Chapter 247
The phone rang louder as it approached.
With the mechanical beep of the facial recognition system, the front door unlocked.
walked in
Yann walked in long strides, commanding presence in every step.
The buller immediately stepped forward with a tray holding a sterilired hand towel
By the time Yann entered, Logan had hung up, the ringtone culling off abruptly.
It wasn’t just strangers who felt intimidated by Yars. Even his own father found his presence overwhelming. Instead of asking directly. Ingan anked tactfully, “Has the company been busy lately?”
“Yeah,” Yann replied shortly,
Logan fidgeted with his phone, his expression shifting.
Once Yann settled into the armchair beside him, Logan nodded for the maid to serve coffee.
“Mr. Yann Winifred, will you stay for dinner?” Jenna asked sweetly aher serving coffee,
She knew who the real authority was.
“No.“Yann lifted the cup, pausing to meet Logan’s eye. “You called What’s up?”
Logan smiled thinly, “Small thing Lucia tried picking up my supplements today, but her card was declined.”
Yann smiled faintly as he sipped his coffee
Lucia tensed at his gaze.
Her hands trembled as she massaged Logan’s legs, making him wonder if her story added up,
The living room fell silent, the staircase clock’s ticking making even Logan nervous
Yann set down his cup, eyes sharpening as he looked up. “At HealthPlus Pharmacy?”
“Y-yes,” Lucia stammered.
“When did you go?“;
Lucia swallowed. She hadn’t gone at all.
Having seen Yann at the flower shop that morning, she couldn’t say she went that morning. Aher a beat, she said, “In the afternode I went there right aberet the flower shop.”
“Oh!” Yan’s voice rose, dripping with scom
Lucia flushed with embarrassment
From day one, Yann had refused to call her anything but “Lucia“, and Logan hadn’t intervened.
She was family. Even if he didn’t accept her as his stepmother, as Audrey’s mother, shouldn’t he respect her? Instead, he talked to her like she was a
servant
“said it was okay. Nothing major. You bad to bother Yann, Lucia coood, batting a smile at Logan “Just supplements. I stil have your pocket money left.
1/3
08:59: Fri, 13 Jun – D
Chapter 247
can cover it,”
“Household costs shouldn’t come out of your personal savings. Not proper.” Logan said, patting her hand in a reassuring gesture bel “This is separate. We’re not strapped for cash.”
Yann sat silent, gaze lowered.
Logan frowned, imitated. I’m the head of this household, he thought “What? Do you have an issue?”
“Depends on the use.” Yann’s deep eyes, a legacy from Amelia, turned razor sharp as his tone chilled. “For family, it approve freely
Logan caught the implication. Beside him, Lucia lensed like a startled quaill, all but hiding behind him. He understood instantly.
She’s take
Legan said, “We’re family. If Lucia stepped out of line, go easy. She’s taken care of me laithfully all these years.”
Lucia opened her mouth to argue but clamped it shut under Logan’s warning stare.
She ducked her head, resuming his shoulder massage.
Logan was her bread and butter. She gotta keep him happy.
Yann handed his car keys to the butler, murmuring something. The butler rushed out and returned switly, carrying a box
He set it on the table, returning the keys.
“You failed as a mother back then, and you won’t start now,” Yann said, standing to tower over Logan. “Eden handles all household expenses from now
Eden Lawrence, the family butler, nodded from behind Yann.
At the sight of the box, Lucia went pale.
The HealthPlus Pharmacy logo glared up pather
Yann picked up the supplements I’d ordered? That meant he knew I lied Lucia thought
Her head buzzed, and she missed Yann’s closing words
Logan saw the truth too. His fingers drummed lightly on his knee.
After years of marriage, he knew about Lucia’s vain tendencies, but she was decent at caregiving, so they had an unspoken deal. He didn’t mind her sneaking extra cash within limits.
But sowing tension between him and Yann? Unforgivable
Yann left after giving orders. When Eden returned from escorting him, he had to lean down and repeat himself several times before Lucia registered his
“Pardon?” She was shocked.
“Mrs. Winifred, please hand over your secondary card,” Eden said.
Lucia whipped around to gape at Logan.
“Give it to him,” Logan snapped, tone icy
“Logan, after all my years of service, you’re stripping me of my rate?” she said.
The Minibed family had a huge family budget, and she’d been skimming off the top to fund her fancy lifestyle.
2/3
Chapter 247
Surrendering the card meant losing not just income but clout. No more bribing servants, no more authority
Logan tapped the box sharply. “Check your conscience. What did you really do?”
“…” Lucia eyed the box, throat tightening. “Before picking up the supplements, I tried buying a dress for your birthday party. When my card got declined I… I skipped fetching them.
“I didn’t do anything wrong. You
u can’t punish me over this. Just one more chance. I’ll be upfront from now on!”
Logan sipped his coffee, set the cup down, and locked eyes with her. “Dig deeper. What else?”
Lucia’s pulse raced. What else have I done?” she wondered.
Every month, she ordered supplements from Health Plus Pharmacy but mixed cheaper supplements with the premium ones meant for Logan, pocketing the price difference.
She often made up fake expenses under the excuse of garden maintenance.
She’d even list her own paintings online, then buy them back using phony excuses to stash away secret savings
There were too many schemes to recall now, even if she tried. And even if she did, she couldn’t confess them all.
But this wasn’t new Since marrying Logan, she’d been siphoning off household funds through various tricks.
Logan had never stopped her, and Yann had never interfered.
Why now over one tiny mistake, is Yann taking away my power?‘ she wondered.
Noticing the cold sweat on her forehead and the genuine battlement in her expression, Logan offered a subtle hint. “Did you provoke his sore spot?”
“Sore spot? He…” Clueless, Lucia panicked, her gaze darting around until she
She stared at Jenna’s lips for a long moment, finally understanding the silent cue
“Audrey?” she murmured.
Jenna hovering by the kitchen door, giving her a pointed look.
Ө
AD
Comment

Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.