“Logan, if I’d known you were coming to see the kids, I would have come with you,” Lucia said as she walked through the front door
She spotted Logan and Amelia sitting side by side on the sofa, and jealousy burned in her chest, though she forced herself to maintain a gracious expression.
Lucia approached them and picked up the bouquet from the table, her smile becoming increasingly strained. “These flowers are beautiful.” She turned toward Audrey. “I’m sure Audrey loves them.”
Audrey was surrounded by several staff members who were asking her about wedding decorations and dress selections, too busy to even look up.
Lucia pressed her lips together tightly, clearly irritated by Audrey’s lack of attention. She thought, ‘Because of Audrey, I’ve lost control of the finances. and now even my personal spending is restricted. Despite all that, I wasn’t planning to hold it against her.
So why is she still hiding from me and setting up meetings between Logan and his ex–wife? Does she really want to push me out of the Winifred family completely? Audrey is my own flesh and blood daughter. Why can’t she stand to see me doing well?‘
“Are you sure you’ve registered all the guests?” Amelia didn’t let Lucia’s arrival disrupt her rhythm as she flipped through a ledger.
It contained records of all the gifts and favors she and Logan had exchanged with others over the years. When they’d given wedding gifts to other people’s children, they needed to collect at Yann’s wedding, or all that money would be wasted.
Logan’s flash of irritation quickly disappeared as he continued coordinating with Amelia.
Since everyone was ignoring her, Lucia felt extremely awkward and could only move closer to Audrey.
Audrey was holding a catalog and selecting wedding dresses.
When she’d married Clayton, John’s government position meant they couldn’t have an elaborate ceremony since the disciplinary committee would investigate any extravagance. They’d only invited three or four tables of guests.
Since the bride had no family present, there were no emotional moments during the ceremony–just an exchange of rings, some money for the name change tradition, and then it was over.
Audrey didn’t really care about weddings, but while this was her second marriage, it was Yann’s first. Since Amelia clearly took it very seriously, she felt she should respect that and actively participate.
“This one, this one, and this one too,” Audrey said, selecting three dresses for the staff to bring for fittings,
“That’s way too over the top,” Lucia said, shoving the flowers at Audrey and grabbing the catalog from her hands. She flipped through it quickly. “I think this one works. Let’s just go with this.”
The staff member, unsure of Lucia’s role, looked to Audrey for confirmation. Audrey didn’t bother checking what Lucia had chosen. “Just bring the ones I picked.”
Lucia’s fingers curled into tight fists. ‘That little bitch just stomped all over my dignity,’ she thought.
“Audrey, the truffle soup is ready.” Lena came out from the kitchen with servants following behind her. When she saw Lucia, she paused for a moment, her eyes automatically looking toward Amelia.
“Oh, Lena’s here too.” Lucia put on a flattering smile, but inside she was cursing Audrey. Even Margot’s daughter had been invited, but not her.
Lena nodded. “Lucia, you came as well.”
There she goes again, just calling me by my name,’ Lucia thought.
Margot was Logan’s sister, so Lena should be calling her “Aunt Lucia” out of respect.
1/3
Chapter 294
But after Lucia married Logan, all of Margot’s children just used her first name. Everyone who knew the family remembered how they used to respectfully call Amelia “Aunt Amelia” instead of her first name.
Lucia really hated this way of addressing her. It felt disrespectful, but she couldn’t show her displeasure. After all, her position didn’t give her the right to pick fights with the Winifred family. “Lena, you look even more beautiful lately,” she chuckled.
“I think so too! It’s all because of Audrey’s face masks. Usually this time of year, I get acne on my face.” Lena touched her face, smiling so wide her eyes crinkled. “It’s not just me either. Aunt Amelia says they work great too.”
‘Aunt Amelia?‘ Lucia thought, glancing over at Amelia. She hadn’t seen Amelia in over six months, and her skin really did look incredibly smooth and hydrated. Even though Amelia was several years older, she looked much younger than Lucia herself.
“Audrey, what kind of face masks are you talking about? You never mentioned them to me.” Lucia forced a smile.
“Just regular face masks.” Audrey gave a brief response and continued browsing through wedding supplies.
Lucia placed her hand on Audrey’s shoulder in what looked like an affectionate gesture, but she secretly dug her fingers in hard. She leaned down close, practically hissing through gritted teeth, “What do you mean regular? You give them to outsiders but not to me?”
Audrey removed her hand and smiled as she answered, “That’s exactly why I didn’t give you any–because they’re too ordinary.”
Lucia felt like her chest was burning with anger. She forced her mouth into a strained smile.
“The truffle soup should be enjoyed while it’s hot. If you’re not going to drink it-” She hadn’t tasted truffle soup this good in ages. As she spoke, she reached for the bowl.
“Mom, what are you doing here?” Lena’s voice rang out, and Lucia quickly pulled her hand back.
Margot had arrived. She looked at Lucia, then at Amelia, and the two women acknowledged each other with brief nods from across the room.
“What? I can’t come over?” Margot gave Lucia a pointed look before walking over to Audrey’s side to ask what wedding dress she had chosen.
Lucia quickly said, “Audrey picked these two outfits, but I think this one is better. It’s simple, elegant, and classy.”
Margot glanced at her choice. “That’s no different from everyday wear.” She flipped through Audrey’s selections and nodded approvingly. “Let’s pick one from these.”
Lucia had been shot down again, and she felt completely humiliated. “I don’t think we need to be too flashy. After all, Audrey has been married before, and if people recognize her—”
She didn’t finish her sentence. Margot was staring at her with ice–cold eyes, and Lena beside her looked equally disapproving. Lucia quickly glanced toward the sofa where Logan and Amelia were also giving her strange looks as if she were some kind of villain.
But she was just stating facts. “I’m doing this for the Winifred family’s sake,” Lucia swallowed hard and stubbornly explained. “There’s already so much speculation about Audrey out there. I’m worried it might cause negative publicity.”
Amelia said seriously, her smile gone, “Exactly because there’s so much speculation about Audrey, we should make this wedding even more spectacular.
“Audrey is a Winifred now. Not only does Yann love her, but we love her too. We love her and want to give her the best. What’s wrong with that?”
“Exactly,” Lena nodded. “Her ex missed out on Audrey. That’s his loss. Audrey is wonderful, so why should her wedding be some secret affair? Is Yann someone to be ashamed of?”
“No, that’s not what I meant.” Lucia nudged Audrey with her elbow, hoping she would help her out of this awkward situation.
However, Audrey picked up her truffle soup and started drinking, showing no intention of joining the conversation.
Lucia’s face turned ashen, but fortunately, no one was paying attention to her. The two people on the sofa continued their discussion while Lena linked arms with Margot to whisper secrets.
Chapter 294
Lucia could only glare fiercely at Audrey. Unfortunately, her glare had no
“Miles, what are you doing here?” Lena suddenly snorted.
effect whatsoever since Audrey wasn’t even looking at hår
“If you can come, why can’t I?” Miles shot her a sideways look, then greeted Margot, Logan, and Amelia in turn before giving Lucia a brit needs had t settled into the sofa when Everett arrived as well.
Lena stamped her foot in frustration. “How did you guys-”
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.
