Chapter 18 The Impostor Stirs Trouble
Nancy’s body pressed tightly against Gideon’s firm chest. In that instant, the sound of a pounding heartbeat rang in her ears. “Nance?”
Nancy snapped back to reality and hurriedly looked at her phone. Only then did she realize her call with Ian had connected. Glancing at Gideon, Nancy felt her heart pound with guilt. “Hey, Dad. What’s up?”
“Just checking in on you. How are things with the Lidells?” Ian’s tone was stern yet laced with concern.
Nancy hesitated for a moment. Just as she was about to answer, Ian remarked gently, “It’s best if you can get along with the Lidells. After all, they’re your biological family.”
Ian was afraid that Nancy would get along with the Lidells. At the same time, he couldn’t bring himself to talk about it in case he learned something that would hurt his and Freya’s feelings.
On the outside, Ian looked strict, but he always treated Nancy kindly.
Nancy’s eyes grew red. “Dad, I miss you guys.”
“What’s wrong? Are they treating you badly?”
Nancy didn’t know where to begin. “Not exactly… It’s a mix of both, good and bad.”
“I see. You can always come back if you need to,” offered Ian, a trace of longing in his voice.
“I know. You and Mom take care of yourselves, okay?” Nancy missed them terribly, too.
As soon as she said that, she felt a warmth around her waist. That w
was when she finally realized she was in Gideon’s embrace.
Gideon cast his gaze downward, his handsome, sculpted face completely focused on her. Nancy felt herself grow hot under his gaze as if he were staring at her naked body.
While she was in a daze, Ian’s voice sounded from the phone. “By the way, I heard Gideon went to Riversdale.”
Immediately, Nancy grew anxious. “Yup.”
“You’d better be careful if you bump into him. He’s dangerous.” Ian was concerned. Even though Gideon was younger than him, Ian couldn’t help but be wary.
For some reason, Nancy felt guilty. “Okay.”
“All right. I’ll end the call now,” Ian said before he ended the call.
As Nancy put away the phone, Gideon smirked at her. “It sounds like your dad seems to have misunderstood me.”
Straightening herself, Nancy rebuked, “I don’t think so. He knows you too well.”
Shrugging, Gideon questioned, “What do you think?”
His gaze at her was so intense that Nancy had to look away. Suddenly, she didn’t know how answer him. Gideon chuckled lightly and gave the matter a rest. He walked over to the piano and said, “Come here.”
to
The sight of the piano stirred something in Nancy again. She stepped closer and laid her hands on the keys.
Soft music flowed through the room, filling the atmosphere with calmness. Gideon stood silently beside Nancy, watching her as she was lost in her music.
For a moment, his world seemed to fall silent. All that remained was Nancy.
Finally, the tune ended. Satisfied, Nancy brushed her fingers across the keys and turned to Gideon. “Do you play the piano, too?”
“I dabble a little. Do you want to play together?” suggested Gideon plainly.
“Sure.”
As Gideon sat next to Nancy, the familiar scent of lavender drifted over again. At that moment, their breaths seemed to share the same rhythm.
After choosing the piece, the two of them began playing the keys. Despite being their first time playing together, they had surprisingly good chemistry. When the tune ended, Nancy looked up at Gideon and met his gaze. The way he stared at her with a smile made Nancy’s heart skip a beat, and she quickly looked away.
“You’re good,” praised Gideon.
Nancy commented, “So are you. Thank you for today. I owe you one. Anyway, I’ll get going now.”
“I’ll see you out,” announced Gideon, getting to his feet and walking her to the door.
The moment Nancy got home and lay on the couch, she received a call from Hillary. “Nancy! Nancy!” Only then did Nancy return to her senses and ask, “What is it?”
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Hillary remarked, “Something’s off. What’s up with you today? You’re usually more alert than this. Why are you in a daze today?”
An unfathomable emotion stirred in Nancy’s heart when she recalled Gideon’s gaze. Before she could explain, Hillary guessed, “Did the Lidells do something terrible to you?”
“Not really. Why did you call me?” asked Nancy.
“How can I stay calm when that impostor is talking trash about you in public? I’m almost done filming here. Once I’m done, I’m going to be your brand ambassador!” Hillary fumed.
