had committed.
That was why they'd been so annoyed every time she came over, always having the servants chase her away.
After that, Camilla came less and less frequently.
The last time she f showed up was two years ago.
So now, the butler wasn't sure whether to send her away again and came to ask for their opinion.
"Should we have her sent away?" the butler asked.
"Yes. Tell her not to come back. We don't want to see her," Gracie said, her voice clearly irritated.
"Understood."
After the butler left, Gracie and Adeline returned to the living room.
The air outside was cold, but the house was warm, and the servants brought them steaming cups of hot coffee.
Adeline had just taken a few sips when the butler returned, looking troubled.
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