Faux Vows, True Desires

Lucinda watched as her father sat by her mother's bedside, clutching her hand tightly. She leaned toward Stefan and whispered, "Stefan, let's step outside for a bit."

Dr. Miller, the Anderson family's trusted physician, had already made a house call and assured them that Mom was going to be fine. It was just that the flood of memories had overwhelmed her, and she couldn't handle the trigger that caused her to faint.

Despite this, Dad was still a bundle of nerves, worried sick, not even touching his food, just sitting there, silently watching over Mom.

Even someone with the worst eyesight could see it: Nathan's feelings for Janice weren't cold. He was just too deeply in love.

"Alright."

Stefan glanced at the elderly couple, feeling the oppressive atmosphere between them, so heavy it was almost suffocating.

It was a strange thing to witness - two people so clearly in love pretending to be indifferent to each other.

All these years, Lucinda's mother had a tough time, and how could her father have had it any easier?

Because of her madness, her pain was solely due to the disappearance of her daughter.

But for Nathan, as a husband and a father, his pain was twofold.

Stefan took Lucinda's hand and led her out of the room.

Keith silently observed his parents for a moment before quietly stepping out, leaving them alone in their sanctuary. Right now, nobody could coax Dad away from that room.

Walking along the tree-lined paths of Ascend Estate, Lucinda looped her arm through Stefan's, resting her head on his shoulder before looking up at him and saying, "Stefan, if ever we face a situation like my parents', you can't pull a Nathan on me."

"I'd rather face it with you, side by side, than be shielded in the dark about everything."

Stefan switched from holding to embracing her, walking slowly forward as he spoke softly, "Lucy, we won't end up like your parents."

that day ever comes, I won't do what your dad

dark and

sighed and added, "Even if Mom was willing to give Dad a chance to explain, would

mother had

overthink it. Once this mess gets sorted out and the dust settles, Mom will gradually understand Dad. Once she does, forgiveness will follow. Even if she can't fully forgive,

especially when it's someone you once loved

nutshell, both Nathan and Janice have had their fair share of struggles. They've

manage to mend

having a companion in your later years, someone who cares about you,

there," Lucinda confessed, a hint of nervousness in her voice at the

that even once back in Skywatch, she wouldn't be much help to her father and brother. All she could do was protect her

they all wear masks." "Madeleine and your brother Hayden's saga is still unfolding. When we

"I can do that. They bullied my mother before, and now it's time I got some payback for

had no sympathy

the

ago. Recent attempts on your brother's life and your kidnapping point toward Hayden. Still, the evidence isn't

to s

especially when

"My brother is also focusing on Hayden. Why don't you

seemed mild-mannered and

his wife didn't mingle as much as Hayden and his wife, and it was Ashley who dragged Kayla into mocking her

that meant they were

nobody in a family

he's not a suspect, but that doesn't mean he's innocent. Sometimes the quietest people are the

&

dogs that

had Edgar looking into everyone in the Blue family,