Novel1Chapter 574 Lucinda still found the whole thing utterly baffling.
Standing beneath the colonnade, she gazed out at the rain tracing thin, silvery lines through the dusk. Her expression tightened with frustration. "I've heard bits and pieces-Mr. Ferguson was apparently involved, too. Jarrod, don't you think you owean explanation?" She simply couldn't make sense of it.
Waldron hadn't been just anyone; Jarrod had pulled strings with his own great- uncle to bring the man into the picture, all to help Sylvie. He'd gone to considerable lengths-if things had unfolded normally, even at worst, Sylvie should never have ended up in a mess.
So why, in the end...
Why did Sylvie's troubles end up tied to Waldron? If you traced it back, Waldron was practically introduced to Sylvie by the Howard family. Now, with Sylvie in crisis, Waldron had stepped forward and admitted his own involvement. If people started digging, the Howard family would inevitably be implicated, dragging them into scandal for no good reason.
"If I had accepted Sylvie into the family like everyone suggested, and then this happened, the Howard family would be the ones saddled with all the blame. What on earth were you thinking?" Lucinda's voice was crisp, her anger barely contained. She set aside the gossip circling about Elodie these past two days; this, more than anything, infuriated her. If she'd made the wrong choice back then, she'd be the one wading through this mess. Jarrod shot her a sidelong glance, then turned to look out at the darkness beyond the veranda, silent. Lucinda's face hardened. “You never should have dragged the Howard family into aiding Sylvie in the first place. Whether she succeeded or failed should've depended on her own abilities, not our support. Now that you've made that connection, how do you think it makeslook? If anyone finds out we helped her, and it becomes fodder for gossip, do you think the Howard nwill survive that unscathed?" Only then did Jarrod lower his gaze, thumbing through his phone. "Isn't this exactly what you've always wanted?" Lucinda froze, staring at him in disbelief.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtHe met her eyes, voice flat. "You wanted the perfect daughter-in-law for the Silverstein family. You were always so particular, always weighing your options. If you're so eager to reap the benefits, shouldn't you also be prepared to share the risks? Nothing comes without a price." She stared at his impassive face, lost for words.
"You-" Her voice trembled.
But Jarrod said nothing more. He turned and walked back inside, leaving her standing there.
It took Lucinda a long moment to recover, as if someone had struck her without warning.
What Jarrod had said was true, but... it was too blunt, too harsh. If she hadn't hesitated back then, she would've been the one to fall headlong into this pit.
Her face darkened as she brooded over it.
That was when her phone rang.
The caller confirmed the rumors about Elodie.
Lucinda simply couldn't believe it at first-she'd sent people to investigate, yet now- "Ma'am, it's true. Mrs. Silverstein... her identity has been confirmed." Lucinda's expression finally changed.
All these years, Elodie had hidden this from everyone. Now, it felt as though she'd been slapped, forced to realize how ridiculous all her past slights against Elodie had been.
Elodie hadn't been sitting for long before Octavia appeared in the doorway.
She stared at Elodie, eyes wide with a mix of shock and discomfort, but in the end, she crossed the room. "You really are something. Never once told us the truth..." She still remembered how Elodie had blocked her number and changed her contact details. Even apart from Elodie's background, Octavia couldn't get past that grudge.
Elodie glanced at her, her gaze icy.
Yet oddly, Octavia felt a hint of relief. Elodie was so competent, and still her sister-in-law-having her on the family's side was, in its own way, reassuring.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmWith that thought, Octavia poured herself a glass of juice, then pressed her lips together. "I guess I can't blyou for keeping something this big from me. But you know finals are coming up-could you spare a little tto helpstudy?"
Elodie, eyes down on her phone, replied coolly, "Can't your brother afford to hire a tutor for you?" The meaning was clear.
Rejection.
Octavia's eyes widened in disbelief.
Elodie... was turning her down?
"You're my brother's wife! Why do you think you get to refuse me?" Octavia's voice trembled with indignation. For years, Elodie had alwaysagreed to her every request. She simply couldn't accept this change.
Elodie was still a Silverstein, still her m brother's wife-wasn't it her duty to ve help? Hadn't it always been like this? So what if Elodie was suddenly so impressive? That didn't change anything, did it?
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