Chapter 261

It was a pitch-black night at the Gellar Villa. Shelby sat alone by the window, staring deep into the darkness with a cold, gloomy look, her fingers clenched tightly into fists.

'Kayla lied to me!' Shelby thought bitterly. 'She not only got her memory back, but also spilled all the secrets! Now, Gloria wants to cut me off, and the Kingsley family is pulling all their support from the Gellar family. So damn angry! So unfair!' Shelby fumed to herself, her heart burning with rage and hatred. 'I have a stake in the Kingsley family’s fortune too! What gives them the right to just snatch it away from me?' she seethed.

“Mom, I’m back.” The door swung open and a travel-worn Marvin strode in. “Mom, what happened? Why did you call me back in such a hurry?”

“Marvin, Kayla has regained her memory. She told everyone about how I accidentally kidnapped her back then,” Shelby said quietly, turning her gaze away from the window.

Marvin’s face changed, his expression turning cold. “So what now? Is she coming after you for revenge?”

“She already has,” Shelby replied bitterly. “The Kingsley family is cutting all ties with us and taking back every bit of their support.”

“I’m finally getting my career off the ground…” Marvin frowned, frustration clear in his voice.

“Marvin, Landon is a ruthless man. Once he makes up his mind, there’s no changing it. How much more funding do you need?” Shelby asked, her voice steady but her eyes filled with worry.

“Mom, it’s not just about the money. It’s also about the connections and resources,” Marvin replied, his tone heavy with concern. All these years, the Gellar family only managed to rise up because of the Kingsley family’s money and reputation. Every business deal, every partnership–they only worked with them because of the Kingsley family. Once the Kingsleys stopped pretending to support them, who would still show him any respect? Even if someone truly valued his abilities, they wouldn’t dare go against the Kingsley family. The Gellar family was finished.

“Mom, I’m not willing to just accept this,” Marvin muttered, clenching his fists, a stormy, hostile glint flickering in his eyes.

“I’m not willing to give up either,” Shelby replied, turning her head to gaze out the window again. “How’s your brother holding up?”

“He’s alright. But…” Marvin frowned deeply. “Mom, do we really have to bring him back?”

Shelby gave a sly, sarcastic laugh. “He’s also a Kingsley. He has every right to inherit a share of the Kingsley family’s assets.”

Marvin hesitated, clearly conflicted, and didn’t respond right away.

Shelby stood up and walked over to him. “Marvin, with that inheritance, your career will skyrocket.”

“Mom…” Marvin still hesitated.

'But my brother… he really isn’t in a good place right now,' Marvin thought to himself.

“Go. Bring him back,” Shelby said firmly. “Since the Kingsley family has decided to tear off all pretense with me, I don’t need to care about our sisterly bond anymore. Just trust me. Everything I do is for your own good.”

“Yes, Mom,” Marvin finally replied, nodding.

Gloria fell ill. Even with her grandsons by her side, the shock and emotional stress were just too much for her to handle. What started as a simple cold ended up leaving her stuck in bed for days. Wesley came by several times, saying it was all in her heart, and that only time could help her get over it.

Landon was swamped with work, so Amelia took it upon herself to look after Gloria. Amelia was busy preparing for Kayla’s wedding while also taking care of Gloria. Landon’s heart ached for her. “Honey, just let Tuff take care of the wedding.”

Amelia smiled and said, “Men never pay attention to the details. There are some things I just have to keep an eye on myself.”

Landon couldn’t help but wonder if the reason she was so enthusiastic about other people’s weddings was because they never had one of their own. He pulled her into his arms, nuzzling close to her ear as he murmured, “Honey, why don’t we have our own wedding too?”

“No rush. Let’s wait until Kayla gets married first,” Amelia said with a soft smile. “Seniority matters, you know?”

“But I hate making you wait like this,” Landon said, sounding a little guilty.

“Pfft, what’s the big deal?” Amelia laughed. “We’ve got our marriage certificate, had our son, and everyone in Norava knows we’re husband and wife.”

“But… it just doesn’t feel special, you know? There’s no real sense of ceremony,” Landon said, sounding a little disappointed.

