Right at this moment, Stella turned to look at him in confusion, “Why aren’t you sure of it?”
“It’s because she chased after a man at her birthday party several days ago regardless of the presence
of many people. When today’s worship ceremony is over, I guess they will criticize her emphatically.”
When the doyens of the James family began to educate a person, it would last for several hours.
The younger generations in the James family, no matter how naughty and unruly they were in usual
times, would be obedient in the two months before the ritual gathering as they were afraid that they
would be criticized in the ancestral hall if they created any trouble. The worst thing was that they
couldn’t refute it and could only listen to their criticisms obediently.
If they tried to refute or showed any weird expression, the denouncement, which was supposed to
come to an end in several hours, would last for longer.
Stella groaned a simple answer and slowly withdrew her gaze.
When Archer was talking excitedly, he spotted the coldness in Clarence’s eyes.
He immediately adjusted his expressions and stood there with his back straightened.
Maybe Elaine had heard his words, she subconsciously turned around. Her eyes lit up when she saw
Clarence, but when she prepared to run towards them, her arm was grabbed by her father Franklin.
Franklin criticized her in a low voice, “Do you know what day it is today and where you are?”
Elaine then turned around reluctantly.
Franklin looked toward Clarence and Stella, knitted his brows and pulled a long face.
Stella had seen such an expression numerous times, but she could understand it. After all, when a
father saw the man who abducted his daughter, it was normal for him to become angry.
Archer said in a whisper, “Almost all the James are here and the worship ceremony will begin five
minutes later.”
Stella asked, “But Darnell hasn’t arrived.”
Just as she finished the words, a tall man walked into the door.
It was Darnell.
The ancestral hall, which was prevailed by discussions, immediately became silent because of his
arrival.
After a short while, a sound from the crowd broke the silence, “You’ve gone too far. Worshipping
ancestors is such an important matter, yet you only arrived when it almost begins.”
Stella looked over following the sound and found it was from Archer’s second uncle who criticized
Archer at the door just now.
When they heard the words, some men chimed in low voices.
Darnell ignored it, walked into the ancestral hall and slightly bowed at the doyens to show his respect.
Elaine’s grand-grandfather, Hilbert James, stood up shivering with the support of his crutch, “Now that
everyone has arrived, the ceremony will begin. There’re many matters for this year and we will not
waste time.”
Darnell said, “Hold on. A person hasn’t arrived.”
Hilbert pushed the glasses on his nose bridge upwards, “Oh? Which naughty child is late?”
Everyone was waiting for Darnell’s explanation.
“It’s not my son.”
“It’s not my daughter either.”
“…”
Franklin looked around and said to Darnell, “I think everyone is here. Whom did you mention?”
Darnell’s mother stood beside him with a serious expression.
Darnell turned around, looked towards the door of the ancestral hall and said slowly, “She arrives.”
Everyone looked over the door simultaneously.
When they were pondering who the person was, a woman appeared in their visions.
When seeing the person, Stella’s pupils amplified. And she could clearly feel that the person beside her
also stiffened.
She slightly pressed her lips together and held his hand.
Under their shocked, confused gazes, Dolores walked into the ancestral hall step by step.
She knelt in front of Hilbert, and behind Hilbert were the memorial tablets of the ancestors of the James
family.
Dolores said slowly, “Dolores James is back.”
Hilbert studied her for a long time while holding his crutch and finally recognized her.
Seeing that Hilbert almost couldn’t maintain his balance, Franklin stepped forward to support him and
let him sit back into the chair.
Hilbert narrowed his eyes, “Are you Dolores James?”
In a simple costume, Dolores knelt on the ground with a straight back and replied, “Uncle, it’s me.”
There was a commotion from the crowd.
The younger generations might not know about the inside story, but those who were around Dolores’
age remembered it clearly. It was just that Dolores’ name became a tattoo in the family ever since she
left Riverside and no one dared to mention her.
The James family’s doctrine was that every member of the family could not leave Riverside.
The one who dared to leave Riverside would never be able to come back.
Back then, Dolores fell in love with a man from City N and their love story spread widely in just several
months. Many people felt jealous of it at that time.
Later, Dolores insisted on leaving Riverside with that man even though her name would have to be
erased from the family tree.
Dolores didn’t belong to the James family after her leaving.
Of course, some gossiping people once tried to probe into how her life was like after eloping with that
man to City N.
But they couldn’t find her.
It had been thirty years. Who would expect that she would come back to the James’ Mansion one day?
There were more and more questions from the crowd.
Even Hilbert’s expression had turned gloomy.
Darnell said, “It was me who invited aunt back. She’s born as a member of the James family, so why
can’t she go home?”
Hilbert broke the silence after a long while, “Darnell, do you forget the rules of your family?”
“I never forget it.” Darnell continued, “It was just that my grandfather told me before he died that his last
wish was that Aunt Dolores could come back to the family. He has died and I’m just completing his last
wish.”
The crowd became silent.
When Bancroft was still alive, he never mentioned his daughter and everyone thought he didn’t mind
her at all.
Even so, even if Bancroft was still alive, he could not violate the ancestors’ rules and let Dolores come
back to the family.
But now since Bancroft had died, and Darnell took his last wish as an excuse, even Hilbert felt it
inappropriate to probe into this matter.
After a short while, Hilbert said, “Alas, let’s talk about this later. Start the worship ceremony first.”
Dolores had been keeling on the ground with her back straightened during the whole process. Even
though Darnell’s mother once stepped forwards, trying to prop her up from the ground, she declined it
and refused to get up.
A person among the crowd asked in a low voice, “Guess why Darnell took her back.”
“Is it because of Clarence?”
“It’s just one of the reasons. Now Darnell’s position as the patriarch is not that stable. Although he
claimed that taking Dolores back to the family was Bancroft’s last wish, he has officially broken the
rules of the James family.”
“Then should we just watch without doing anything?”
“Darnell’s main concern after becoming the patriarch of the James family has been breaking the rules
of the James family. It’s because of this that those seniors don’t like him, thinking that he thinks too
highly of himself. Even though he managed to let Dolores come back to the James family today, they
would only have more grudges against him.”
“Then it will provide convenience for our later plan.”
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