If that was the case, Lucille could just settle her score with someone else instead. After all, there was no way she'd let anyone who'd been involved in this get away scot-free.Connor left after a while. Before he left, Spencer invited him to the reunion dinner at Layton Manor, knowing he wouldn't be returning to his side of the family. "Sure. Now if you'll excuse me." As Connor walked through the door, he turned around and said, "Oh, by the way, Spence, I assume Uncle Tucker will find out that Taylor's missing very soon. I'm sure he'll look for you about it." But Spencer wasn't afraid of Tucker. He nodded and replied, "Okay, got it." "I've got to go now." Connor said to Lucille, "Goodbye, Lucille."Lucille nodded. "Goodbye." "Honey, are we going home for the reunion dinner tomorrow?" Lucille asked Spencer.Spencer asked in return, "Do you want to go?" "Can I?" "Let's talk about it later." Spencer didn't immediately agree to Lucille. After all, it had only been two days
On the eve of Connection Day, a local holiday where families gathered to celebrate their bonds and support each other through monetary gestures, Lucille was on bed rest, receiving her IV fluids.Although she hadn't been one to look forward to a lively holiday like this one, when she would usually just have dinner with Marie and spend the rest of the occasion alone, she knew she couldn't spend a minute more in the hospital.It was dreadful and boring, and her intense desire to move around made her depressed yet frustrated. As she peered at the falling snow outside the window, she yearned to be a bird, soaring freely in the wintry sky.Spencer returned to the ward briefly after he left. It was cold and snowing outside, and he felt the chill seep into his bones. Once he entered the room, he removed his jacket and waited for his body to warm up before approaching Lucille.He had long noticed Lucille's forlornness the moment he'd stepped in."What's wrong?" He stroked her hair. "Do you
"They normally visit me during most of the holidays. It's just that something came up this year, and they couldn't make it."Hearing how content Harper sounded without a hint of complaint made Eunice think of her parents for some reason. Perhaps they were the only people who could offer her unconditional love.At that thought, she realized how unfilial she had been. Her parents, Winona Abbey and Carson, had only had two daughters—her and Sage. After Sage's passing, Eunice had disregarded their advice and ended up getting entangled with Ian.For five years, she'd dreaded contacting them, let alone visiting them. She feared seeing the look of sadness and disappointment on their faces. For five years, her world had revolved around only one person, yet she'd never managed to win his heart.Every year, during the holiday season, every house would be filled with noise and laughter, festive lights, and decorations. Yet, she'd spent it alone in Windvale Villa. Even the housekeepers would
"How likeable was she?" Ian continued asking."How likeable…" Nate murmured and tried to recall. "Well, both guys and girls adored her. She had a gazillion of admirers back then, but—""But what?" Ian turned his head slightly to stare at him."She rejected all their advances, saying she was already committed to someone and that she'd only marry that person."Ian's heart sank. Eunice had had someone in mind back then. Who was it?"Who was he?""I don't know. You can ask Bailey about that. That brat has more information than I do." Nate passed the baton to his sister. In the meantime, Bailey secretly went to collect something from Creekside Villas and left. By the time she arrived at Moore Manor, it was 6:00 pm.She grabbed the exquisite bag from her passenger seat and dashed straight to Marcus' study, ignoring Ian on the couch.Noticing her sneaky and frantic actions, Ian narrowed his eyes and caught a detail on the bag she was holding. The illustration and signature on the ba
"You'd better answer me unless you want to go on refinement training after the holidays," Ian added coldly."Please don't, Mr. Moore," Wesley replied quickly."Then, tell me!""Well, it is indeed a private kitchen, but the owner is…"Wesley had no choice this time. He'd been able to cover up the truth when Ian had been out of the loop, but that wasn't the case anymore.He gritted his teeth, saying, "Mrs. Moore."Ian was stunned. Although he had suspected it, he couldn't contain his shock upon confirming it.After confessing, Wesley received nothing but a prolonged silence from Ian. The call remained connected, and he dared not end it either. After some time, he finally heard Ian's voice. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"Wesley was aggrieved. "Mrs. Moore didn't let me. She said you wouldn't eat her cooking. To prevent wasting food, she told me to cover up the truth."After another brief silence, Ian announced, "Say goodbye to your bonus for next year."Wesley's chest tighte
Since Spencer would reimburse the money for Lucille, she had a fun time sending everyone cash gifts that year. Similarly, those who received her generous gifts were shocked and wondered whether her account had been hacked.Lying idly on the couch, Corey heard a notification ring from his phone and received a message, noting that an amount had been transferred to his bank account. When he expanded the message, he cussed out loud by instinct."Am I hallucinating?" Corey mumbled, then counted the number of zeros in the amount. After doing so, he cursed in his head again, "The fuck? Did that brat finally come to her senses? Or was her account hacked?"As such, he opened WhatsApp, tapped into his chat with "Lucy the Brat", and gave her a call. However, it was declined after a beep. He went to his contact list and called her number, but the result was the same.Left with no choice, he sent her a voice message. "Hey, brat. Has your bank account been hacked?"After a while, he received a
Out of reflex, Bailey responded, "Oh, that was a bag I took from my house.""Bailey!" Ian couldn't handle her stubbornness. "Don't test my limits!"After a momentary silence, she continued, "There's no point in getting angry, Uncle Ian." For Eunice's sake, she was bold this time. "I don't know where Eunice is. Even if you beat me to death, I won't magically obtain that information.""You—""What's with the ruckus?" An old but authoritative voice sounded in the living room. "Why are you looking so grim on such a joyous day? Does someone owe you money?" Marcus stood by the staircase on the second floor with his walking stick, his face solemn."Grandpa." Bailey heard Marcus' voice and knew her savior had arrived. She instantly turned toward the stairs and ascended them with quick steps before helping him down. Ian's countenance darkened as he watched silently.After settling into the main seat, Marcus glared harshly at his youngest son. "You're so capable, so why haven't you fou
No matter how unbearable Marcus' words were, Ian only reacted with a slight frown at most and nothing more. He didn't refute his father and simply ate his food in silence.Bailey couldn't help but admire Ian's patience and resilience. For a moment, she pitied him for looking so lonely.In the meantime, the reunion dinner atmosphere was vastly different at Layton Manor. Although it wasn't a crowded gathering, everyone wore a smile on their faces.The manor was appropriately decorated with festive lights and decoration. It had been a while since Lucille celebrated such a festive holiday. All of that was thanks to Spencer.Spencer had informed his family in advance regarding Lucille's return. As such, Lila had told the chefs to prepare milder food. When Lucille saw the table of dishes, she instantly understood Lila's intentions.Never in her wildest dreams would she have expected to experience familial love again, especially from the Laytons. She felt loved and appreciated; it was a