Love Rents A Room
Chapter 229: Grandfather’s Decision

Chapter 229: Grandfather’s Decision

Philip didn’t answer. It wasn’t his decision. It was all Jeffrey’s. What could he say?

Christina, now standing beside her husband, answered for him with aristocratic coolness. "Well, her son has finally put his mother where she belongs."

The words hung in the air like frost.

Greta recoiled. "Mom? You too?"

Her voice cracked.

"That orphan—that nobody—brought a loaded gun into our living room, pointed it at Jeffrey, and now she’s treated like royalty and gets handed over millions to waste? What’s next? You’ll let her throw the rest of us out of the house? Those of us who actually carry Winchester blood?"

Christina opened her mouth, but Philip stepped forward, cane striking the marble floor with a commanding thud.

"Yes," he said, voice like stone. "Joanne could do that. And listen closely... if she had wanted to kill Jeffrey that day, I would’ve let her. And if I could allow that, Greta...imagine what I’d allow her to do to you."

The room fell into stunned silence.

Christina tugged at his sleeve, a subtle plea. She understood his rage, but this—this—this was too much.

All around them, there were murmurs, stunned and low, gathering like thunderclouds.

Now Brianna stepped forward, her voice tight with emotion. She couldn’t hold her tongue any longer.

"Then what about those who’ve worked for this family? The one who’s been loyal to it from the beginning?" she demanded. "What about Robert? He’s worked his ass off for this family. Are you saying she could throw him out too?"

Robert immediately grabbed her arm, halting her. "Brianna, that’s enough," he said quietly, firm but respectful. She may have voiced what others were too afraid to say, but speaking to Philip Winchester in that tone was crossing a line.

Philip scoffed, unimpressed.

Christina stepped back, her heart heavy. She wanted peace. She wanted the family whole. But she could feel that this wasn’t something she could hold together anymore. Not with just words. And Philip... Philip had reached his threshold.

The old lion stood his ground.

"Robert," Philip said, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade. "I’ve always had high hopes for you. But you..." His gaze hardened. "You proved yourself to be just as petty as the rest."

Robert flinched. Beside him, Brianna opened her mouth to object, but Robert stopped her again, this time with a hand on her shoulder. He stood tall, unsure of what he’d done to deserve this rebuke... but fearing he knew.

Philip’s voice rang steady, laced with disappointment. "When Winchester Logistics was spiraling, when Heather’s schemes threatened to bring the company to ruin, what did my ’smart’ grandson do?"

He paused, his eyes boring into Robert. "You saw it coming. You saw the warning signs. You were watching. And yet you said nothing."

Robert’s heart sank. The truth was bitter in his mouth.

"You waited," Philip said. "You waited to see Jeffrey fail. Because deep down, you wanted him to fall. You wanted your chance to rise."

Brianna bristled, about to protest, but Robert stepped forward, shielding her again, only this time with shame on his face. His grandfather was right. He hadn’t lifted a finger. Not because he couldn’t. But because some part of him wanted to be proven better.

Philip’s words struck with righteous fury now.

"And do you know who did offer help?" His cane slammed once against the marble floor.

"The one you all call a nobody. That lowly farm girl you all love to mock behind my back. Joanne Smith."

Gasps whispered through the room.

"Jeffrey had broken her heart, and even then, she came to me. Not with an agenda. Not with an ounce of pride. She came because she cared. Because she wanted to help. She didn’t stand by, waiting to watch the empire fall. She was willing to put her company at risk to save my legacy, when even my blood didn’t care."

His voice deepened, like thunder across mountains.

"So no one, and I mean no one, has the right to speak ill of my Poppet. For years, she has given me nothing but joy and affection. She is the only one in this room who has never betrayed my trust. The only one I trust to bring light to this family."

He looked around, gaze sharp enough to cut stone.

"I will not suffer anyone who treats her without the respect she deserves."

And with that, Philip turned. He didn’t need to justify himself any further. His word was final. Informally, he had announced his heir.

Let them whisper. Let them rage. Let them scheme. They now knew where power stood in the Winchester family. And if they didn’t fall in line, they could fall out.

Philip turned to leave, cane tapping like a quiet gavel of judgment.

But Brianna stood frozen. Her chest burned. Her hands trembled. No. This can’t be the end of it. One moment of failure, and the man she loved was dismissed like a disobedient servant, while Jeffrey, the prodigal grandson, was welcomed with open arms?

Her blood boiled. She turned and seized Robert’s hand, her grip desperate. But he was already walking quietly, like a man carrying the weight of his own funeral. He led her down a corridor and into a side room, closing the door behind them.

She rounded on him, her voice sharp with disbelief. "What the hell was that, Robby?"

Robert looked at her like she were very far away. Tired, hollow, and heartsick.

"You’re just... giving up?" Her voice cracked.

Robert’s shoulders slumped. He ran his fingers through his hair, unable to meet her gaze. "I messed up. You heard him, Bri. I let my jealousy win. I was so obsessed with proving I could do better than Jeffrey... I forgot to protect the one thing that mattered. The family."

She shook her head violently, eyes glistening. "No. Don’t do this to yourself. You worked your entire life for this. You sacrificed everything! I saw you in school, in college. You never let yourself breathe because you were building toward this moment. You were born for this, Robby."

He gave a broken smile. "And still... I failed Grandpa when it mattered most." He only realized it after his grandfather mentioned it. He always thought of himself as a better person since he never had the vices that plagued men of his status and age.

His grandfather’s words were like a slap to him.

Brianna stepped closer and grabbed his shirt in both fists, clutching it as if to hold him together. "And Jeffrey didn’t fail a thousand times more?" she whispered fiercely. "Why does he get grace and you don’t? Why does he get a second chance, a fifth, a hundredth... and you don’t even get one?"

Robert finally looked at her. His expression made her breath catch. Regret. Shame. And love—deep and shattering.

"Because I should have known better," he whispered. "Because I do know better, and I still let it happen."