Chapter 347
Chapter 347
Yann didn’t look up from the file in his hands. “Do you have any proof?”
“If I had proof, I’d have taken him to court already!” Logan slammed a fist against his knee, frustration etched across his face. “But I know it was him.
Yann turned a page calmly. “Then what’s his motive?”
“Obviously because I’ve been spending more time with you… well, with Amelia,” Logan replied, not noticing the shift in Lucia’s expression behind him as she silently pushed his wheelchair.
“You’ve seen her?” Yann asked.
Logan didn’t answer right away.
“So you haven’t even seen her. Why would he come after you then?”
Logan’s grip on the armrest tightened. He was sure Richard feared he might follow Amelia and Cecilia south, chasing down a lead.
Richard liked to claim he respected Amelia’s independence, that he wouldn’t interfere with her choices, but to Logan, that was just another excuse for not caring enough.
He suspected Richard was afraid that too much contact between him and Amelia might rekindle old feelings, that she might be moved by Logan’s sincerity and begin to waver.
That night at the hotel, they had happened to dine under the same roof. Though they hadn’t left together, Logan was attacked soon afterward, and he was convinced it wasn’t just a coincidence.
Logan stayed in Yann’s office the entire morning. Yann left for a meeting and then went to see a client, never returning. With no choice, Logan eventually headed home to rest.
That afternoon, Lucia stopped by to deliver some baby items to Audrey and quickly launched into her usual string of complaints.
“People think I’ve got it all. But honestly? My life is anything but easy.”
Audrey glanced at the glittering bracelet on her wrist, the carefully curated designer outfit, and then turned back to the stack of documents in front of her. Steven had recently sent her a new herbal recipe, one supposedly effective for lightening dark spots.
“Your dad’s not over Amelia. Not even close. He…”
“He’s not my dad. He’s my father–in–law,” Audrey cut in, cold and clear.
It wasn’t that she had any particular issue with Logan. But when words came out of Lucia’s mouth, they took on a tone that made everything sound manipulative and wrong.
The interruption threw Lucia off. For a moment, she forgot what she’d been about to say.
“I made all these pee pads myself, cotton cloth, way better than disposable ones. And I bought some clothes too, light pink and blue. Works either way, boy or girl!”
Audrey hadn’t told her about the triplets. Lucia, assuming there were just two babies, had prepared everything in pairs. Lucia was liberal with spending when it came to the baby as she had no trouble getting reimbursed through Audrey.
“I want to help take care of you, I really do. It’s just… I’ve never done this before, I don’t have the experience.” Lucia hesitated, trying to sound casual “You’re going to hire a babysitter, right? When the time comes?”
Audrey didn’t look up. “We’ll see.”
Chapter 347
Lucia rambled for a bit longer, touching on one thing and then another. Eventually, she stood up and made for the door.
But just as she stepped outside the gate, something seemed to click in her mind. She turned back and came in again.
“Hey, Audrey. You’re still on good terms with the Davis family, right? Could you maybe ask Owen, just quietly, whether they had anything to do with Logan’s injury?”
Audrey had just picked up her phone to find some music for a light yoga session. She paused, looking up. “Logan got hurt?”
“I told you, but you didn’t believe me!” Lucia dropped back onto the couch, frustration bubbling over. “He’s been looking for every excuse to get close to Amelia. You think that’s innocent? Please. He’s obviously trying to get her back!”
Audrey replied plainly, “She’s married now.”
Lucia didn’t even hesitate. “So what? People get divorced. She and Richard don’t even have a kid together, but she does have one with Logan. That child is the bond between them. The proof of their love.
“You think it’s so hard for them to get back together if they wanted to?”
Audrey shrugged. “Then let them.”
Lucia’s face flushed. “You little brat!” she snapped, her voice rising. “Everyone else tries to help reunite their parents, and here you are, siding with strangers!”
Audrey looked at her coolly. “Then I’ll go ahead and reserve a burial plot next to my dad’s. Want me to send you there, or will you go on your own?”
