Falling For The True Heiress

"We’re on break," Amelia said with a smile from the phone. "What about you? Where are you now?"

"I’m at home," Sylvia replied.

She switched the camera around, and the screen moved across the sitting room.

Amelia could now see everyone gathered there—the large sofa, the people sitting around it, and the warm afternoon light coming through the windows.

"Hey, little sis. Is that my sister-in-law?" Venny asked, already walking toward Sylvia.

"Mmm," Sylvia replied without even looking at him.

Venny stopped beside her and looked at the phone.

"Seriously? My little sister, who always has such a hard face, is now smiling like a pigeon," Vastin teased, a playful grin spreading across his face.

Sylvia didn’t even bother looking at him.

Vastin laughed. "She’s really ignoring me. So hurtful." He placed a hand over his chest, pretending to be wounded.

Amelia laughed softly from the other end of the call. "Who’s that?" she asked.

Sylvia turned the phone toward Vastin. "My big brother."

Vastin’s eyebrows lifted. "Big brother?"

"Hey, big brother," Amelia greeted politely.

Vastin’s face immediately brightened. "Hey, sister-in-law."

He stood up and walked over to Sylvia before sitting beside her.

Aldorin wasn’t going to miss the opportunity either. He moved closer and dropped onto the sofa beside Venny, already leaning toward the phone to get a better look at Amelia.

Sylvia sighed. "You three..."

She switched the camera back to the front.

The moment Amelia saw the three brothers sitting on either side of Sylvia, her eyes widened.

"Your brothers are handsome."

Sylvia’s smile disappeared immediately. She slowly looked at Vastin, then at Aldorin and Venny, before looking back at the phone.

Her eyes narrowed. Without saying anything, she stood up. "Babe, look at only me."

She lifted the phone slightly and gave Amelia a small pout. "Or am I not beautiful too?"

Mrs. Ashford, who had been quietly watching them, covered her mouth as a soft laugh escaped her.

Aldorin shook his head. "Wow." He leaned back in his seat, clearly entertained. "So my impossible little sister is actually this fragile."

Venny burst out laughing.

Vastin joined him, and the two of them leaned back against the sofa at almost the same time.

Sylvia frowned at them. "What’s funny?"

"Nothing," Venny managed between laughs.

Amelia smiled from the phone. "You’re always the most beautiful woman on this planet."

Sylvia’s expression changed immediately.

The pout disappeared, replaced by a satisfied smile. "That’s better."

Amelia laughed softly. "How are your parents?"

Sylvia glanced toward her parents. "They’re fine."

She walked over to them and held the phone out toward her mother. "Mom, take."

Mrs. Ashford reached out and accepted the phone. The moment she looked at the screen, she froze. Her fingers tightened slightly around the phone.

For a few seconds, she said nothing.

She simply stared at Amelia, then her eyes slowly moved from the screen to Sylvia.

"Amelia..." Her voice was quiet.

"Good afternoon, Ma," Amelia greeted politely.

Mrs. Ashford blinked and forced a small smile. "Good afternoon, my dear. How are you doing?"

"I’m fine, ma." Amelia kept smiling, but something about Mrs. Ashford’s expression made the smile feel uncertain.

There was something in her eyes. Something Amelia couldn’t understand. Her gaze briefly shifted away from the screen before returning.

Is she disappointed that I’m the one dating her daughter?

The thought slipped into Amelia’s mind. She immediately pushed it away.

Maybe she was simply surprised.

Maybe she hadn’t expected her to call Sylvia while everyone was together.

Still, the uneasy feeling remained.

Mr. Ashford noticed his wife’s expression.

He had been sitting quietly until then, but the moment he looked at the phone, his face changed too.

His eyes stayed on the screen for a moment, and then he swallowed hard.

His gaze slowly moved to Sylvia.

Sylvia noticed and furrowed her eyebrows.

She looked from her father to her mother.

"Mom?"

Mrs. Ashford didn’t answer immediately.

The room had suddenly become strangely quiet.

Even the teasing from earlier seemed forgotten.

Sylvia looked at her parents with growing confusion. "What happened?"

Before anyone could answer, a voice came from Amelia’s side.

"Amelia, come over."

Amelia turned her head toward the voice.

"Oh."

