Old Mr. Lancaster looked at the girl's bright, makeup-free face and noticed the clear signs of exhaustion under her eyes.
He couldn't help but frown, though he managed to control his emotions. "Serena, when will you be back?"
Serena glanced at the time. "I'm not sure. Don't wait up for me. I'll call home when I'm done."
With a polite nod, she turned and quickly walked away.
Watching her hurried departure, Catherine sighed deeply. "That child... why is she so busy every single day?"
Isabella scoffed silently.
Busy with what?
It was all an act, wasn't it?
Could Serena, a country girl who hadn't even finished high school, possibly be busier than her father or brother? Busier than she was, spending her days analyzing experimental data, writing papers, and meeting with people like Mr. Harrison?
Everyone else made time for her.
Yet she was the one pretending to be some important, busy person.
She clenched her fists and let out a seemingly innocent sigh. "My sister really has it tough, not even having time for a single bite of breakfast."
However, no one took the bait.
Catherine stared at the front door, where Serena's figure had long since vanished, her eyes full of worry and heartache. "I heard from the staff that the light in Serena's room was on all night. I'm afraid she didn't sleep at all, and now she has to rush out so early in the morning. How can her body handle it?"
"Mom, don't worry too much," Julian said, adjusting the gold-rimmed glasses on his nose. "This sister of mine... is anything but simple."
Everyone's attention shifted to him, not quite understanding what he meant by "not simple."
Julian continued, "Last night when I brought her some milk, I saw what she was working on in her room... was all incredibly complex code, data, and system architecture. The level of complexity was so high that even I couldn't understand it."
His tone held an admiration he himself didn't realize. "Whatever she's working on... it's probably no small matter."
More importantly, the glance he'd gotten of Serena's computer screen last night was likely just the tip of the iceberg.
And that tiny glimpse alone was enough to leave him utterly stunned.
Hearing this, Catherine's heart ached even more. "She's so young. Why does she
have to bear so much pressure? It's not like we can't support her..."
"You should be happy for her," Old Mr. Lancaster said, stroking his chin with a proud smile. "Stop your needless worrying. No child of the Lancaster family is a weakling Serena isn't the type to depend on her family to get by. The fact that she has such capabilitiesand can shoulder such responsibilities is a good thing."
His voice was filled with undisguised pride. "Even Julian says she's not simple. That means she's truly outstanding. She's a true Lancaster!"
Isabella stood to the side, listening as her grandfather's words dripped with approval and pride for Serena. She watched as her parents and brother all nodded in agreement.
Their blatant admiration felt like needles stabbing at her heart.
Right now, they should be proud of her, of the fact that she was about to become Mr. Harrison's student!
If Serena were really that amazing, she would have been bragging about it all over the house. Why would she be so secretive?
They didn't even know what Serena was doing, so what were they so proud of?
Isabella clenched her fists, feeling more and more like she was being completely marginalized in this family.
Agnes, who had been standing behind Isabella, saw the twisted expression on her face and quickly tried to steer the conversation back to her it's true. The children raised by you, sir, and Mr and Mrs. Lancaster are all exceptional. Look at Miss Isabella, she's on her way to meet Mr. Harrison right now."