"What does Lyra know? She quit her job to become a comic artist on a whim. Dad, Uncle Dan, do you guys really agree with them, or are you just too afraid to tell them no?" Ace's voice rose slightly, his emotions clearly getting the better of him. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, his frustration mounting. He felt as though all his hard work to shelter his family from the unknown was being rendered worthless. The shock of hearing they were planning on inviting the unknown into their lives made his head spin. He cast a helpless glance at the ceiling, resisting the urge to shout, 'Oh, God, why can't I catch a break?'
"Boy, ease now," Dan warned, raising his hand slightly as though to calm his nephew. His voice softened but carried a firm undertone as he added, "It doesn't matter what we think. If we don't support our women, who will?"
"What the fu–heck do you mean, Dan?" Pam snapped, her eyes narrowing as her voice rose. She caught herself mid-outburst, correcting her language in consideration of the children present. She straightened her posture, folding her arms as she shot her husband a sharp glare.
"Well, since you asked, I think it's a stupid idea. I don't want strangers in or anywhere near my property," Dan declared firmly, his hands planted on his hips. His voice carried an edge, emboldened by his nephew's bravery. A hint of pride flickered across his face as he thought, 'I was right to choose my nephew over Mandy as my successor. If it were up to her, she would have let her sisters take out mortgages on his property and turn it into a damn tourist dump.'
"Alwin, tell me that you don't agree with your brother," Mary demanded, turning her sharp gaze on her husband. Al, who had been hoping to stay out of the mess, shifted uncomfortably, running a hand through his hair. He sighed, realizing he had no choice.
"Honey, how can you ask me that? Don't you know you have my unparalleled support in everything?" Al said, spreading his arms with exaggerated sincerity. "I think the orchard bed and breakfast is a great idea. I've already started preparing a proposal in my mind to secure a bank loan for it. Honestly, I'm hurt you would doubt me."
"Al, that is clearly not what you said to me earlier—" Dan began, leaning forward slightly, about to expose his brother.
"Stop this nonsense!" Al interrupted, raising his voice and throwing his arms in the air. "We have an event to attend in half an hour. We can discuss this later. For now, all of you will forget this and behave such that the whole town thinks we're the model happy big family."
Mary narrowed her eyes suspiciously, her lips pursed, while Pam gave her husband a sharp, icy glare. After a tense moment, Pam relented, her voice clipped as she said, "Fine. We'll continue this right after we return from the party."
As they agreed to postpone the argument and dispersed, Mandy sauntered up to Ace with a devilish grin. She tilted her phone toward him, showing its screen. Ace's eyes widened slightly as he saw his elder sister, Lyra, staring at him through the video call, her expression one of obvious disappointment.
"Is that truly what you think of me? I thought you had my back little bro. Or now that you own a estate worth couple of millions, you think you're better than your elder sister?" Lyra's tone was sharp, her brows furrowing as she spoke.
"Lyra—it's not lik—" Ace began, his voice faltering as he tried to explain.
But Lyra didn't give him a chance. With a huff, she hung up the video call, leaving Ace staring at the now-black screen in stunned silence.
Noticing his shoulders slump, Mandy's grin only widened. She patted him on the back in mock sympathy before cheerfully ordering, "Dress in something pretty. Tonight, you're going to be my shield. This town has a lot of sleazy men who want a taste of your auntie."
Ace blinked and looked at Mandy blankly, his face devoid of any humor. He clearly wasn't in the mood to joke around, and his tired gaze made that abundantly clear.
Ace, dressed in a white funnel shirt under a denim jacket paired with dark-wash jeans and a pair of sneakers, stepped out of the house as his father locked the front door. His gaze shifted to Mandy, who was leaning casually against her car, dressed in an outfit identical to his.
"What a coincidence?" Mandy muttered, her brows raising slightly as she gave him a once-over. Her thoughts betrayed her expression, 'Damn, he looks better than me in this. But I don't want to change.'
"Mandy, now will you change into a dress?" Pam demanded, crossing her arms as she looked at her sister disapprovingly. The one night she wanted Mandy to flaunt her beauty and charm, she chose to dress like a tomboy.
"Arrgh," Mandy sighed in annoyance, running a hand through her hair. She turned sharply and headed toward her car, muttering, "You guys go ahead. I'll join you at the event after I change."
"Ace, you go with Mandy. She needs someone to accompany her tonight. And don't you embarrass her," Mary said, giving Ace a pointed look.
Ace froze, his eyes widening in disbelief as he turned to face his mother. "Mom, are you alright?" he asked, his tone laced with incredulity.
"Ace Lander, just do as I say," Mary ordered, her voice firm. She watched Mandy with a softened expression as she thought, 'Yes, she can be a bit playful, but she's smart enough not to cross the line.'
Still shaking his head slightly, Ace climbed into Mandy's Chevy. As he buckled his seatbelt, he cast a lingering, bewildered look back at his mother, feeling an inexplicable sense of betrayal in his heart.
Mandy slid into the driver's seat, her lips curling into a mischievous grin. She glanced at him sideways and muttered under her breath, "Don't worry, nephew, auntie doesn't plan on eating you right away. Now that you're all mine, I plan to slowly savor you."
With that, she pressed her foot on the gas, the engine roaring to life as they drove off. Mandy smirked to herself, thinking, 'The way to trap a mama's boy is to capture his mama's heart first.' Her stud-hunting efforts were finally showing promising results.