The Billionaire Ex-Wife and the Beggar He Became novel Chapter 409

The sudden outburst stunned everyone into silence.

After a few moments, Julian finally found his voice and snapped, "Tiana, what is wrong with you? Stop throwing tantrums!"

Henrietta's face went pale with shock. She instantly regretted having laid a hand on Tiana so soon after moving in. If Julian found out, not only would Felicity's marriage be over, but the entire Shepherd family might be run out of Greenwood City.

But she hadn't done anything wrong! Felicity had poured her heart out for that little brat, and in return, the girl was two-faced, nearly driving Felicity into a depression. That little monster was just as rotten as her mother. As her step-grandmother, wasn't it her right to discipline her? Even Janetta had told Felicity to be stricter with her. Spare the rod, spoil the child!

Henrietta remembered how much Janetta adored Felicity, who was now carrying Julian's twins. Tiana, on the other hand, was just the daughter of a woman Julian despised. Compared to Felicity, Tiana meant nothing in the Nicholson family.

Steeling herself, Henrietta decided to take a gamble. She was betting that Tiana wouldn't dare tell Julian.

She looked at the girl with a gentle expression. "Tiana, did you have a nightmare? Did something scare you?"

Tiana's eyes glazed over for a few seconds. Then she threw herself into Henrietta's arms and whimpered, "I'm sorry, Grandma, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it. I really saw a ghost just now, a really mean, scary ghost. I was afraid it would hurt you, so I tried to scare it away."

Her behavior baffled Julian.

"It's okay, sweetie, don't be scared. Even if there was a ghost, Grandma would fight it off to protect you, okay?" Henrietta asked patiently.

Tiana nodded obediently.

After breakfast, Julian received a call from a technician at a construction site and had to leave unexpectedly.

Once again, the house was left with just the Shepherds, Tiana, and the domestic staff.

Henrietta was now certain that Tiana wouldn't tell Julian about the pinching. The little brat was smart. She had to admit, Tiana was every bit as clever as Winona had been at sixteen. Her intelligence allowed her to understand the new power dynamic: her father loved Felicity, who was carrying his children. In this house, her father and Felicity were a family, and she was an outsider. If she complained, her father would side with the pregnant Felicity, not with her.

So, Tiana chose silence. The only thing a five-year-old could do was try to appease her tormentor in the hope of earning slightly better treatment. Henrietta, having been an elementary school teacher for a few years, understood child psychology well.

Once the housekeeper had cleared the table and gone upstairs to clean, Henrietta called out with a sweet smile, "Tiana, come here."