Chapter 6: Meeting the Mother-in-Law

After the auction ended, Lysia left with a sense of disappointment after losing the necklace she had adored. However, she needed to finish this article right away to meet tomorrow’s publication deadline.

But life seemed to have a way of teasing her. Despite having pushed her concerns about Kyle and Wendy aside, the woman suddenly appeared right before her.

“Hello, you’re Lysia Kingsley, aren’t you?” Wendy blocked her path, flashing a beautiful smile and extending her hand.

Lysia adjusted her posture, slightly puffing out her chest, and her voice was no longer tired, “Yes, that’s me. I know you, Wendy Morgan, right?”

The corner of Wendy’s mouth stiffened and became somewhat forced. There was a brief silence before she spoke again, “Haha, y-yes. May we have a little chat? I have a gift I’d like to give you.”

“A gift?” Lysia’s mind was struggling to process this unexpected information.

Her eyes widened in disbelief as she blinked rapidly, probably three times. She then looked around the hall, now only sparsely populated by a few staff members cleaning up, and quickly made a suggestion, “I think this place is suitable for a conversation. Please, go ahead.”

Wendy seemed more at ease with Lysia’s approval. She rummaged through her handbag for a jewelry box. Lysia squinted at her, noticing the woman in front of her was the perfect model all girls and boys seemed to be infatuated with. Standing taller than Lysia, she had golden, wavy hair cascading down, sharp makeup, and a body so alluring it couldn’t be concealed by the form-fitting dark green dress she wore. Truly, the Azure Grace necklace was merely a small touch on her.

“Lys, here is the Azure Grace necklace that I just successfully bid on. I know you like diamonds. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to compete with you. I just wanted to give it to you as a wedding gift. Congratulations on your wedding.” Wendy extended the jewelry box towards Lysia and smiled.

“Miss Morgan, thank you for your kind words.” Lysia took a deep breath before continuing, “But I’m afraid I cannot accept this gift.”

Wendy blinked, “Why not?”

“That’s a gift Mr. Reinhart announced he would give you,” Lysia replied calmly.

“Do you know who I am?” Wendy’s eyes glimmered with amusement, and she was clearly trying hard to hold back a laugh.

"Wendy Morgan, the eldest daughter of the Morgan Corporation. I've attended parties at your house with my parents many times, but I’ve never met you. They say you’re often busy with your own company," Lysia paused for a moment to observe Wendy's expression before continuing, "And you are also my husband’s unofficial fiancée."

Seeing Wendy’s expression unchanged, Lysia decided to make things clear right there, "Miss Morgan, I’m not sure about the marriage arrangement between the Reinhart and Morgan families. My marriage to Kyle may have come as a surprise to you, but I am legally and ethically his wife. Therefore, you as an intelligent and rational woman, I’m sure you can understand this."

Wendy raised an eyebrow and smirked, "Aren’t you curious that Kyle gave me a gift? He competed with you to win that necklace and gave it to me. As you can see, he and I are very close."

Lysia raised her own beautifully arched eyebrows and responded confidently, her gaze unwavering, "My husband is a wise man. He does everything for a reason."

"I thought you would tell me to stay away from your husband," Wendy said, tossing one side of her hair and looking at Lysia with a challenging attitude.

Suddenly, Julie, the editor-in-chief of Lysia’s newspaper, sent her a message. Glancing at her phone for a few seconds, Lysia shrugged, putting her handbag over her shoulder and smiling, "Unfortunately, I would never be the kind of woman to tell you to stay away from my husband. If you can have him, then he is completely yours. Be my guest."

Taking a business card from her blazer pocket, Lysia extended it toward Wendy, "Miss Morgan, by the way, I’m very interested in your company’s business model. If you have time, I hope we can discuss it more for an article. Now, I must return to work."

"Wendy!" A deep male voice called out from a distance.

Both Wendy and Lysia turned to see Kyle walking toward them.

Wendy took the card and cheerfully said, "Sure, I’d be happy for reporter Lysia to visit my law firm. My brother is coming."

B-Brother?

While Lysia stood frozen for a few seconds, Kyle had already approached them and began talking to Wendy first, "Wendy, why aren’t you answering Mom’s calls? She told you the address of the salmon restaurant she likes. Remember to get her a portion before heading to the hospital."

At that moment, Lysia's mind became a whirlwind as events unfolded one after another. She stammered, "W-Wait, I’m sorry to interrupt, but... Are you two siblings?"

Kyle slipped one hand into his pocket, extending the other toward Wendy to introduce her, "That’s right, Lys. I’ve been too busy with work to introduce you properly. This is my elder sister, Wendy, a lawyer."

"Then, what about Wendy Morgan?" She widened her eyes, looking at Kyle in complete confusion.

"Wendy Morgan?" Kyle asked back, just as perplexed.

Wendy burst into laughter, then hugged Lysia and patted her on the back like comforting her, "I’m Wendy, but Wendy Reinhart. This first impression is quite interesting, my sister-in-law."

Kyle couldn't hide his amused smile as he watched the two of them appear so comfortable with each other despite just meeting, "What were you two talking about?" he asked.

