Chapter 372
Lucia was petrified, too scared to answer the phone.
Audrey couldn’t just stand there and do nothing.
Audrey reached over and gently plucked the phone from Lucia’s trembling hands. With a quick swipe, she answered, “Logan, it’s Audrays”
Logan’s angry retort vanished, replaced by a softer tone. “Audrey, Amelia just called me. What on earth happened?”
Even though Amelia and Logan were divorced, his attitude toward Audrey was gentle–thanks to Amelia’s close relationship with her
“Nothing serious,” Audrey said, shooting a wide, almost menacing smile at Lucia’s panicked face.
She continued, “Lucia didn’t want to trouble Amelia. She told me to pick whatever I liked, and those bags Amelia brought were gorgeous i got carried away and picked a few extra. Guess the total cost shocked Lucia at the register.”
“No, that’s not it!” Lucia snapped out of her daze and lunged for the phone.
Audrey didn’t flinch. She simply held the phone out, letting Lucia grab it.
“Logan, let me explain.” Lucia clutched the phone and turned away, muttering, “Audrey’s just joking. I said it as a joke, and she took me seriously.”
Ding. Logan’s phone chimed. It was a message from Amelia–a bill.
The team leader Amelia brought was smart. She’d put the bags Lucia signed for right on the first page, followed by the total price.
Logan’s temples started pounding. He tuned out Lucia’s excuses.
Ding. Ding. More messages from Amelia popped up, each one angrier than the last.
She was clearly disappointed in him. Even though he’d stepped back from running the business, he was still well–off. So why play games over buying Audrey some bags?
The final message stung the most: [If you can’t afford to be generous, don’t bother pretending. You’ll only make a fool of yourself.]
Amelia never talked like that. She had to be enraged.
“I’m on my way!” Logan growled before hanging up.
Lucia’s back was soaked in cold sweat: Clutching the phone, she took a shaky breath. She’d have to convince Audrey to smooth things over.
She thought, ‘After all, this mess is her doing.’
She spun around and managed a tight smile.
“Audrey, Logan’s on his way here.” Plopping onto the single sofa beside her, she plastered on a casual look. “Listen, about today—my words got jumbled,
and you took me the wrong way.
“Amelia brought her whole team to help you pick bags. Clearly, she wanted to spoil you. I was just being polite, but she thought I was trying to upstage
her.
“It’s not that I can’t pay, but it’s Amelia’s gift, you know? Let’s just drop it. After the babies come, I’ll take you shopping myself.”
Audrey laced her fingers over her huge belly, thumbs twiddling. Her big eyes fluttered, giving no clue if she’d absorbed a word.
Lucia decided to assume she understood,
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Chapter 372
She said, “When Logan shows up, smooth things over, okay? We can’t let this mess up our marriage. Pil bala hot water
Just then, Sylvie swept in with a cup of truffle soup. “Mrs. Audrey Winifred, your drink is ready.*
Audrey gripped the sofa armrests, heaving herself up. Sylvie set the tray down and helped steady her at the aroma filled the wit
Lucia craned her neck. “I want a cup too.”
Ever since Audrey took charge of family spending, Lucia had axed truffle soup from the menu to cut costs.
It’d been ages since she’d tasted it. No way was she passing it up.
Sylvie handed Audrey a straw, her voice flat. “Sorry, Mr. Yann Winifred orders this premium truffle soup specially for Mes. Audrey Winfred, or cap aday If you’d like a cup, should I pull tomorrow’s portion for you instead?”
Her tone was polite, but her eyes said it all, “Steal from a pregnant woman? And risk Yann’s wrath?”
Lucia had been brushed off by Sylvie several times, and today, with Audrey watching, she felt thoroughly embarrassed.
But since she still needed Audrey to vouch for her later, she couldn’t afford to make a scene.
She let out a scornful snort. “It’s not like I’m greedy. The servants at my place always make an extra portion as a backup.
“Audrey needs nutrients, but too much isn’t good either. I was just trying to prevent waste by sharing.”
Sylvie stood upright beside Audrey, her smile polite but pointed. “Sounds like your servants don’t know how manage ingredients. If you want, i can send my team to train them. They’ll cut waste and save you money.”
Lucia shot her a dirty look. “I say one thing, and you talk back tenfold. Don’t forget who you work for!”
“I’m a nutritionist,” Sylvie interrupted before Lucia could argue. “My job is to serve balanced meals and reduce waste. You said they always make extra, so do you eat both portions or just one?
“If both, that’s too many calories. If not, what happens to the leftovers? Either way, it’s a waste.”
Lucia said, “Audrey, aren’t you going to put your staff in line?”
Audrey took her time swallowing the truffle soup. “Don’t speak at the table.”
Lucia fell silent.
Audrey chewed deliberately.
Though she could’ve finished the drink in minutes, she dragged it out for half an hour.
She’d just finished the drink when Logan walked in, with Yann in tow.
They wore matching scowls, each face grimmer than the last.
“Logan.” Lucia jolted like a startled rabbit, springing to her feet with her hands wringing together uneasily.
Audrey didn’t budge from the sofa. Slouching lazily against the armrest, she crooked a finger at Yann, beckoning him over like a pet.
Yann stepped closer, eyeing the drink on the taple before sitting beside Audrey. He brushed a hand over her belly. “Giving you trouble?”
“The babies have been perfect,” she said, turning to stare pointedly at Lucia
She thought, ‘Someone else isn’t.‘
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Out of the corner of her eye, Lucia watched Yann and Audrey’s tender exchange.
Especially when she saw how Yann’s usual “keep your distance” coldness melted into soft affection beside Audrey, it left a bitter taste in her puede
Lucia thought, ‘We both married into the Winifred family. Why is there such a world of difference between us?
“Remember what I told you before you came?” Logan’s wheelchair stopped between Yann and the armchair.
Lucia blinked. “What?”
Logan’s gaze flicked up, a warning sparking in his eyes.
Lucia’s stomach dropped as it hit her.
He had said, “When you get there, more doing and less talking.”
‘I’m Audrey’s mother. Why should I be treated like a servant in Hillcrest Gardens?‘ Lucia thought.