“Having you by my side is all the ceremony I need!” Amelia replied, her tone light and full of warmth. Amelia brushed it off so nonchalantly that Landon found himself genuinely confused.

'Isn’t every woman supposed to look forward to her wedding? Why is she so different?' he wondered. What Landon didn’t know was that Amelia had already gone through a wedding before–and honestly, it was awful. All that happiness and harmony had just been a show put on by the Edwards and Foster families, and she’d been the only fool who didn’t see through it. To her, a wedding was nothing more than a ceremony–she truly didn’t care about it at all. As long as Landon treated her right, every day felt like a little romantic moment.

Finally, Gloria recovered before Kayla’s wedding.

The wedding was a grand affair. To cover up the scars on her face, the makeup artist snipped off bits of lace from a mask and used them to artfully conceal the marks—not only hiding the scars but also giving her a one-of-a-kind, elegant look. Kayla couldn’t have been happier with how it turned out.

She gently touched her face and asked, “Tuff, do you think I should wait until my face heals before we have the wedding?”

“No, no! You look amazing just the way you are,” Tuff replied, grinning from ear to ear. He thought, 'Seriously? If she waits for facial treatment, the wedding would be pushed back another two months. I don’t want to wait even a single day longer!'

“You’re such a fool,” Kayla said, shaking her head with a laugh.

Brian stood quietly off to the side, silently watching as the two of them teased and bantered with each other. All along, Kayla never had a clue about how he truly felt about her.

Aiden also showed up. Watching his former sister remarry and become someone else’s wife, Aiden was filled with complicated emotions. “Kayla, congratulations…”

“Thanks.” Kayla gave him a hug. She smiled and said, “You’re not getting any younger, you know. Maybe it’s time you started thinking about settling down.”

“I will,” Aiden replied with a smile, swallowing the bitterness in his heart. People in the Kyle family were just born stubborn. Once they decided on someone, there was no way they could ever move on to anybody else. Just like his brother–he fell for the scarred Kayla, and no matter what, he just couldn’t accept Poppy, even though their parents tried everything to make Poppy look exactly like Kayla.

“Uncle Aiden.” Landen hugged Aiden’s leg, looking up at him with big, innocent eyes. “You’ve lost weight.”

“Have I?” Aiden smiled, ruffling his hair. “Maybe it’s just that you’ve grown taller.”

“I really missed you,” Landen said, his voice soft and sincere.

“I missed you too,” Aiden replied, his heart warming at the sight of the little guy. Aiden crouched down, and the two of them started catching up, telling each other about what they’d been up to.

Kayla watched them, her heart swelling with relief and quiet happiness.

Amelia had just walked up to the dressing room, but when she spotted Aiden inside, she quietly slipped away without saying a word.

“He wouldn’t dare try anything,” Landon said with a low chuckle, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.

After all, the antidote was in Amelia’s hands. Aiden would still be at her mercy for another ten years.

“I know, but I’d really rather not have any contact with him at all,” Amelia said, her tone calm but resolute. Aiden’s obsession had left her with a deep psychological shadow.

“As long as you’re happy,” Landon replied, giving her a reassuring look. With just a glance, Aaron immediately had someone start tailing Aiden. If Aiden dared to try anything shady, there was no way they’d ever let him off the hook.

The wedding was absolutely grand, and Daniel and the Hughes family showed up too. Amelia and Landon were busy greeting guests, and no one even noticed when Marvin slipped in. They didn’t realize his presence until he walked right up onto the wedding stage.

“Marvin? What are you doing here?” Gloria blurted out, her voice tinged with panic. She hadn’t even invited anyone from the Gellar family!

Tuff immediately moved to shield Kayla, standing protectively in front of her, his whole body tense with caution. Landon’s expression turned cold, and he was ready to step in as well.

Marvin gave a small, sly smile. “Aunt Gloria, I brought someone to Kayla’s wedding.”

“Who?” Gloria asked.

“Him.” Marvin pointed.

Shelby, sitting in the audience, raised her hand and, with a meaningful gesture, pointed to the young boy beside her.

The boy looked about thirteen or fourteen, and his face bore an uncanny resemblance to Landon.