Chapter 6 Martha’s Visit
Raine frowned, uneasy. “Nancy’s who?”
Surprise flickered in Regina’s eyes. “Ms. Jackson, do you know her?”
Anyone Yvette knew wasn’t just some random nobody. Had the Lidells misjudged Nancy?
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With scorn written all over her face, Yvette said, “Of course, I know her. But aren’t you her family? You don’t even know who she is? She’s—”
Right as she was about to say “Nanette, the judge“, her phone rang. Seeing Nancy’s call brought Yvette back to herself.
She’d come dangerously close to stirring trouble. Nanette’s true identity had always been a guarded secret. She loathed the spotlight.
Yvette’s gaze flicked toward Nancy’s figure, which was fading into the distance. A sudden wave of panic washed over her. She’d almost unveiled Nancy’s secret. Her patience with Raine finally snapped.
“You guys are free to go. I’ve reviewed her performance video again. There’s simply no chance she’ll earn first place,” said Yvette.
With that, Yvette slipped back into her private room.
Raine’s uneasiness twisted her features as she rapped on the door and asked, “Ms. Jackson, did Nancy do something to upset you?”
Inside, Yvette’s frustration simmered until it boiled over, and her grip on the glass nearly crushed it into shards.
How could anyone act with such brazen shamelessness? Raine was nothing more than a two–faced bitch!
Yvette committed to memory exactly what kind of person Raine was. There was no way she would ever grant Raine a high score. She immediately messaged Nancy, determined to uncover the truth.
Nancy’s response came quickly.
Once Yvette fully understood the situation, her shock only deepened. How could these so–called heiresses of today parade about with such brazen arrogance?
When Yvette failed to respond to Raine’s knock, Raine’s eyes quickly brimmed with tears, her voice catching as she said, “Mom, I know Nancy doesn’t like me. But I’ve been preparing for this competition for years.
“What Nancy did this time was completely unfair.”
Raine broke down in tears.
Regina’s heart ached deeply for her. Any trace of guilt she once harbored for Nancy quickly turned to bitter aversion.
“Nancy’s utterly inconsiderate! If she ever returns to the Lidell family, I’ll make her admit her mistake and apologize to you. S find you another teacher,” Regina assured.
Stop crying, Raine. I’ll try to
“If only Nanette could be my teacher, that’d be perfect,” Raine whispered, wiping her tears away, hope shimmering in her eyes.
Regina felt a flicker of uncertainty. “I’ll ask around to see if any friends can help me find her.”
Nanette was elusive and known to be even harder to reach than Yvette.
Just as Regina pulled out her phone, a message from Andrew appeared.
“Raine, your grandma is here. We should head back now.”
“Grandma?”
Raine pursed her lips. Together, she and Regina went home.
Nancy was midway through her meal with Gideon when a message from Regina appeared.
Their last exchange had taken place a week earlier, soon after the paternity test results were revealed. They had had a brief conversation, and Regina hadn’t reached out again since then.
Nancy tapped on the message.
“You have truly let me down this time, Nancy. You knew how much this meant to Raine, yet you showed up merely to stir up trouble! You must come home and apologize to her!”
Nancy’s gaze grew cold and unyielding. This was the first occasion Regina had called her home, solely to demand that she offer an apology to Raine. Nancy felt a momentary pang of unease, but she buried it quickly. Ian and Freya were still by her side, genuine and caring, and her gaze softened as she thought of them.
Noticing this, Gideon asked, “Did something good happen?”
“Not really,” Nancy replied.
“How has your reunion with your birth family unfolded?” he asked.
After a pause, Nancy replied, “Blood isn’t as binding as the love that raises me.”
Chapter 6 Martha’s Visit
Gideon’s eyes flickered with a fleeting coldness, unnoticed by Nancy.
Once she finished eating, she said her goodbyes and left.
22
At the office, a large bouquet of fresh flowers awaited Nancy on the desk.
She called Hannah over, who explained, “They’re from the Lidells.”
The Lidells? After everything they’d put her through today, why would they send her flowers?
Hannah spoke eagerly. “By the way, someone from the Lidell family is waiting for you. I was just about to text you when you arrived.”
Could it be Regina?
Nancy was baffled as she made her way to the reception room.
“While I’m here, make sure you call me Ms. Moore,” she instructed.
Hannah fell silent for a moment before replying, “Yes, Ms. Moore.”
Stepping into the reception room, Nancy was caught off guard. It wasn’t Regina who awaited her, but an elderly woman she didn’t recognize.
Draped in an elegant, stylish suit, the woman, well past 70, carried herself with a poised grace shaped by a lifetime of experience that radiated from her
