Lucille's curiosity was piqued. "Your last name is Young?"Scarlett explained, "Yeah. My mother is a Layton."Lucille understood now. She didn't know much about the younger generation of the Layton family and could only remember vaguely. "I'm Lucille Johnson.""Can I call you Lucy, then?" Scarlett was the type to quickly warm up to others.Lucille nodded, not feeling put out by Scarlett's enthusiasm. Scarlett looked naïve, and her gaze was guileless. It looked like Myra had protected and taught her well—she didn't have a scheming bone in her body, which Lucille would've expected from anyone linked to the Layton family.At that moment, a man's frivolous voice rang out. "Hey there, gorgeous. You've got some tricks up your sleeve, don't you? Look at how you've won Spencer's heart."Lucille and Scarlett turned to look at Yves. The former's gaze was cold and aloof, and she looked away after a glance.Yves was upset at being ignored. He wasn't as outstanding or renowned as Spencer, bu
Yves thought Lucille's words meant she'd agreed to his suggestion. His smile grew, and he became bolder. His eyes traced her gorgeous face, his gaze disdainful and salacious."Of course, gorgeous. Just tell me what you want." He grinned, and his gaze turned lecherous.Scarlett couldn't help saying worriedly, "Don't believe him, Lucy."Lucille smiled reassuringly and said, "Don't worry."She turned to Yves, who was now only a few steps away from her. She smiled faintly, mesmerizing him. Something about her charm made men want to drown in her.Then, she said, "We've got a deal, then. There's nothing that I need from you just yet, so how about we make a bet?"In Yves' eyes, she was only an ordinary woman who couldn't do anything to him, so he agreed without hesitation. "Sure. What's the bet?"Lucille was smiling, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. Her beauty masked the frostiness in her eyes, so no one noticed."It's simple. As long as you can do this one thing, I'll leave Spenc
Lucille glanced at Yves and said coolly, "You don't know how anything will turn out if you don't try it, right? Or are you afraid to take me up on this bet?"Yves couldn't stand being challenged, especially by women who'd caught his eye. "Fine, then. I'll play along with you."His words and actions made it clear he didn't think Lucille stood a chance against him, and it was as if he already thought of her as his. His gaze grew even more lecherous.Kent's heart sank when he heard that Lucille and Yves were going to spar. He wondered whether it'd be better for him to call an ambulance for Yves beforehand.Lucille wore an evening gown, which made it hard for her to move around. Despite that, she'd still made such a ridiculous bet with Yves. Scarlett approached her and said, "You're wearing an evening gown, Lucy. It's not convenient for you to move. How about we just forget about this?"This was her third time expressing her concern for Lucille, and the latter couldn't help finding he
The spectators had only seen Lucille wave a hand before Yves had fallen into the pond. It was terrifying—all she'd done was stand there and move a hand, yet it had been enough to make Yves fall. Everyone suddenly felt like they were the ones who'd grossly underestimated her.Kent was taken aback by how things had played out. He hadn't known that Lucille was capable of something like this, and his admiration for her grew.Lucille had never intended to draw blood during this "fight", so she'd taken the easy way out by throwing Yves into the pond. It was enough to teach him a lesson.After all, they were at Layton Manor, and she didn't need to take things too far. The bet had just been an excuse.Scarlett, who was closest to Lucille, was dumbfounded. What had just happened? How had Yves ended up in the pond?Everyone else was also stunned. It was pathetic for someone who was supposed to be as strong as a pro wrestler to end up being thrown into a pond in less than a minute. Yves ha
"Ha! Who knows whether the little bitch is the one who tried to seduce Yves? Look at that slutty, vixen-like face of hers! It's obvious she came here to seduce one of the Layton men," Fiona spat. "She thinks too highly of herself if she thinks she's worthy of joining this family!"She made Lucille out to be a promiscuous woman who'd come to Layton Manor to seduce anyone she could.Lucille stoically watched things play out from beginning to end. Then, she looked at Fiona lazily and snorted. "It's not up to you to decide whether or not I'm a slut, Madam Cooper."She smirked and continued, "At least I came here through proper means, unlike you. I didn't start as anyone's mistress."Fiona was stunned into silence. Everyone else couldn't believe Lucille had publicly shamed Fiona like that.Fiona was Sylvester's third wife, and she'd been his mistress in the past. Rumor had it that his first wife had passed away and that he'd divorced his second wife. But one thing was for sure—Fiona
The only other person most Layton family members feared, besides James and Spencer, was Lila. She was known for being sharp-tongued, and she did whatever she wanted. She didn't fear anyone and always protected her people.This extended to the upper crust. No one dared to face off against her—she had Eric's love, and Spencer was her son. She also hailed from the Porter family, which had many members in the army and politics. It was a family no one dared offend."Lila, Yves is your nephew. Lucille is just a woman who's yet to officially join the family!" Sylvester protested, hoping against hope that he could make Lila see sense."My daughter-in-law means more to me than a nephew ever could. She's someone our family has accepted—how can you say she's an outsider?" Lila said. At the same time, she approached Lucille and affectionately linked arms with her.Sylvester stared at her incredulously. He couldn't believe Lila was siding with an outsider.Lucille turned to give Lila a grate
"Why would someone who has my heart need to seduce your son?" A man's icy and ruthless voice rang out.Spencer was back. He stood out amongst the crowd, making everyone fade into the background. His presence was daunting, and everyone couldn't help feeling fearful of him.Lila automatically stepped aside to make way for him when she saw him. He approached Lucille, his expression frosty. He wrapped an arm around her waist as everyone watched. Then, he lowered his head to look at her gently.He said, "I'm sorry I was away for so long. I had to attend to something."She smiled. "It's fine. You didn't miss anything."Spencer's apology sent shockwaves through the crowd. He was the arrogant head of the Layton family and was infamous for being ruthless. He was the king of the world. When had he ever been so humble with anyone? And his gentle tone was oddly scary…The situation was getting weirder by the second. Some people started praying for Yves; it looked like he'd offended someone h
Meanwhile, Arthur was in James' suite, reporting everything that had happened to the latter. James didn't get mad upon hearing about the matter. On the contrary, he laughed heartily and said, "It looks like Lucy really is the most suitable woman for Spencer.""How so?" Arthur asked."Being the matriarch of the Layton family isn't just about coming from a powerful family. A person's family background doesn't mean anything to us. To be able to handle the pressure, one has to be brave and intelligent."The fact that Lucy dared to start something at Layton Manor shows how gutsy she is. Besides, she only taught Yves a simple lesson—she didn't cause a huge ruckus. That shows that she knows where to draw the line."James smiled and continued, "She didn't take things too far, and she didn't act too obnoxiously or too humbly. She took the opportunity to show everyone what she's made of."His admiration for Lucille was growing by the second.Arthur nodded at his words. "This family isn't