Yvonne was doing her best to be good. She knew better than to cause a scene, so she quietly wiped away the tear stains on her face.
But the sadness inside her? That was something she couldn’t get rid of so easily.
Jeremy, sitting beside her, was all kinds of conflicted. He should have found Yvonne’s current state endearing, right? After all, he couldn’t stand whiny, crying brats.
He’d even daydreamed about making all those spoiled kids just disappear.
But seeing Yvonne like this? It stirred something deep inside him, something he couldn’t quite put his finger on.
He awkwardly grabbed a few tissues and held her small face in his hands, his movements a little stiff. “In a couple of weeks, I’ll bring you back for a visit.”
His voice was a little rough, and his actions weren’t exactly gentle, but at least it was a damn sight cleaner than when she tried to do it herself.
Yvonne stayed quiet, her voice soft and uncertain as she spoke. “Th–thank you, Jeremy…”
“Mm.” For once, Jeremy didn’t act all cocky and untouchable. He gently ruffled her hair, his fingers brushing through it with a kind of tenderness he didn’t show often.
The car pulled up to the Adler family’s place–a massive, standalone villa in Riverdale Bay.
It was worth an insane 25 million, and while they’d bought it years ago, today was the first time they were actually staying here.
Yvonne feit small and out of place in front of the giant mansion.
She followed jeremy, her nerves getting the best of her. She reached out to grab his hand, but then she remembered how he’d once said he didn’t like that. She hesitated, pulling her hand back like she’d done something wrong.
This place was massive and so unfamiliar. Just stepping through the door, she already feared she’d mess something up or dirty the floor.
“Jeremy…” A soft, hesitant voice broke the silence. Jeremy looked down, and saw Yvonne’s eyes brimming with tears again, like she was about to start bawling.
“C–Can I hold your hand?” she asked, her voice shaking like she wasn’t sure if she was allowed.
Jeremy froze for a second, caught off guard by the sudden request. That brief hesitation made her think he wasn’t okay with it. Her voice wobbled again, “J–Just for a bit… I’m scared…”
His heart tugged. After a brief pause, Yvonne pulled her hand back like she’d done something wrong, her head drooping as she murmured, “Sorry.”
Before she could feel too embarrassed, a cool, fresh scent surrounded her, and suddenly she was lifted off the ground, her feet dangling as she was taken to a whole new height.
A stiff, slightly awkward voice spoke near her ear, “I can’t stand hearing people apologize. Don’t say it again, alright?”
“Okay.” Yvonne nodded, taking his words to heart. She carefully tugged at the collar of Jeremy’s shirt, watching him for any signs of rejection.
When he didn’t push her away, she slowly relaxed and leaned against him. “Jeremy, you’re the best,” she murmured, her voice soft and trusting.
Jeremy just pressed his lips together and held her tighter as he walked inside.
Meanwhile, at the Yates mansion, Marian had a totally different reaction to the luxurious space,
She was calm and collected, following Robert silently. On the outside, she looked cool and composed, but her eyes were darting around, taking everything in.
Her excitement was barely contained, though her eyes were alight with that burning desire.
This was the Yates family—the richest in Blorence City. And it was even more breathtaking than she’d ever imagined.
From now on, she would be the one taking Yvonne’s place and ruling this house.
Marian rushed to keep up with Robert, taking quick, deliberate little steps, trying to maintain a bit of composure,
As they walked, she couldn’t help but notice there wasn’t a single Yates family member in sight–not even a servant. It made her feel more and
1/2
11:49 AM PO
Chapter 4
more uneasy.
The second they stepped through the door, there was a loud bang, as something exploded right above her head.
Marian shrieked, instinctively ducking down and covering her head. Colorful ribbons rained down like confetti.
“Welcome to our family, Yvonne!” Nina Yates, along with her two kids, was already waiting, each holding a party popper–except only Oliver Yates, the second youngest, had his actually pop with a loud bang.
Nina casually tossed her unlit party popper onto the couch and, without missing a beat, a servant rushed in to hang up a banner.
Marian looked up and froze when she saw it: [A warm welcome to Yvonne joining the Yates family!]
Her face immediately went blank, and she turned to Robert, wide–eyed with confusion. Meanwhile, Nina and the kids saw her expression, and their smiles disappeared as fast as if someone had slapped them in the face.
Robert let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing his forehead, clearly uncomfortable. It turned out Nina and the kids had thought he was bringing Yvonne back today, and they’d gone all out with this surprise.
He’d forgotten to mention that Marian was the one he was bringing.
“This is Marian… she’s, uh, part of the family now,” Robert muttered awkwardly, his words trailing off. The air was thick with tension, and all he could do was let the awkwardness linger.
Nina, ever the quick thinker, immediately directed the servant to take the banner down as if nothing had happened.
She then marched over to Marian, looking genuinely sorry. “Oh god, Marian, I’m so sorry. We totally screwed up. We’ll throw you a much bigger welcome party next time, I swear.”
Marian blinked back tears, her lip quivering slightly. She bit it back and gave a tiny nod, clearly trying not to let it show that she was hurt.
The effort made Nina feel like crap, like she’d just kicked the girl in the stomach.
“Alright, let’s get all this cleaned up,” Nina ordered the staff, trying to move past the awkwardness.
The living room was filled with gifts–expensive teddy bears, fancy dresses, diamond–studded hairpins–all meant for Yvonne, now completely out of place thanks to this mix–up.
What was supposed to be a smooth, well–planned welcome party had turned into an epic disaster.
After everything was cleared away, Nina quickly pulled Robert off to another room to talk, leaving the three kids sitting awkwardly with Marian. The Yates kids, always polite, didn’t treat Marian any differently, even though everything had gone totally wrong. If anything, they went out of their way to be nice to her.
But Marian couldn’t care less about their kindness. She was still fixated on those damn gifts–the teddy bears, the dresses, the sparkly hairpins…
annoyed.
If they got the wrong person, why not just give me all that stuff?‘ she thought to herself, annoyed. That woman? She can’t even handle a simple mix–up like this!
