When Fate Plays Its Hand (Miranda and Hansel)

Chapter 0743

Timothy waved his hand dismissively. "No need, I'll serve myself..."

"Nonsense! We're all family here." Before Timothy could finish, Lionel had already added two heaping servings of ribs to his plate.

Timothy froze, momentarily at a loss for words.

Nelly smiled sweetly, but her gaze toward Timothy was full of derision. "Look how attentive my brother-in- law is. No wonder Minnie chose him.

Timothy kept his head down to focus on his meal, deliberately ignoring her. Nelly clenched her teeth in frustration but forced herself to maintain composure. She took a deep breath to suppress her irritation.

3

After lunch, Lionel took the initiative to clean up the dishes, with Miranda assisting him.

Mindy didn't idle either; while her husband and daughter handled the washing, she wiped the table and prepared some fruit.

Aren and Fiona relaxed on the sofa, watching television. Having finished his meal, Sam excused himself, citing work commitments, leaving Timothy and Nelly alone to accompany the elders.

Finally finding a moment to speak, Fiona turned to Timothy. "Tim, what brings you here?"

Nelly quickly jumped in with a smile. "I told him, of course."

Fiona's expression showed surprise as she gave Nelly a pointed look.

"Mom, what kind of look is that? We've found Minnie. Shouldn't Timothy, as her brother-in-law, be among

the first to know? Besides, he's done so much over the years to help search for her!"

Fiona's tone turned wary. "Is that truly what you were thinking?"

"What else then? That I'd dwell on their past relationship? Wonder if seeing each other again after all this time might rekindle old feelings?"

Aren and Fiona's expressions darkened simultaneously.

Timothy's voice dropped, chilling the air. "Nelly, watch your words. Choose them carefully."

"What am I saying that's so wrong? I'm not yelling or causing a scene. Is this not what you mean by speaking properly? Or should I soften my tone, like this-Hi, Tim. Is that better?"

"You're being utterly unreasonable!" Timothy snapped, his eyes narrowing with icy anger.

Nelly didn't seem fazed. She cast a quick glance at the visibly upset elders before flashing a sharp smile.

"Of course, I trust Minnie. She has a wonderful husband now-why would she spare a thought for her brother-in-law?

"But what I'm afraid of is someone who still hasn't woken up from their decades-long dream, clinging to things they shouldn't."

"That's enough," Timothy cut in coldly. "There's no need for these veiled accusations. You don't need to meddle In what won't happen. And no amount of effort will change what you can't stop. Is that answer satisfactory?"

"You" Nelly trembled with fury, then turned her glare to the silent elders. Chapter 0743

With a bitter laugh, she grabbed her bag and stormed out. "Fine! You're all one big happy family. I'm the outsider here. I'll leave!"

Mindy emerged from the kitchen while holding a plate of fruit and immediately noticed Nelly's absence. "Where's Nelly?"

Timothy replied, "She had something urgent to attend to and left."

Mindy didn't dwell on it and instead offered to have Timothy stay for dinner. He shook his head with a faint smile. "I can't; I still have work to handle. I should get going.

"So soon?"

Timothy nodded. There was a trace of helplessness in his smile.

Mindy responded warmly, "At least let me walk you out."

"Alright."

The two strolled through the garden. It was deep winter, and the flowers were gone, but the greenery in the potted plants remained well-maintained.

"Did you plant these yourself?" Timothy asked.

Mindy shook her head with a soft laugh. "Not me-I wouldn't know where to start. These are all Lionel's babies. There's even a little vegetable patch in the backyard. The greens we had for lunch today came from it."

As she mentioned Lionel, an unintentional smile played at her lips, and her expression unconsciously softened. She didn't seem to notice the shift, but Timothy saw it all too clearly.

He couldn't quite describe what he felt. Mindy stood right beside him, yet it felt as though she were separated by an unbridgeable chasm, as distant as a world away.