chapter217

Lucinda glanced at her friend's message and lifted her chin, a smug little smile on her lips. She typed back with a shy emoji. [Louise, it's really nothing. Connor and I just stopped by to visit Grandpa Samuel today. Don't read too much into it.]

Louise replied right away. [Oh, come on. You and Connor have been hanging out nonstop lately. Are you sure you're not about to get engaged? When are you going to invite us to celebrate?]

Lucinda rolled her eyes and replied, [Louise, quit teasing me. I haven't even finished college yet.]

Louise sent another message. [Alright, alright, princess. But don't say I didn't warn you. Connor is the kind you want to make yours fast before someone else gets any ideas.]

Reading that, Lucinda gritted her teeth.

She wasn't wrong.

Lydia was the perfect example of that.

Grandpa Samuel had told her to pick whoever she wanted, but Lydia just had to choose Connor, like she was determined to snatch away anything Lucinda wanted.

Why couldn't Lydia have picked Mikey or Chris instead?

What made it even worse was that her parents were just letting Lydia steal her fianc , like it was no big deal. It made her want to scream.

Meanwhile, Connor drove Lydia back to Riverside Villas so they could drop off the flowers and everything else they'd brought.

As soon as Lydia walked in carrying a huge vase of bright, beautiful water lilies, the house staff gathered around, gushing over them.

"Miss, these water lilies are stunning."

"They smell amazing. Did Mr. Jefferson give them to you?"

Connor came in behind her, his arms full of snacks.

Lydia smiled and nodded. "They're from Grandpa Samuel.

Everyone gasped.

No wonder they were so gorgeous. Everyone knew he had his own pond and took special care of it.

For him to give such a huge bunch to Lydia... it was obvious the old man liked her a lot.

From her spot in the corner, Grace was fuming. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

The Jefferson family's old man had to be losing it. How could Lydia, straight from the countryside, ever deserve to be Connor's wife?

Lucinda was the real deal, a proper lady in every way-talented, elegant, raised to perfection. Lydia was the complete opposite, running wild every day. Grace just couldn't understand what Connor and

Grandpa Samuel saw in her.

Grumbling to herself, she snapped a photo and sent it to Lucinda.

[Lucinda, look at Lydia showing off the water lilies Mr. Jefferson gave her. You'd think she's never seen flowers before. Total country bumpkin.]

Lucinda had barely gotten back on the road when Grace's message and the photo popped up. Her grip on the steering wheel tightened and her hands shook.

The rage inside her was almost too much. Lydia was getting all the attention again.

Upstairs, Lydia placed the water lilies on her desk, mixing up a batch

of plant food and adding it to the

water That should keep the flowers fresh for at least a week, maybe

even ten days.

As soon as Lydia and Connor left for the hospital, Lucinda came storming back into the house.

Grace noticed her walking in with just one bag of snacks and looked worried.

Lucinda's face was set in a scowl as she marched straight upstairs. Grace hurried after her.

Once they were in her room, Lucinda tossed the bag across the floor and swept everything off her desk in one angry motion. Lydia just has to take everything from me!" she snapped.

Grace immediately rushed over. Lucinda, quiet down. Someone might hear you."

Lucinda's vision went blurry with anger. Before Lydia came back, she'd been in charge of this whole house. She could do whatever wanted, whenever she wanted, and never had to care who might be listening. s?novels

But now... now even getting mad had to be done in secret.