Faux Vows, True Desires

Chapter 176

Stefan laughed, saying, "We're practically tied at the hip now." Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

"You mean we're together all the time, whether at work or home, we're inseparable."

"Exactly my point."

"You want it this way?"

Stefan's smile widened, "Yes, very much. Can you fulfill my wish?"

Lucinda was quite pleased with herself.

"I'll think about it."

"No rush, take your time. We'll wait for the paternity test results. If they really are your family, you might have return back to Skywatch with them. You'll probably have to do a few more paternity tests. Who knows when you'll actually inherit your share of the estate."

He was planning for her.

If she was clueless about all this, she could easily be exploited or even hurt in a family as complex as the Blue family.

Actually, Stefan didn't wish for Lucinda to enter the complicated world of business. She liked her life simple and quiet. He was capable of protecting her and giving her the life she wanted.

But her lineage forced him to change the plan.

"Serendipity Cafe is my and Cecilia's first venture. Although it was in the red at the beginning, it's now making a profit. I can't bear to let it go."

Lucinda had poured a lot of heart into Serendipity Cafe.

She wrote novels to earn money so she could keep Serendipity Cafe running.

"But you're right. Even if I don't like it, if I really am the Blue family's daughter, I have my responsibilities and my life to face. Running away isn't the answer, and I can't always depend on you. Since I was a kid, my mom taught me to stand on my own two feet."

"After Janice gets discharged, we'll see if she and her son will go home or stay in Pinehurst. If they go back to Skywatch, I'll work at your company. I won't be your assistant, and I'll start from the bottom."

"I know my worth. If you gave me a high position, I'd fail. I need to take it step by step, gain experience, and lay a solid foundation."

Stefan gently lifted her chin and lightly bit her lip, correcting her, "What do you mean my company? What's mine is yours, remember? From the moment we got married, what's mine is yours, and what's yours is still yours."

"You're starting from the bottom? At first, you might be doing grunt work like printing and copying documents. Anyone can assign you tasks. But at Ascend Global, I don't think anyone would dare mess with you, and our relationship is public. You're my wife."

Lucinda looked troubled, "True, they all know about us. I might not learn much."

She thought for a moment and then said, "No worries, I'll put on some makeup and blend in. People might think I'm just a namesake of your wife."

Stefan quietly looked at her, then asked, "How's your makeup skill?"

"Average. I don't actually like makeup, and I usually go bare-faced."

"In that case, forget about it. I don't expect you to change your face with your makeup skills. I'll hire a professional makeup artist for you. She can do your makeup every morning. Her skills are top- notch. She can transform you into someone your parents won't recognize if that's what you want."

Lucinda was thrilled, "Really? I've heard about some amazing makeup artists, and people look completely different after their makeup."

"I don't need something too dramatic, just make me look average."

"I'll call her later."

"Okay."

Lucinda was very relaxed, she admired him greatly, "Stefan, you're amazing, you know everyone. I'm so glad I decided to rent you as my husband. I feel like I've struck gold."

Stefan happily tapped her nose, "Since you've found gold, you should cherish it. Call me darling, and it shows my ownership."

Lucinda called him darling more than a dozen times.

Stefan, "You're just repeating like a broken record, no feelings."

But it's better than calling him Stefan.

After their conversation, Lucinda returned to the hospital to keep Janice company. She also wanted to ask Ethan if Janice's fear of napping had anything to do with her father, whom she had never met.

After dropping Lucinda off at the hospital, Stefan went back to work.

Of course, he didn't forget to call the makeup artist he mentioned.

Stefan personally invited her, and she agreed even though she was busy. Once Lucinda started at Ascend Global, she would do Lucinda's makeup every morning before work, free of charge. The only condition was she needed to move into Ascend Estate and live with Stefan's younger brother, Liam Anderson.

For Lucinda's sake, Stefan decided to talk to Liam that night.

At the hospital, Janice was still unconscious.

Lucinda and Ethan were chatting in the lounge.

"Who takes care of Janice at home?"

"Shirley."

"Can she be trusted?"

"She can. Ever since my mom lost her mind, Shirley was the only one in that house who treated my mom with respect. The others, they didn't give a damn about my mom."

"After a while, if I weren't home, Kayla Blue and Ashley Blue would let people bully my mom. Their favourite thing was throwing my mom's dolls outside and making her pick them up. When she went to pick them up, they'd splash water on her or throw eggs at her. They were only satisfied when my mom was humiliated."

Mentioning this, Ethan's eyes turned cold, murderous even.

If killing was legal, those people would've died by now.

Ethan once lost his cool and laid his hands on them. He was the younger generation, and they were the elders. When they tattled to his dad, he got a serious ass-whooping.

That time, his father beat him black and blue. If it wasn't for his grandpa stepping in, he even suspected his dad was aiming for a flat-out execution.

However, when no one was around, his father uttered disappointedly to him: "If you hurt or even kill them, you'd be avenging your mom. But have you thought about this? Your actions not only show disrespect to your elders but also break the law!"

"If they accuse you of intentional harm and the charge sticks, you'll be cooling your heels in jail. If you're not careful and accidentally off them, you'll face hard times. Once you're locked up, what's going to happen to your mom?"

"If you want to protect your mom, you got to grow through the hard times, become the strongest you can be. Only when you're strong enough can you protect those you care about!"

Ever since then, no matter how angry or hateful he felt, he never laid a finger on Kayla and Ashley again.