The following day, before the crack of dawn, the Porter family patriarch's phone began to ring insistently. He had barely hit the sack a few hours prior, feeling like he had just drifted off when the persistent
ringtone roused him. Irritation bubbled within him.
Whoever had the nerve to call at this ungodly hour had better have a damn good reason, or they'd have hell to pay.
"Boss, the young miss has taken off. She boarded the private jet and headed to Pinehurst," reported one of the patriarch's men.
The news instantly swept away any vestige of sleepiness. The patriarch bolted upright. "And none of you thought to stop her?"
His daughter Madeleine was surely seeking out Nathan. Or possibly, she was on a mission to confront his wife, Janice.
Under normal circumstances, in their own territory, he wouldn't fret or interfere, letting his daughter do as she pleased. But Pinehurst was a different ballgame, a place where even his extended reach faltered, and his daughter was heading there as the other woman-an outcome that was bound to end disastrously.
"We couldn't stop her, sir."
"Damn it all!"
After cursing, he instructed, "Arrange a flight immediately. I'm heading to Pinehurst."
Unbeknownst to those in Pinehurst, Madeleine was flying their way on her private jet.
Lucinda awoke at her usual time.
The bed beside her was empty; Stefan had risen early. She reached for her phone to check the time, then scrolled through WhatsApp, Facebook, and the flurry of messages in her social groups. Once satisfied, she got out of bed.
A few minutes later, as Lucinda was about to head downstairs, she opened her bedroom door to find a maid about to knock. The maid greeted her and quickly relayed, "Miss, there's a woman named Porter at the gate. She's asking to see your mother."
"A Porter woman? Wants to meet my mom?" Lucinda frowned.
mistress, prominently at his side
to arrive at dawn demanding to see her
"Is Dad up yet?"
family head flew out at first light. Your
bit like an afterthought to her father, a mere
brother and cousin
of the family.
muttering to herself, Lucinda asked,
front gate. The young master didn't
made her way
he entered the house and caught sight
company matters but asked me to say
me so
soundly, I didn't have the heart to wake you. I took the liberty of escorting
night
"And Madeleine?"
I sensed trouble, so I had her stopped. Do you
behalf, see for myself
at his
meet her,
made an internal
having been kept waiting impatiently at the gate of Ascend Estate, was losing her cool. But she
expected. Making a scene or throwing a tantrum based on her status as a Porter heiress would almost certainly mean not getting an audience with
an eternity, the
security guard emerged and said cordially, "Ms. Porter, our young madam has agreed to meet
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