Stand Me Up? I'll Marry His Billionaire Uncle novel Chapter 32

Tristan's chest tightened as he watched his sister shrink into herself, pain and frustration bubbling inside him. He cursed Sunny under his breath—if it weren't for her, would their parents have misunderstood Luna?

Annabelle set the first aid kit on the table and carefully peeled back the bandage. Just as she'd hoped, it was only a faint red mark, nothing serious. She let out a relieved sigh. "Luna, how could you be so careless? Your father and I worry about you living alone. Why not just move back home?"

Luna managed a small smile. "Mom, there's no need. Sometimes I rehearse late at night, and I don't want to disturb everyone in the house."

Annabelle chuckled. "You've wanted to be a superstar since you were a little girl. Are you actually thinking about joining the music industry now?"

Luna's eyes dropped shyly. "I wrote a song recently, and I'm working on a demo. I don't even know if it'll ever become an album."

Seeing his sister's smile, Tristan felt an unexpected wave of reassurance.

"Don't worry," he said, "if you want to record an album, I'll make it happen for you."

Annabelle nodded approvingly. "Exactly. Just sign with your brother's label—nobody will dare mess with you there. Give it a try, and if you ever get tired of it, your father can set you up with a nice, easy job at the company."

The Lawsons had always doted on Luna. Even though she was adopted, they never treated her any differently. There was just one line they'd never cross: Luna could only ever be their daughter—nothing more, nothing less. On that, they would never compromise.

A moment later, Abbot came downstairs and saw only the eldest son's family gathered. "Stellan's not home yet?"

Magnus replied, "He was still in a meeting when I left the office. He should be home any minute now."

Just as the words left his mouth, Stellan walked through the door. He shrugged off his coat and set it aside, surveying the room. Noticing everyone was still standing around the table, his expression remained calm. "Were you all waiting for me?"

That was Stellan—mature and steady beyond his years.

Abbot smiled, waving him over. "Not long. Come, sit. Let's eat together."

Tristan found himself staring absently at his uncle. If he could be as strong as Stellan, would he still be plagued by so many worries?

"Tristan, are you joining us?" Stellan's voice pulled him back.

"Coming!" Tristan replied quickly, hurrying to the table.

"Stellan, what's going on here?" Abbot finally spoke, voice low.

Stellan set down his fork, dabbed his mouth with a napkin, and pulled out his phone. "This is what my driver recorded the day before yesterday. Dad, take a look."

Luna's face drained of color. She shot to her feet. "It's not like that, Uncle Stellan! You've misunderstood!"

He cut her off, voice calm but unyielding. "Watch the video first. Then we'll talk about misunderstandings."

All eyes turned to his phone. From the speakers came the shrill voice of a woman, and then they watched as a steaming cup of coffee was thrown straight at Sunny's chest.

Anyone could see, clear as day—Chloe and Luna had started the confrontation.

Stellan had, of course, left out the later footage—where Sunny retaliated.

He lifted the corner of his mouth in a cold, almost careless smile, his eyes lowering with a quiet, intimidating force. "So, Luna, you didn't tell Tristan it was you and Chloe who threw the first punch?"