Noticing Wendy’s playful look, Lysia immediately hooked her arm around Wendy’s and stopped her from saying more. "Nothing much, just the Azure Grace necklace," she replied quickly. Then, she glanced at Wendy with a pleading look, silently asking her to keep the confusion to herself.

If Kyle ever found out about the misunderstanding, thinking she mistook his sister-in-law for his unofficial fiancée, he would probably laugh at her to death.

Thinking about it further, Lysia regretted the threatening words she had just spoken. She really wished she could dig a hole and bury herself in it to hide the embarrassment.

"Kyle, your wife is a strong woman. You better treat her well, or the one left behind will be you," Wendy threw him a warning look before walking away.

Just as Lysia was about to breathe a sigh of relief, another concern struck her.

Kyle took her handbag and they walked toward the parking lot. He informed her, "Tomorrow, my mom will be discharged from the hospital earlier than expected. Can you come with me to the hospital tomorrow morning?"

"Sure." Lysia agreed immediately, but the next moment, an idea suddenly struck her, and she turned to Kyle with a sharp glance, "So that means I have to move into your house today, right?"

Kyle grinned at her flustered expression. He opened his arms and pulled her close, letting her rest against his chest, and whispered in her ear, "That’s right, welcome home, Lys."

***

At the hospital.

When Lysia and Kyle arrived at the hospital, they found Wendy talking to the doctor outside the patient’s room.

"You don’t need to worry. She’s very easygoing and really likes you," Kyle softly reassured her.

As they entered the room, Lysia immediately smelled the familiar scent of antiseptic. She took a deep breath and looked at the middle-aged woman sitting on the hospital bed. The woman wore casual clothes, her short light brown hair framed her slightly frail face, and she looked incredibly kind when she smiled.

Lysia felt a sudden shift in her perception of Kyle’s mother, realizing she was the complete opposite of what she had imagined before meeting her. She had expected her to exude the noble aura of a wealthy ma'am like her two children.

"Mom, we’re here. This is my wife..." Kyle bowed politely to his mother and introduced Lysia.

Before Lysia could say a word, Kyle’s mother, Samantha, took her hand, her eyes welling up with tears, "I know, you are Lysia Kingsley, such a well-behaved girl. Kyle has told me so much about you."

Lysia was deeply moved by the sincerity in her eyes, and she bent down to gently hug Samantha, "Mom, I’m so happy to meet you, and even happier that you’re healthy and out of the hospital."

Samantha had been diagnosed with breast cancer about 10 years ago. Although it was discovered at an early stage, due to her unique physical condition, the illness could never be fully cured. In recent years, Samantha had been surviving mainly by taking medication and receiving IV treatments. After undergoing multiple surgeries, she had become so frail that Lysia felt like she was embracing a skeleton.

"We will live together happily, Mom. You can rest assured, now that Kyle has a family," Lysia added, offering some comforting words. She knew that Samantha had been very concerned about Kyle’s marriage.

***

At Kyle’s house.

"Mom, if you need anything, just call us. We are in the next room," Lysia helped Samantha lie down on the bed and adjusted her pillow.

Kyle stood behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder in a familiar gesture, smiling as he looked at his mother, "See, Mom? My wife is very thoughtful. She’s bought everything you need so you can stay here comfortably."

"I understand your kindness, Lys. But Kyle, you must help your wife. She has her own work to do; don’t let her handle everything around here alone. I’m sorry for being a burden to you both," Samantha took Lysia’s hand. Her hand was very warm, just like the sincerity in her words.

"Mom, you’re never a burden to us," Lysia immediately replied. "We, especially Kyle, are so grateful that you’re still with us. So you have to stay healthy." Those words came straight from her heart.

After meeting Samantha today, Lysia wanted to take care of her as best as she could because she could tell that Samantha was a wonderful mother. Seeing her reminded Lysia of her own mother, and she silently thanked God that her mother was still in good health. Without consulting Kyle, she had arranged for a reliable middle-aged caregiver from the Kingsley household to stay with Samantha while they were away.

The doctor said Samantha’s health hadn’t worsened, but she needed to stay home and rest. So having someone there to keep her company was very important.

After chatting with Samantha, they returned to their bedroom. To avoid her discovering their marriage contract, they had agreed to sleep in the same room.

As soon as they entered, Kyle leaned against the door and watched Lysia’s every move. She grabbed a pillow and a thick blanket, tossed them onto the sofa, and then looked around for his presence.

"I will sleep on the bed, and you sleep on the sofa," she said, casually brushing her hands off.

Kyle chuckled silently to himself and walked toward her, slowly pushing her closer to the bed.

"Hey, stop! You’re crossing the line. This is my bed," she said in a panic, pointing a finger at him as a warning, but he moved faster.

Lysia kept stepping back, but when she reached the edge of the bed, she lost her balance and fell onto it. Just as she let out an "Ah," a strong hand reached out to support her, and his large body followed her down.

The room fell into complete silence, and the sound of their hearts beating echoed in Lysia’s ears.

Kyle’s Adam’s apple subtly moved as he gazed intently at her face, now just inches away. His voice came out slightly husky, "We’re in my house. Tell me why I should sleep on the sofa... babe?"