chapter2167

Nathaniel looked up from his plate; his gaze was ice on granite as it landed on the boy. "Don't push your luck."

Elliot's lower lip trembled, enthusiasm collapsing into a defeated droop.

Cecilia's heart clenched. She shot Nathaniel a warning glare, then turned back to her son. "Elliot, if you want friends here, of course, you can invite them."

Joy flickered back across the child's face, though he still glanced at Nathaniel, searching for final approval.

Nathaniel would never contradict Cecilia in front of the children, and they all knew it.

"Fine-have them over," he said, voice softer this time.

A grin burst onto Elliot's face, wide enough to chase every remaining shadow from the dining room.

That evening, Elliot typed energetic invitations to Dante and other classmates he could think of.

Because he had posted the news in the class group chat, Felix saw it too. A flicker of excitement sparked behind the other boy's eyes.

"Mom, can I go to a classmate's house tomorrow?" Felix asked, lingering by the kitchen doorway.

Miranda was nibbling fruit at the counter. Without looking up, she asked, "Have you finished every assignment your teacher gave you?"

Felix shook his head, eyes sliding toward the floor.

"Then why would you still want to go out and play?" Miranda's question sliced the air, as crisp as the apple in her hand.

Miranda set the porcelain bowl of sliced pears on a side table and rose, her tailored skirt swishing as she moved across the lamplight-soaked study. "Felix, you're not like the other children. You have to push yourself, because one day, this company- your grandfather's life's work-will rest on your shoulders. And when that day comes, I expect you to stand taller than each of your Uncle Nathaniel's kids. Do you understand?"

Felix's eyes dulled, the hopeful gleam collapsing into a small, gray puddle.

"But I'm nowhere near as smart as Jon..."

Miranda's spine went rigid. A sharp breath cut the air before her words did. "Who told you that nonsense? You're only lazy. If you worked half as hard, you'd run circles around Jon!"

Felix, still wanting to play with his classmates, fiddled with the hem of his t-shirt. "Mommy..."

From the couch, Adrian finally spoke, his voice a tired baritone that hadn't joined a board meeting in months. "He's still a kid, Miranda. Let him have a break. Don't steal every ounce of his joy."

For a heartbeat, Felix's face brightened, hope flickering like a match just struck.

Miranda swung toward Adrian, eyes flaring. "What do you know? Would you rather see your son grow up to hide at home like you—another coward with nothing to do?"

Color drained from Adrian's cheeks. They both knew he had no comeback, not with Felix watching, not with his own failures still raw.

Felix watched the argument in silence, the little spark inside him snuffed out as quickly as it came.

Miranda knelt, voice syrupy again as she brushed a stray curl off Felix's forehead.

"Felix, sweetheart, didn't I hire a private tutor for you? The teacher will be here any minute. Hurry back to the study and keep working."

"Okay..." With that, Felix shuffled toward the book-lined room, every step reluctant, shoulders sagging beneath invisible weights.

Night smothered the windows. It was past nine, but formulas and vocabulary words kept marching across Felix's notebook.

Only after the clock slid past eleven did the lesson finally end, the tutor closing his textbooks with a satisfied snap.

At the foyer, Miranda walked the tutor to the door, lowering her voice to a conspiratoriat hush. With the way Felix is progressing, he must rank near the top of his class now, correct?"

"Rest assured, Mrs. Rainsworth. With his daily lessons and natural talent, no one in

that classroom can outscore him. He'll take first place."

First place!

The phrase rang like a victory bell, and Miranda's grin was impossible to hide.

"Thank you!" she said, joy bubbling beneath every syllable.

Only after escorting the tutor to the door did she finally turn back inside.

Back in the study, Felix lay slumped over the desk, cheek pressed into an open workbook, breathing slowly with exhausted sleep.

Miranda lifted him gently, laying him

beneath the quilt. She smoothed the blanket her whisper barely stirring the dark. "Baby, don't blame me

for you. One day,

Everything dois for

you'll thank me for all this."

If her husband could not outshine Cecilia, then she had to make sure that her son

eclipsed Cecilia's sons. The thought hardened into a silent vow.

Miranda's fingers curled into a tight fist, knuckles whitening with quiet determination.

She'd once sent Felix overseas, hoping foreign boarding schools would forge a sharpermind, but he'd been too young-lonely nights and alien hallways had broken him.

With no better option, she had brought Felix home again—everything would now revolve around his success.

Word had it that Jonathan's school was the finest in the city, so she arranged for Felix to enroll there, too.