Lucia froze, stunned into silence. Then, slowly, her eyes welled up with tears.
“How could you curse me like that? Sure, your dad and I have our issues. Maybe I haven’t been a perfect wife to him. But what did I ever do to you? You actually want me dead?”
Audrey didn’t even flinch. “Didn’t you just say children should try to get their parents back together?”
She felt nothing at the sight of Lucia’s tears, perhaps an immunity she’d developed after dealing with Valerie’s endless fake sobbing.
Crying women didn’t move her anymore. Especially not the ones who already held all the power, yet still insisted on playing the victim.
Lucia choked out her words. “What did I ever do to deserve this from you? Why are you so hell–bent on keeping me and Logan apart?”
Audrey stretched into a warm–up pose, her tone almost casual. “What did I ever do to you? You’ve spent months trying to talk me into divorcing Yann.”
Lucia had nothing left to say and finally stood to leave.
But the very next day, she returned.
She had spent the entire night thinking, and perhaps, at last, she understood.
Even if Logan truly intended to reconcile with Amelia, that would mean little unless Amelia herself was willing to end her marriage with Richard. Na matter how devoted Logan tried to appear, he would, at most, be reduced to the role of an intruding third party.
Even if the divorce was beyond her power to prevent, Logan would still remain Audrey’s father–in–law.
Rather than wasting her energy obstructing Logan’s gestures of affection, it would be far wiser to ingratiate herself with Audrey. After all, every penny she spent within the Winifred family’s circle ultimately passed through Audrey’s hands.
And because she was Audrey’s mother, Logan would continue to treat her with due respect.
Now that Logan was confined to the house with a sprained ankle, unable to pursue Amelia for the time being, Lucia decided she might as well spend more time with Audrey.
Chapter 347
The rain and snow from earlier in the week had vanished without a trace, leaving behind only colder, sharper air.
Audrey was reluctant to go out, still heavy with fatigue, but Sylvie had gently suggested some movement might do her and the babies some good. So, despite her hesitation, she allowed herself to be pulled along on a shopping trip with Lucia.
While browsing in a maternity boutique, they happened to run into Irene and Sharon.
Audrey remembered that the couple had yet to hold a proper wedding, but Sharon’s hand kept drifting toward her belly, an unmistakable gesture.
Iréne spotted them too. She smiled as if nothing had ever gone wrong between them, her voice sweet and unbothered
“Mrs. Winifred, and Mrs. Lucia Winifred! What a surprise.”
Lucia returned the greeting with enthusiasm. “Mrs. Price! And this is…”
“My daughter–in–law,” Irene replied, her eyes flicking briefly to Audrey’s stomach.
There was a strange, tense quality to her gaze, a mixture of envy, bitterness, and something unspoken. Then, her eyes moved back to Sharon’s betty. “They just returned from their honeymoon, and she’s already expecting. And you, Mrs. Winifred, how far along are you?”
“She’s almost…”
“A few months in,” Audrey cut in smoothly before Lucia could answer. Lucia offered a placid nod, smiling along.
“Well, isn’t that something? Why don’t we walk around together? We could exchange notes.”
“Absolutely!” Lucia replied without hesitation.
Audrey could hardly believe her ears. Had Lucia truly forgotten how Irene had once schemed against her alongside Talia, no less? It hadn’t even been that long ago.
Audrey had chosen not to pursue legal action against Irene, but she had seen to it that Talia was imprisoned. There was no way Irene’s overtures were sinceré.
“Excuse me,” Audrey said suddenly, taking Lucia’s hand. “You two go ahead. I need the restroom.”
Lucia followed her out, baffled, and once they were alone, she began her gentle scolding.
Talia had made a mistake, but she had paid the price. As business still existed between the Winifred and Price families, there was no point in making things worse.
She muttered on and on, but Audrey didn’t bother responding. To her, it was all just noise.
To avoid another encounter, Audrey suggested they head upstairs to the restaurant after leaving the restroom.
Yet whether by fate or by design, they crossed paths with Irene and Sharon again.
