Faux Vows, True Desires

The Smiths, a family of four, had not traveled together. If it weren't for Janice's adamant wish to fly with her daughter Lucinda, she would have been on a separate flight.

Nathan and his son, Keith, were the first to disembark.

Before boarding the plane, father and son had been all smiles, but upon landing

at Skywatch Airport, their expressions turned stern. Keith, in particular, had a face as cold as ice.

The two men, dressed in matching suits, were followed by a line of bodyguards, each towering and formidable, with gazes sharp as lightning.

Lucinda, with her arm linked through her mother's, descended from the plane at a deliberate pace, prompting Keith to stride forward a few steps.

"Mom, Lucy," he called out.

Nathan stood in place, unmoved.

Members of the extended Smith clan had gathered at the airport to welcome the family back. All but the patriarch and matriarch had come out to greet them-it was, after all, beneath the elders to make such appearances. Led by Hogan Smith, they approached en masse.

Every influential member of the clan, those with a say in the family affairs, had made the effort to be there, creating an imposing crowd.

Lucinda, newly acquainted with her heritage, might have been overwhelmed by such a reception had she not been prepared.

"Big bro," Hogan and his brother Hayden hurried over, stopping a few steps behind Nathan and calling out with warm, brotherly affection.

Nathan grunted an acknowledgment but did not turn to look at them.

others greeted in unison,

alight from the plane, Nathan turned, his brow furrowed with authority, and spoke in

Hogan quickly rallied, shouting, "Welcome back,

caught on, their voices rising in a chorus of "Welcome home, Mrs. Smith

the response and

his gesture but, taking hold of their daughter, walked right past him without

nodded and smiled politely, saying, "Hello, everyone," as

he caught up with his wife and daughter, walking alongside Janice. If he couldn't hold her

as Lucinda, arm-in-arm with her mother, maintained her

but quickly remembered that he was, after all, legally married to

in Pinehurst and Stefan was still the man in charge, they assumed he would merely stay long enough

of the new branch Stefan was setting up in Skywatch through Ascend Global. With his

began to spread among the clan members, "Isn't Mrs. Smith supposed to be aware of the rules now that she's come to her

Smith family tradition, even the matriarch wasn't to walk alongside the patriarch in public; she was to trail a

with so many relatives present, it was deemed a public setting, and they expected Janice to adhere to the

I saw it clearly," one whispered, "The head of the family tried to

on me. Who would have thought that after all these years of madness, she'd challenge our

it weren't for Lucinda coming back, I bet she wouldn't have returned from Pinehurst happy as a clam. How can we expect her to follow our rules when she's

truth in that statement. With the return of Lucinda, Janice now stood firm, backed by her grown

many had assumed her dead. As for Keith, they had believed he would eventually be disowned, yet here he was, bis position unshaken,

of the Smith family's subsidiary

uptake, were beginning to realize that the children of the Smith matriarch held an unassailable position