She looked back at the screen. "I have to go." She gave Sylvia a small smile and lifted her hand in a wave. "I’ll talk to you later. Bye."

Sylvia nodded. "Bye, babe," she said before ending the call.

The screen went black. Sylvia slowly lowered the phone. For a moment, she simply stared at it. Then she looked at her parents.

Neither of them spoke.

Mr. Ashford finally turned his attention toward Sandra.

Sandra was still sitting on the sofa. She hadn’t moved since the call started. She looked as though she were trying to understand what she had just witnessed.

That Sylvia actually has a girlfriend.

Mr. Ashford then shifted his gaze toward Drake.

Drake’s head was lowered. His hands rested quietly at his sides, and he hadn’t said a word.

Mr. Ashford took a slow breath.

"Please." His voice was calm, but there was no room for argument. "I want to have a brief discussion with my children."

He looked toward the entrance. "Mr. Vijay, please escort them out."

Sandra’s eyes widened slightly. She didn’t like that.

Not at all.

She wanted to know what had just happened.

Why had Mrs. Ashford reacted that way when she saw Amelia?

Why had Mr. Ashford looked so serious?

And why were they suddenly sending everyone away?

She opened her mouth as though she wanted to ask, but before she could speak, footsteps sounded from the hallway.

Mr. Vijay walked into the room. He stopped beside Sandra and politely gestured toward the door.

"Please, Miss."

Sandra stared at him, and then she looked toward Mr. Ashford.

He didn’t look back at her.

Her eyes moved to Sylvia. Sylvia was still standing beside her parents, confusion written clearly across her face.

Sandra’s fingers slowly tightened around the edge of her dress.

She wanted to stay. But there was no way she could argue with Mr. Ashford in front of everyone.

With a reluctant sigh, she stood.

She gave Sylvia one last look before turning toward the door. Drake silently followed.

Neither of them spoke as they walked out of the sitting room.

Mr. Vijay remained behind them until they had crossed the doorway.

The door slowly swung shut.

Click.

The quiet sound seemed louder than it should have been. For a few seconds, nobody inside the room moved.

Sylvia looked at the closed door and then turned toward her parents.

"Mom..." Her voice was softer this time. "What is going on?"

Mr. and Mrs. Ashford exchanged a long look.

"Break up with the Winston daughter."

The words fell heavily into the room.

Sylvia froze. Her eyes widened as she stared at her father, almost as if she had misheard him. For a few seconds, she couldn’t find her voice.

The quiet hum of the air conditioner filled the room, suddenly much louder than before.

She wasn’t the only one caught off guard.

Aldorin’s expression changed immediately.

Venny sat up straighter. Even Vastin, who had been relaxed moments earlier, went completely still.

Sylvia slowly swallowed. "W-why are you saying this, Dad?" Her voice came out quiet.

There was hurt in her eyes now, and she couldn’t hide it.

Mr. Ashford adjusted himself on the sofa. He looked at his daughter for a long moment before speaking.

"I’m not saying I’m against you liking the same gender." His voice was calm, but there was seriousness behind every word. "What I’m trying to say is that your relationship with that Winston daughter won’t last."

Sylvia’s fingers slowly curled against her palm. The words stung more than she expected.

"Why?"

Venny sat up even straighter. His brows pulled together as he looked at their father. "Why do you say that, Dad?"

Mr. Ashford let out a slow sigh. He rubbed his fingers together for a moment before resting his hands on his knees.

"I know you’re also a Winston." His gaze returned to Sylvia. "And since you told me you don’t want to inherit the family business, your sister will eventually have to take that responsibility."

Sylvia remained silent. She knew where this was going, but she didn’t want to hear it.

Mr. Ashford paused briefly before continuing. "And that responsibility comes with expectations."

He leaned back against the sofa, his eyes never leaving Sylvia. "Your sister will have to protect the Winston family’s name. She will have to make decisions that affect the company, the family, and the people who depend on it."

Sylvia’s chest felt tight. She looked down at her hands. The warmth that had been in the room earlier was gone.

All she could think about was Amelia’s smile on the phone. The way her voice had sounded when she called her babe. The thought of losing that suddenly felt too real.

Mr. Ashford continued. "So tell me, Sylvia..."

His voice softened slightly. "Do you honestly think your relationship with her will last?"

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