Chapter 005 Meet Mother-in-law

The car headed south, and we quickly arrived at an estate located in the heart of Kansas.

The grand Roman-style architecture exuded luxury wherever you looked. It was even larger than the mansion Bradyn and I were staying at!

I began to doubt Bradyn's words; he said it was lent to him by his superior, but he was actually from a wealthy noble family!

However, I didn't recall the Capel surname or hear about it from my father. 

Bradyn gentlemanly opened the car door for me, and a well-dressed, elegant man approached us.

He greeted us respectfully.

"Mrs. Capel is waiting for you in the living room," I assumed he must be the butler here.

When I first saw Mrs. Capel, I was deeply struck by her elegant beauty.

She had a head of envy-worthy golden hair and captivating deep blue eyes.

At that moment, I realized why Bradyn had such handsome features.

"Hello, Mrs. Capel." I approached and nodded at her.

"Hello, Fiona." Mrs. Capel warmly took my hand and kissed my cheek. She told me there was no need to be so formal.

I started to feel more at ease as she led me to a chair beside her. "When Bradyn called me yesterday, I thought I was in a dream! It wasn't until I saw you that I realized it was real."

"Mom, it's not as dramatic as you're making it sound," Bradyn chimed in, furrowing his brow.

Mrs. Capel gave him a playful look. "Well, how could they not be? My son doesn't find a suitable wife for a day, and I can't sleep or eat in peace. But now, I must say, I never expected to have such a beautiful and graceful angel like Fiona. By the way, Bradyn, you haven't properly introduced Fiona. Where is her family from?"

"Mrs. Capel, I'm a local from Robertsville State. My father's family name is Green, and we're in the iron and steel forging business." I replied honestly.

Mrs. Capel's eyes widened in surprise. "Green? You're Fiona Green!"

My heart tightened, and I hadn't expected the incident from the wedding to spread so widely.

Mrs. Capel knew me, so she must have seen the news.

My face turned red in an instant. I couldn't imagine the way she'd look at me with questioning and contempt after learning about my ordeal.

She probably thought I was a bad woman who deceived her son's feelings.

"Mom, I'll explain this to you later."

Bradyn stepped forward and placed himself between Mrs. Capel and me.

However, what I didn't expect was that Mrs. Capel started laughing. "Oh, Bradyn, there's no need for explanations. I think the situation is even crazier than you said. My son, swiping a bride from another wedding, he's got some guts, I'll give him that. And the girl who, right in the middle of her wedding, sticks to her heart and chooses to be with you, well, she's gotta be something special to you, right?"

She walked around Bradyn and took my hand. "Fiona, you have good taste. Although I don't know what happened between you and your ex-fiancé, believe me, my son is definitely more worthy of your choice!"

In that moment, I was deeply moved by Mrs. Capel's sincerity and kindness.

She was the only one who, after learning about my misfortunes at the wedding, could accept the situation so positively, understand it, and respect me.

At a time when I faced betrayal from my lover, accusations from my parents and siblings, and the estrangement of friends, I couldn't have imagined receiving such care and support from the family of my nominal husband.

My eyes started to well up, and my voice began to tremble. I immediately squeezed Mrs. Capel's hand and sincerely said, "I absolutely believe it."

As I finished speaking, I quickly turned to glance at Bradyn. I hadn't expected to be this fortunate. Bradyn quickly responded, indicating that I could say whatever I wanted.

I nodded and wiped the corners of my eyes with the back of my hand.

"Fiona, if I may ask, what do you do for a living?" Mrs. Capel suddenly inquired about my profession.

As soon as she mentioned my occupation, all my apprehension and unease disappeared from my heart, and my voice unintentionally became more confident. "I'm a jewelry designer."

I answered truthfully. I studied at the University of the Arts London, majoring in visual arts.

Of course, this wasn't my first passion. I once dreamt of becoming a world-renowned ballet dancer.

But for Damon's sake, I gave up on that dream.

When his family business faced a crisis, I used my skills and expertise to help Damon's Jewels weather the storm in the market.

I thought that as long as I worked hard and excelled, I wouldn't be the girl in my parents' eyes who was inferior to Katherine in every way and lacked manners.

I believed that if I did enough for Damon, he would cherish me as his most precious possession and never let me feel sad or upset.

However, in this moment, as I saw the spark in Mrs. Capel's eyes, her surprise and curiosity, I realized how exciting my profession was.

"I really hope I can wear jewelry you've personally designed someday."

I nodded eagerly. "Of course, I'll create a set that suits you perfectly."

Mrs. Capel was overjoyed, and even though she was adorned in luxury and jewels, her appreciative gaze and genuine excitement made me not feel inadequate because of the materials in my workshop that weren't considered top-tier.

I was a talented designer, and even if I had rocks and glass in my hands, I could make them shine brilliantly.

After chatting with Mrs. Capel for more than half an hour, I excused myself to go to the restroom.

Accidentally, I overheard a few of the servants outside talking about me.

"Is that the woman Bradyn just married?"

"I caught a glimpse of her in the hall earlier. She's pretty average, just good-looking, but compared to Miss Jenny, she's far inferior."

"True, but this new wife of Master Bradyn seems to have some resemblance to Miss Jenny in her eyes and eyebrows."

"No wonder. Master Bradyn could never forget Miss Jenny in this lifetime, so he found a woman similar to her to marry, didn't he?"

I hid in the restroom until they dispersed before coming out.

I didn't know who this so-called Miss Jenny was. Maybe she was the girl who Bradyn fell in love with under the sycamore tree.

Did she look like me? Did she also appreciate the openness and authenticity of the sycamore tree?

So, such a girl should be crazy and desperate for love, why can't she end up with Bradyn?

I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that there was a good chance that my marriage to Bradyn would not last long.

Maybe one day, he will realize that what he really needs is not to escape the impulse of the moment, and I will realize that finding a random man to be a husband is only a short-term impact on Damon and Katherine and the family.

Bradyn and I come from different worlds, and we have to get back to our lives eventually.

I retouched my lipstick in front of the mirror and went back into the living room.

There was a political news on the television, presumably about the Secretary of State and the Foreign Office preparing to host the British Prime Minister on behalf of the new president.

Mrs. Capel was watching intently, and the two ladies sitting beside her were her cousin and her husband's wife, Bradyn's two aunts.

Like Mrs. Capel, they looked intently.

I wondered if the Capels were into politics or something.

Just in case I couldn't blend in, I casually said, "I heard that the president of our country will take office next month. I'm curious to see what kind of leader he'll be."

In an instant, Mrs. Capel and Bradyn's aunts turned their eyes to me.

Their gaze felt intense, and I started to worry if I had said something inappropriate.

Desperately, I turned to Brendan, hoping he might help me out. But he remained silent, his expression even more uneasy than the rest of them.

I was stunned.

Do they know the president?