Faux Vows, True Desires

Cecilia chuckled, "No worries, I've got staff at the shop. I'm mostly just handling the cash, and these days, with everyone using NexTrust Pay, I hardly even do that. Leaves me plenty of time to chat with you, Ashley."

"I'll have to swing by your place sometime."

Ashley wasn't just avoiding the Serendipity Cafe because she thought it was beneath her status as a lady of leisure.

She couldn't bear to be seen in a place that wasn't up to her high standards.

But now, she had a change of heart.

As long as it got under Olina's skin, she'd make it a point to chat with Cecilia, infuriate Olina, and make Olina despise Cecilia even more.

"Owen, did Cecilia buy all these things?" Ashley asked, her voice dripping with faux concern. "You really shouldn't let her spend her money like that."

After a round of insincere pleasantries with Cecilia, Ashley pivoted the conversation to the bags of gifts Owen was holding.

Olina glanced at the bags in Owen's hands, not with disdain but with irritation toward Cecilia. "Cecilia, what are you thinking, making my son carry all this heavy stuff, it's inconsiderate." "Mom, I insisted on carrying them. How heavy can they be? Even if they were, I wouldn't want Cecilia to strain herself. I'd feel terrible-it's better that I do it."

Olina was speechless at Owen's words.

Cecilia put on an innocent face, which only made Olina's blood boil.

"Owen, Cecilia, the old Mr. Martinez knows you're back and wants to see you inside," Derek interjected timely, sparing Cecilia from further embarrassment in front of Ashley.

Trenton was increasingly regretting his soft-hearted decision years ago to let his eldest son marry Olina, the brainless beauty from the Earwood family.

money, but beyond her looks and figure, she brought nothing to the table. Families who valued wisdom in their daughters-in-law had no interest in her. Before Shane had set his

other respected families had been approached by

by beauty, fell hard for the stunning

against Shane marrying a woman of such little substance and tried to stop him. However, Shane was headstrong, and after Olina became pregnant, Trenton couldn't bring himself

a wife was less than stellar, and so after Owen was born, Trenton, fearing his daughter-in-law would spoil his grandson, took it upon

about Owen falling into the same pattern as

the right wife is

pushing Owen to

she was smarter than Olina. She was also a bold woman who had struck up a friendship

future of

about Cecilia and Owen's genuine love for her, had Owen married anyone else, there was a risk that the Martinez family business might one day fall prey to the increasingly

guaranteed that the Martinez and Anderson families would not

Cecilia, was loyal and would not let

Mr. Martinez says you've done well," Derek

you

that, she turned and walked

if he saw through her?

Cecilia, let's go inside," Owen said, holding back his frustration and not lashing out at his

tightly gripping Cecilia's hand and eventually grunted

up with

Cecilia approached.

"Mr. Martinez."

love hearing you say it," he