Chapter 469 - 468

Chapter 468

After Helen finished speaking, Keira furrowed her brows.

….

Keira said, “I would like to turn our strained relations with the Gill family into a friendly one, but do you think that just by apologizing, the Gill family will let this matter go?”

She didn’t want to bring a bad end upon the Olsen family because of her personal affairs. Besides, she was planning on cooperating with the Gill family…

Although Helen’s suggestion was a bit extreme, Keira didn’t mind suffering a little indignity if it could mend the relationship. After all, finding her mother was also a matter of urgency.

Helen immediately said, “I will step in and mediate for you. Trust me.”

Her words made Keira hesitate slightly.

James immediately explained, “Aunt Helen is from the Gill family. She’s Austin’s paternal aunt.”

Keira was surprised. She never imagined that the Olsen and Gill families were connected by marriage.

If that were the case, why did Lady Gill have to make things so unpleasant?

Helen sighed and said, “Keira, in truth, this matter is mainly because my sister-in-law got carried away. You don’t know her… She’s all about saving face! She used to have a crush on your father, and despite pursuing him for so long, your father never spared her a glance. She has held a grudge for a long time, always wanting to prove herself to him. If this situation involved any of the brothers, including Ellis, my sister-in-law wouldn’t have made such a big issue out of it!”

She looked at Keira. “You didn’t cause this trouble right after you came back. It’s more like your father has dragged you into this! But now isn’t the time to figure out who is right or wrong. It was never a big deal to begin with. Jackson is always fooling around. Do you think Lady Gill doesn’t know the truth? It’s just that she can’t swallow her pride!”

Helen continued. “I came here today intending to act as a mediator. As the younger generation, if you go with me to apologize to my sister-in-law, admitting that you were too heavy-handed, we can resolve this crisis between our two families, which would be good for both sides!”

Seeing Helen speak so sincerely, Keira stood up decisively. “Alright, Aunt Helen, I’ll listen to you. Let’s go.”

James and Kate immediately followed behind her. “Keira, we’ll go with you!”

“That won’t be necessary.”

Keira stopped them. “Taking so many people there isn’t good; it’ll look like we want to provoke them. Just Aunt Helen and I will be enough.”

She stopped Lewis from following and left for the Gill family just with Helen.

They weren’t turned away at the door, but the butler ushered them into the parlor, not the living room.

Helen’s face stiffened. Every time she returned to her maternal home, she was treated as if she were in her own house. Since when did they start being so courteous?!

It seemed her elder sister-in-law was indeed angry at them!

Helen sighed again, glanced at Keira, and said, “Don’t worry, and don’t be afraid. My elder sister-in-law may seem cold on the outside but is warm on the inside; she won’t do anything to a young woman like you…”

Keira raised an eyebrow, about to say she wasn’t afraid when Aunt Helen said, “Moreover, I’m here today. If the Gill family dares to lay a hand on you, I will stop them!”

Keira didn’t know what to say. She wanted to say there was no need to do that; these people probably weren’t her match. But seeing Helen’s resolute demeanor, she kept her silence.

Helen had gone to see her and asked her to come and apologize. Though Keira felt somewhat displeased, Helen’s protective stance… Helen must have been sincere about the welfare of the two families.

Just then, footsteps approached from outside, followed by Lady Gill’s icy entrance. Upon seeing Keira, she gave a contemptuous snort and sat on the sofa before turning to Helen. “Helen, what brought you back today?”

Helen couldn’t help but retort. “This is my home! Can’t I return to my own house now?”

Her tone carried a hint of endearment.

Lady Gill scoffed. “Your home? Isn’t your home the Olsen residence? I almost thought you had forgotten your last name!”

Helen sighed and walked straight up to Lady Gill. “I’ve brought Keira here today to apologize to you. Our family and the Olsens have been on good terms for many years. This time, that brat Jackson was out of line! Keira saw him bullying her good friend and couldn’t contain herself. She hit him a tad too hard… Please don’t be mad.”

Lady Gill scolded. “A tad too hard? And what would you call a real beating then?”

Helen pouted. “Don’t take this the wrong way. Jackson is, after all, from the second branch, and you know the kind of person my brother is. He’s flaky, and my sister-in-law spoils the child rotten. As a result, Jackson has caused no end to the trouble for so many years! How can you blame Keira for being tough on him if he isn’t disciplined? Besides, I’ve heard that when Keira was in the Freeman Sect, Jackson bullied her for years! As for accountability, the Olsen family hasn’t even pursued it with him, which is fortunate for you. So why are you turning the tables on us?”

Lady Gill sneered. “You keep talking about the Olsen family—if you’re one of them, why are you here at our place?”

Helen grew angry. “My last name is Gill, and I can come over whenever I want! Are you favoring and protecting Jackson and won’t let me speak? It was his fault… Don’t we Gills also stand for reason?”

Helen then turned to Keira. “Moreover, I’ve brought Keira here, and that should be enough. Don’t waste the chance I’m giving you to make this right! Do you want to put the Gills and the Olsens through the wringer over one Jackson? Do you know what people outside are saying about us now?”

She stared at Lady Gill. “Keira’s father is surrounded by shareholders at the company, demanding an explanation. I think the Gill family isn’t putting similar pressure on you. Are the two great families headed toward being mortal enemies? Have you made up your mind to make me choose between my natal family and my marital family over that no-good nephew? Didn’t you look down on him before? How can you be so foolish this time?”

Lady Gill silently sighed. “Do you know what Jackson did?”

Helen shook her head. “I don’t.”

Lady Gill said, “He helped us find Barbara’s jade pendant.”

Helen was immediately dumbstruck. “What? Barbara? You have news of Barbara?”

Barbara was Lady Gill’s missing daughter.

Lady Gill immediately nodded. “With Jackson earning such merit for us, how could I not protect him? If we can find Barbara, even if it costs our family’s entire fortune, I would willingly pay it!”

Helen was rendered speechless. Everybody in the Gill family was looking for Barbara, especially those from the first branch. If Jackson had helped them find such critical evidence, then no wonder Lady Gill staunchly supported him. Jackson had indeed earned a great merit for the first branch!

As she struggled to find words, Keira seemed to realize something and asked, “Lady Gill, the day that Jackson helped you find the jade pendant, wasn’t that the same day the incident occurred?”

Lady Gill asked reflexively, “How did you know?”

How did she know?

Of course, it was because, on that day, Jackson snatched away Nara’s jade pendant! Afterward, she even went purposefully to the hospital, asking Jackson to return it to Nara… At the time, she had only caught a glimpse and hadn’t seen it. But now… In an instant, Keira understood something!!