Faux Vows, True Desires

After bidding farewell to everyone, Lucinda and her husband boarded the Blue family's private jet, joining her biological parents on their journey to Skywatch.

Lucinda felt a bit uneasy, but Stefan's presence was a comfort. If she had to return to Skywatch alone, even though it was her ancestral home, she would feel like a stranger there after twenty-three years of absence. Fortunately, her mother had regained consciousness, so they would have each other for company.

Upon her return to Skywatch, Lucinda knew she wouldn't be able to dive into the family business right away. Besides, the Blue family's house rules dictated that women, whether daughters or daughters-in-law, didn't have to work. A newcomer to the corporate world, even if her father and brothers pulled strings to get her into Blue Corporation, she'd have to start from scratch, just as she had at Ascend Global.

For the time being, her role was to be by her mother's side and get acquainted with the lay of Skywatch.

"Don't be afraid, Lucy," Janice said, sitting close to her daughter and son-in-law. She could see the uncertainty in her daughter's eyes and patted her hand soothingly. "Mom's here now."

Janice regretted not being able to protect her daughter in the past, allowing her to be taken by bad people and separated from her for twenty-three years. Now, if anyone dared to touch a hair on her daughter's head, she would fight them tooth and nail.

"Mom, I'm not scared," Lucinda replied with a smile.

Janice looked at her son-in-law and smiled. "With Stefan by your side, not even the sky falling down could touch you. Stefan, I appreciate you looking out for Lucy."

"Mom, what are you talking about?" Stefan replied warmly. "Lucy is my wife. We're in this for life. If I'm not her shield, who am I shielding?"

Janice laughed, "With those words, I can rest easy."

Both the Moore family and the Blue family were more than pleased with Stefan, certainly a step up from Nathan.

couple of days-Nathan. When she had first been with him, her family had approved of him, trusting he would keep her safe and happy for a lifetime, surrounded by children and grandchildren in their

But then...

remembered how he had taken a bullet for her. Perhaps his neglect of her and their child was due to that shooting incident. Still,

her

Lucinda, the Blue family had seemed amiable, but Janice knew better-they were masters of pretense. Once back at Sunnyglade Abbey, she knew there would be many more battles to fight, even if they weren't accompanied by the smell of gunpowder. Janice straightened up and silently swore that

she knew she had to stand strong

her son and daughter claim every bit of Nathan's private fortune and the share due to the head of the

how nice she seems," Janice warned her daughter. "She's the quickest to change her colors, and even if she loved you before, she's not

Lucinda was always especially respectful to the

saint. So what if it was my own grandmother? It was my own grandmother who drove you insane." Many would say to

on the outside, but not one to be bullied. The incident when Madeleine had sought out the Anderson family had been kept from her by

daughter had given Madeleine a piece of her mind, leaving her enraged and humiliated.

mother and daughter chatted, and time seemed to fly

private jets had landed at the private airstrip of Sunnyglade Abbey. The Blue family, whether genuinely or

sweltering without air conditioning. Yet in Skywatch, Lucinda, accustomed to Pinehurst's climate, felt a chill, Even with the same sua hanging in the sky as in Pinehurst, the warmth felt different-cozy rather than scorching, with no risk of

your jacket," Stefan said,

coat, remarking, "Back in Pinehurst, we needed air conditioning, but here

air. Of course,

winters where the mercury scarcely dipped