Faux Vows, True Desires

"You're only 26, not even married into the Blue family yet. Even if you do, the old man won't be around for too many years. How much happiness can you really enjoy?"

Mrs. Porter quickly glanced at the room entrance to make sure no one was coming in. She then whispered, "Your father is madly ambitious, wants to swallow the Blue family whole and make our Porters the top dogs in town. But the Blues have been rooted in this city for centuries. You think they'll be easily gobbled up?"

"Mom, you don't get it." Madeleine's voice was equally low.

She knew that her father treated her mother well, but he never allowed her to meddle in any matter.

"The Blue family is in chaos, not as calm as it appears to be. Twenty years ago, Lucinda was taken away. It just shows how disordered they are. And I've been working hard over the years, winning over many people. Unless I die, I won't give up."

Madeleine's eyes flashed with determination. "Mom, don't interfere or say too much about me and Nathan. My father will help me sort it out."

Seeing her daughter's determination, Mrs. Porter sighed helplessly, "You've been headstrong since you were little. Your father always said that if you were a boy, you'd be the one to inherit all the wealth of the Porter family. Since you don't want me to interfere in your matters, I won't. But don't trust your father too much. He's just using you."

"Mom, my father and I are blood. He uses me, I can use him, but our interests align. Don't mention this again, or it may just piss my dad off and he'll blame you for being ignorant."

Mrs. Porter nodded silently, indicating she won't say it again.

Madeleine picked up her phone again, and dialed a number. Mrs. Porter had no idea who she was calling, just heard her instructing, "Give Blue Corporation a bit of a headache. The kind that would cost them billions if they couldn't solve it."

After giving her instructions, Madeleine hung up.

"Who were you calling?" Mrs. Porter curiously asked.

"Mom, don't ask. Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand. A bit of trouble for Blue Corporation, and Nathan will hurry back." Madeleine couldn't stand Nathan always being around Janice even though his trip to Pinehurst was only for a couple of days.

"The moment Lucinda returns, she's mistaken for having an affair. Nathan went to back up his daughter, publicly acknowledging her. It's normal for him to stay a few more days. Madeleine, maybe Nathan went just for his daughter, not for Janice. Don't overthink. You've been the one by Nathan's side for all these years. You're young and pretty. I can't believe Nathan is really indifferent to you."

Madeleine fell silent for a moment before saying, "Mom, I've been with him for years, yet I'm still not his woman. He's so mature and steady, so gentle and polite. I've wanted to be his woman for years. I had feelings for him even before I was of age."

As an unmarried woman, Madeleine blushed as she spoke.

Mrs. Porter also fell silent. She thought for a while before saying, "When I was chatting with my card friends, I heard about a special kind of incense. When you light it and smell it, it will make you feel excited and agitated. You've tried many methods without being successful, maybe we can also try this incense. It's not a strong smell. When you're alone with Nathan, you can find an opportunity to light the incense and place it in a corner of the room. He might not even notice the smell. Then everything will proceed smoothly."

Hearing that, Madeleine's eyes sparkled as she wanted to make sure if it was really authentic, "Mom, is that true?"

"Why would I lie to you? I heard it's very effective. Some of them have tried it."

Mrs. Porter's friends were all older women. Even with great maintenance, they were still old in their husbands' eyes, unable to compete with young girls. Many men had affairs after achieving success in their respective careers. It was a common scenario. As housewives, sometimes they had to resort to certain measures to maintain their marriages and their husbands' interest.

"Mom, please get some for me. Nathan will be back soon. The moment he's back, I'll use it. Once we've been intimate, even if Janice wakes up, they'll have to divorce. She won't forgive Nathan." Everyone had seen Nathan's indifference towards Janice and his harshness towards Keith over the years.

Janice might accept being neglected, but if he was not nice to her biological son Keith, as a mother, she definitely couldn't tolerate it.

"Alright, I'll get some for you."

Seeing her daughter's determination, Mrs. Porter, who loved her daughter dearly, decided to assist her wholeheartedly.

"Thank you."

Mrs. Porter gently touched her daughter's face, "I hope your persistence will bring good results."

"Mom, I'll definitely have a good ending!"

Madeleine's eyes were filled with determination, madness, and even ruthlessness.

Lucinda was now in Pinehurst, protected by the Anderson family, she couldn't touch her. Once Lucinda returned to the Blue family, she could easily take action against her.

In Pinehurst.

When Lucinda returned to the store, Owen had his fill. Although there were still dark circles under his eyes, his mood was noticeably better.

Lucinda was secretly happy.

With Cecilia stepping in, Owen obediently followed orders. What did Ruby have to worry about?

She just loved watching Ruby get nothing.

"Lucy, what are you smirking about?"

Cecilia nudged her friend lightly, catching her in the act of giggling.

Lucinda pointed at Owen who was busily wiping down the table with a rag. In a hushed voice, she laughed, "For just twenty bucks and a lunch box, you got him happily working away. Such a steal. You should film it, so next time you're in a bad mood or you are quarreling with him, you can watch this video and laugh your socks off."

Cecilia just rolled her eyes. She tapped Lucinda on the head lightly, "Novelists like you always let your mind wander. You think I'm the heroine in your book, like every man in there smitten and head over heels for me."

"The protagonist could get shot ten times, but as long as the author doesn't want him dead, he'll survive through any difficulty."

Lucinda couldn't help but laugh, "Please bear with my novelist's mind. I love to think out of the box, integrating real-life people and events into my stories. As the saying goes, life imitates art. Real life can be just as dramatic."

They say that those involved in the situation can't see it clearly, while onlookers can see the bigger picture.

There was some kind of chemistry between Cecilia and Owen, these two who were attracted to each other yet always at odds. Or perhaps it was more accurate to say that Owen had been captivated by Cecilia without even realizing it, while Cecilia remained clear-headed and hadn't fallen head over heels yet.

Watching Owen woo his wife in the future would probably be quite entertaining.

Lucinda decided to stock up on snacks. Watching the whole thing unfold while munching on something would be a total blast!