The incident unfolded in a sh. Quinn remained eerily silent as the bullet grazed her cheek, leading everyone to believe it was merely a child''s yful antics. "Quinn!" The first to react was Alexander, rushing to her side as she teetered on the edge of losing her bnce, her vision clouded by the throbbing pain.


    It was only after Alexander''s rmed shout that the others turned their attention to the scene. They btedly pieced together the reality: Joseph had shot Quinn. Valerie, feigning fury, yanked Joseph towards her, admonishing, "Enough with your nonsense."Joseph, however, was defiant. He attempted another shot at Quinn until his father, Hugh, intervened with an authoritative tone. "Enough, hand over the toy," he demanded, reaching for the toy gun. But Joseph clung to it, clutching it to his chest as he screamed, "It''s mine!"Alexander gently moved Quinn''s hand away to inspect her eye. The bullet had hit the corner, turning her eye a ghastly shade of red.


    His gaze hardened as he turned to look at Joseph, who froze under the intensity of his icy stare. Valerie attempted to defuse the situation, offering a cursory examination of Quinn''s eye before dismissing the injury. "It doesn''t look serious. It''s just a toy gun. It probably doesn''t hurt much."Alexander shot Valerie a skeptical look. "How would you know it doesn''t hurt?""Just a tiny stic pellet, how much can it hurt? Alexander, I understand you''re concerned about Quinn, but are you really picking a fight with a child?""And what about arguing with you?"


    Alexander retorted, a hint of sarcasm flickering in his eyes. "As a parent, how do you n to handle this?"Valerie stumbled over her words, struggling to suppress her rising anger. "It''s just a toy gun. Is it really necessary for you to react this way?""It is necessary," Alexander retorted, cutting her off without a trace of mercy.


    Valerie, at a loss for words, turned to Wayne for support. "Dad, we rarely visit, and this is how we''re treated? If you didn''t want us here, you didn''t have to invite us. This doesn''t feel like a family meal. It feels like we''ve been invited here to be mistreated.


    Being outsiders, it seems we''re fair game for everyone."Kaitlyn interjected, "Valerie, that''s not fair. If we considered you outsiders, we wouldn''t have invited you. You''re allowed to be upset, but don''t drag everyone else into this. When have I ever mistreated you?""Enough! Is this not over yet?"N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    Wayne''s temper red as he snapped, "All this fuss over something so trivial. Do you want me to set up a stage for your drama? We invite you for a meal, and somehow, I''m the one to me!"Silence fell at Wayne''s outburst. But as he continued, he conveniently overlooked the fact that Quinn had been injured. His indifference was ringly obvious."So, are we going to eat this meal or not?" Wayne asked, his voice echoing in the silence. Quinn stood silently, her head bowed.


    The sting in her eye was nothingpared to the emotional pain of feeling ignored and isted by everyone. "Do we even need to continue this meal?" Alexander challenged. Wayne shot him a cold nce, "What did you say?" Alexander met his gaze steadily, repeating his words with rity, "I said there''s no need to continue this meal. Do you really think we can sit down and calmly eat together in this atmosphere?"Alexander''s point was valid. The room was thick with tension, making a peaceful meal seem unlikely.


    Hugh attempted to smooth things over. "It''s just a little misunderstanding. We''re all family here. Let''s not let a small issue ruin our time together.""A small issue?" Alexander echoed, challenging Hugh''s dismissal. Hugh''s smile faltered, "What do you think?"Alexander held his gaze for a moment before breaking into a smile, "It seems I''m making a fuss over nothing.""That''s not what I meant," Hugh quickly rified.