Faux Vows, True Desires

Chapter 183

Ike was speechless.

Janice's friends were all from her generation, all old people now, right?

Everyone else was also speechless.

All moms were pretty much the same.

Everyone had a blast at dinner.

After dinner, they chatted for a bit before heading downstairs together.

Janice and her son were still staying at Ascend Hotel, and they were the ones who saw Stefan and the others off.

Lucinda was still trying to convince Keith, "Keith, just have our mom move into Ascend Estate. It's a nice place, very safe."

"The Ascend Hotel is also very safe. If you don't trust me, you should trust your husband." Keith laughed, "Give it some time. I'll bring mom to bother you two later."

They still had a lot of things to sort out.

First of all, they hadn't informed both families about this yet.

After failing to persuade Keith, Lucinda could only say, "Then you'll have to bring mom to my shop every day so we can bond."

"Sure."

As they were heading out of the hotel, they bumped into another group right at the entrance.

It was Owen who had brought Ruby for dinner.

Ruby had taken quite some time to shower and change at Pinehurst Hotel.

By the time they arrived at Ascend Hotel, Stefan and the others were already full and ready to leave. Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.

Ruby was still holding the bouquet Owen had given her.

Owen was also very gentle and caring towards her, and their mothers were delighted, intentionally lagging a few steps behind the two, so that they had a chance to be close.

Both groups stopped.

"Stefan." Ruby called out to Stefan joyfully.

If it weren't for Lucinda being by Stefan's side, she might have lunged at him like before. But every time, she ended up catching air, unable to even touch Stefan's sleeve, let alone jump into his arms.

Stefan glanced at her coldly, his lips tightly pressed together, not responding to her.

Ruby's joy cooled instantly.

Yes, Stefan was married now.

She looked at Lucinda, and Lucinda was looking at her.

"Lucinda, I was wrong that time, I'm sorry. I'll pay double for the damage in your shop."

Ruby moved forward two steps, apologizing sincerely to Lucinda.

Lucinda's eyes flickered, her expression indifferent. She went straight to the point, "I'll text you the total cost later, you can transfer the money directly to me."

"Lucy, have her pay you now." Stefan suddenly said.

When everyone was looking at him, he explained to Lucinda, "You don't have her contact information, how will you send it to her?"

Lucinda instinctively asked, "Don't you have her contact information either?"

"I don't remember her phone number."

They grew up together, and he actually claimed he didn't remember Ruby's number.

This word was like a sharp knife, making Ruby's heart bleed.

When she returned from abroad, she had texted him and called him.

He claimed not to remember her number, was that why he never responded to her messages?

Whether he truly forgot or pretended to forget, he successfully pleased Lucinda with his words.

"If you can remember the number, tell me now and I'll compensate you right away."

Of course, Lucinda remembered.

She gave a number.

Ruby wanted to pay double, but she didn't have enough money. She had to use all the money from her mother, Olina, and Owen to make up the amount.

"Owen, did you come to give me money?"

Stefan glanced at his rival.

He wasn't surprised that Owen came to pick up Ruby. If there was a day when Owen didn't, that would surprise him.

Owen's handsome face was tense.

He was checking Cecilia's reaction from the corner of his eye. Seeing that she seemed calm, even when she saw him with Ruby, Cecilia didn't frown.

Was this the reaction a wife should have when seeing another woman by her husband's side?

In his mind, Owen criticized Cecilia's performance as his wife. Cecilia was thinking, "I'm just doing my job and getting paid. We're only husband and wife in name."

Owen was silent.

"Spend more money, don't skimp in front of your beloved woman. I'll make sure Eric Anderson treats you guys well."

Stefan emphasized his last words.

Owen understood entering Ascend Global Hotel was like walking into a slaughterhouse.

"We'll go first."

Stefan and his wife walked past Owen and Ruby. When they encountered Olina, Stefan politely nodded and greeted, "Olina."

Olina only nodded in response.

Megan was completely ignored by Stefan.

Ike and Cecilia followed Lucinda and Stefan out of the hotel.

When Ruby wasn't looking, Owen glanced back at Cecilia, seeing that she didn't look back or give him any attention, but walked with Ike. From behind, they looked like a couple.

Janice and her son didn't ask any further.

As for what everyone was thinking, only God knows.

The day passed very peacefully.

At ten thirty in the evening, Serendipity Cafe closed.

Lucinda turned off her computer, stood up, and stretched.

"Did you finish writing?"

Cecilia asked her.

"Yes, I met the minimum requirement for full attendance."

Cecilia laughed, "You used to work so hard, writing so much every day. Your readers have been spoiled by you, and now you either take days off or only update a few thousand words. Won't your readers complain?"

"They do complain. I don't dare to check the comments or reply. I'm afraid my readers will be mad at me."

Lucinda said as she left the cashier counter, poured herself a glass of water, looked out the window, and said, "My husband should be coming to pick me up soon."

Cecilia glanced at the shop entrance, still no sight of that luxury Maybach car. She checked the time, "Five minutes to go. He's always on time, shows up like clockwork every day."

Sitting across from Cecilia, Lucinda took a few sips of water and said sincerely, "It's been a month, and I still feel like I'm dreaming. More has happened this month than in the last twenty years combined."

She had married in a whirlwind, thinking he was just an ordinary person like her, only to find out he was a scion of a wealthy family.

The people she had always believed were her biological parents, turned out not to be.

She thought she was punching above her weight with Stefan, but surprisingly she was set to inherit billions of dollars from her biological father, making her suddenly on par with Stefan.

Life is just full of twists and turns!

"It feels like I'm in a dream, or on a roller coaster, ups and downs, but it's still thrilling."

Cecilia could totally relate.

A month ago, she couldn't even meet Owen in person.

A month later, she's Owen's wife in name.

"I can finally give my mom a call."

With that, Lucinda got up and walked back to the cashier desk, picked up her phone that was on the counter, and dialed her foster mother's number.

Before the results of her and Janice's identity verification had come out, she hadn't mentioned anything to her foster parents. She didn't want them to worry unnecessarily or let their imaginations

run wild.