Chapter 268

"All you talk about is your mother! You don't want anything good to happen to your sister. You sure are your mother's good daughter!" Tony Cummins shouted, storming into the room. Moments later, he emerged with a photo album.

Grace shivered. It was her mother's photo album—filled with pictures of her and her mother.

She watched as Tony Cummins produced a lighter and ignited the album. "Since you don't want anything good to happen to your sister, I don't need to give you this photo album. Your mother wouldn't have wanted a daughter like you!"

The album burst into flames. He threw it onto the tiled floor.

Grace almost screamed. She frantically beat at the flames with her sleeves, trying to extinguish them.

It can't burn! It can't! she thought. The photos were precious memories.

She didn't know how long she screamed, only that she continued beating at the flames, even as they burned her hands. She was a whirlwind of frantic energy.

Her desperate actions horrified Tony Cummins, Melinda Riley, and Evelyn.

Finally, the flames subsided. Grace looked at the charred album, tears streaming down her face. Staggering, she clutched the album to her chest and glared coldly at the man she was supposed to call father.

He had treated his wife's precious possessions so carelessly—the belongings of a woman he had vowed to love forever. It was clear her mother was no longer in his heart. Their so-called love had vanished without a trace.

Her elegant face was a tear-streaked mess, but her almond-shaped eyes remained cold.

Tony Cummins was momentarily taken aback by her intensity. He recovered quickly, saying, "You why are you looking at your father like that? I'll burn the album if I want to. What can you do about it?"

Grace laughed, her eyes growing even colder. "If Mom were still alive, she'd surely wonder why she married a jerk like you!"

"Is that how you should be speaking to me?" Tony Cummins, enraged, raised his hand and slapped Grace hard across the face.

Grace stumbled but quickly regained her balance, clutching the damaged photo album.

"You're not worthy to be her husband! If you had any affection for her, you wouldn't have burned this album!" she spat.

She stormed out of the Cummins house, clutching the remains of the photo album.

The three remaining people exchanged uneasy glances.

"Why did you burn it like that? What if she hadn't put out the fire? It could have been fatal!" Melinda Riley said fearfully.

"It wouldn't have burned that easily," Tony Cummins retorted, still angry and feeling his authority had been challenged. "If it had, she would have brought it upon herself!"

"Isn't she with Jason now? Do you think she's going to complain to him and get even with us?" Melinda Riley asked anxiously.

"She dares not!" Tony Cummins growled. "I'm still her father. Get even? If she dares, I'll make sure she never finds her mother's grave!"

Evelyn lowered her head, a glint in her eyes. She was secretly disappointed the fire hadn't consumed Grace.