Faux Vows, True Desires

As the heir to the illustrious Blue family fortune, he was considered a leftover bachelor by his sister!

"Is Stefan around?" Keith inquired.

"Yes, he is. You looking for him? Hold on, I'll get him for the phone."

Lucinda promptly handed the phone to her husband.

Stefan grabbed the phone and greeted Keith on the other end.

Keith immediately started to gripe, "Where's that bossy attitude of yours, Stefan? And that petty jealousy? I've been chatting with Lucy for ages, and you're not the least bit sour? You don't snatch the phone away or hang up, leaving me to be teased by Lucy. There goes my brotherly authority."

Stefan was speechless.

If he was domineering and jealous, Keith would call him petty, saying he was even jealous of his own cousin.

If he was generous, Keith would still find fault with him.

He was in a no-win situation, caught in the middle like a sandwich cookie.

Keith still had a few more complaints lined up, but Stefan hung up the phone.

Just as he wished!

"Stefan, Stefan, I wasn't even finished talking, and you hang up on me. Seriously, when I want you to hang up, you don't, and when I don't want you to, you hang up so quickly." Keith grumbled a bit but didn't call back.

Continuing the conversation would probably drive him mad with frustration from his sister's teasing.

Stuffing his phone back into his pocket, Keith checked himself out in the mirror and found his reflection to be tall, cool, and handsome, just the way he liked. Satisfied, he stepped out of his room. Keith greeted his grandparents with a casual 'good morning,' and his interaction with them was brief.

"Keith, you're heading out so early?" his grandmother asked with affection.

give her more reason to compare me unfavorably

off to a branch office and his chances of

was all Keith's

Nathan who officially made the transfer, everyone in the Blue family knew that Keith had caught Pete in a mistake and

to drink last night and was a bit tipsy," Keith

affection, he knew it

years, they'd subtly favored Hayden and Pete, hoping Pete would

father was

by not intervening, he was complicit... so Keith

sister was found, he was like a lone wolf at Sunnyglade Abbey, surrounded by relatives

swiftly disappeared, his grandmother sighed to her husband, "Look at your grandson's attitude towards us." The old man merely murmured, "You

wife was left speechless, realizing the truth in his words.

their mistake and wanted to make amends, it all depended on whether their grandson was willing to

to his mother's room, only to remember he had locked it

deep slumber, clinging tightly to the pillow his mother used

the pillow, but his father's

you're so capable, hugging her pillow doesn't count,"

father instead of waking him, stating he was flying to Pinehurst

Corporation would

added. [Take care of yourself.] It was his way of showing concern as

arranged for him, ready to fly to Pinehurst and deliver a financial gift to the lifesaver who had once helped him. Meanwhile, in Pinehurst, Lucinda had just resigned from her job

out, leaving only a few servants and

the previous night, had rushed back to

clothes, hidden her silver mask, and

a knock on the door. Darlene really wanted to curse, but she always showed her good temper and gentleness and could not

could only get up and

Ms.

to knock on

the past, Darlene got up earlier than her sister, because Darlene always liked to cook breakfast for