A Counter Attack

Eleanor woke up late the next day. It was already past eight when she left the bed.

She decided to take the twins to visit their great-grandma. Since Cindy wanted to see them, she'd bring them to her.

"Mama, we're set!" Tasha called happily. Her little feet made their way down the stairs as she pulled her brother behind her.

A smile formed on her face when she saw them, "Oh... Don't you two look so cute." she pulled their cheeks playfully and they giggled.

Suddenly, Tasha's smile dissolved into a frown. Noticing this, Eleanor asked. "What's wrong baby?"

"Mama?"

"Yes, baby?"

"What if great grandma doesn't like me?" Tasha asked suddenly. Her voice sounded like she was about to break down into tears.

"Who can dislike a baby as cute as you?" Cassie asked as she descended the stairs.

She had just come into the room to here Tasha's childish question.

"No one, I repeat, no one at all could be able to withstand your charm my darling. You're adorable and irresistible, so great grandma would have no choice but to love you." Cassie said, squatting before her.

Satisfied with Cassie's words, Tasha smiled beautifully. She turned to her mother and placed her hands in hers, "Let's go, mama."

"Aunt Cassie?" Nathan said meaningfully.

Cassie looked down at him with a smile as she took his hands, and together they made their way to the car.

****

Cassie dropped Eleanor and the kids in front of the McKinley mansion, while she would drive away to attend to other matters.

Eleanor walked down the path to the main house as she held her kids on both sides.

"Tasha? Nathan?" Eleanor paused just before the door. She bent to the kids' level.

"We're here to see Great Grandma. I don't want you speaking to anyone except her. Okay?"

"Yes Mommy!" they chorused.

"Also, there are some people in there who'd try to piss you off. I want you both to ignore them."

"Mama, aren't they our family?" Curious Tasha asked.

Eleanor shook her head repeatedly. "No baby. Only Great Grandma is our family, okay?"

"Yes Mom"

Eleanor smiled. She knew she could rely on them. The McKinley family would try to get on her nerves and the kids would not be spared. As such, she'd give them a heads-up before then.

Eleanor walked into the McKinley family mansion with a focused gaze.

Alexander was sitting in the living room, flipping through a newspaper.

Elaine and her daughter, Penny were also there. They sat at the other end of the hall.

Eleanor ignored them and wanted to go directly to her grandmother's space. After all, she was the reason Eleanor was in the McKinley family house today.

"Stop there!" Alexander was loud. It felt as though there had just been an earthquake as the house trembled.

Calmly, Eleanor turned to face him. She was not in any way startled by him. "Yes?" She asked.

"I believe we aren't ghosts. Or don't you have some respect anymore?" Alexander was furious.

"What do you mean?" Eleanor played the daft game with him.

Alexander did not, in any way, enjoy the daft game Eleanor was trying to play. "Don't you know how to greet?"

Eleanor clicked her tongue. Feigning a surprised look, she asked "OH... Is that what you meant?"

"You! You still are as reckless as you have ever been. Are you trying to anger me intentionally?"

"That'd be a waste of time," Eleanor said indifferently.

"You still haven't learned from what happened last time, right?" Alexander asked with a smirk.

Eleanor stared at him with a nonchalant expression, "What happened last time?"

Alexander gnashed his teeth at her words. Was she trying to rile him up?

"I'm here to see Grandma Cindy. And since you have nothing to say to me, I'd go first." Eleanor pulled the kids and wanted to leave.

"Don't you have some respect for your father?" Elaine finally spoke, making Eleanor stop in her tracks.

She had been watching the father-daughter duo's little drama.

"Father?" Eleanor scoffed. "He had long ceased to be my father!" Her words were firm, leaving no room for arguments.

Alexander couldn't hold it anymore. He raised his hand and wanted to slap Eleanor in the face.

A cold and dangerous glint flashed in Eleanor's eyes, making Alexander's hand freeze mid-air.

Alexander didn't know why but he felt threatened by the look in Eleanor's eyes. He didn't dare to touch her. She didn't seem like the Eleanor who had left the McKinley mansion five years ago.

She was now a sense of femme fatale.

With resentment, he put his hand down and said, "Five years ago, you embarrassed the McKinley family. Are you trying to do the same again?"

"Embarrassed the McKinley family?" Eleanor asked with a scoff. Who was he kidding?

"Five years ago, the McKinley family proved to me that I am not one of them! Five years ago, the McKinley family showcased their true colors to me! And you dare say I embarrassed the McKinley family?" She asked in disbelief.

Elaine was about to speak but Eleanor was not done yet. "Now five years later, the McKinley family is trying to take what rightfully belongs to me and they expect me to sit back and watch?"

Elaine and Alexander were silenced by her words. They had thought they would turn this argument in their favor. But clearly, Eleanor wasn't having any of that. They didn't expect Eleanor to be so unwilling to back down.

"When you threw me out of the house five years ago, did you feel embarrassed?" Eleanor asked as she stared at her father.

Alexander remained silent, but it didn't mean Elaine would.

"Regardless of what happened five years ago, we are still your family!" Elaine said.

Eleanor smirked coldly.

"Family? Have you ever been to my family?

"Five years ago, you were standing right here. In this same hall, when I was thrown out. Was I your family when you stood back, smiling as I was kicked out?" Eleanor continued to ask. She was starting to get irritated by these people.

"ELEANOR!!" Alexander bellowed.

"Don't raise your voice, you'd get a cardiac arrest," Eleanor advised with a subtle smirk on her face.

"Besides, it's not like I'd be bothered if you do." She added in a low tone but everyone in the room had heard it.

"What are you saying? Are you wishing our father died?" Penny asked with tears in her eyes.

Eleanor sent her a harsh glare.

"He is your father." Turning to face Alexander, she added, "Not mine."

Everyone was shocked by her words.

"If he were my father, my mother would still be alive. If he were my father, he wouldn't have tried to sell me out into a political marriage. Of he was my father, he wouldn't have-" Eleanor began.

"That's enough!" Alexander shouted.

Eleanor chuckled. Her beautiful smile remained on her face. She tightened her grip on the kids' hands and smiled at them.

They shouldn't be witnessing such things at their tender age, but there was little to nothing she could do about it.

Seeing them smile back at her, she returned her eyes to Alexander. The warm look in her eyes when she smiled at the kids was now replaced by a cold glare.

"I'm here for grandma. I'll leave now." Saying this, she started to walk away.