[EVE]
As we walked out of the store, Cole's teasing tone broke the silence. "Did you enjoy shopping with my mother?"
I glared at him. "Next ti, give a heads-up if your mother is ever going to be at the sa mall as . I might need a paradic on standby."
He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Why? My mom's not that bad."
"Not that bad?" I threw my hands up dramatically. "You have no idea how many tis I thought my heart was going to give out every ti she bought sothing for . Maybe next ti, I'll actually have a heart attack."
Cole only chuckled, but I wasn't laughing. I had nearly lost my consciousness nurous tis back there.
"You should be thankful it was my mother," he said, his voice serious. "If it were , I'd have bought you the whole store."
"What?!" I stopped in my tracks, looking at him in disbelief. "Did you just say that? You would have bought the whole store?"
Instead of answering, he quickly shifted my attention, just like he always did whenever things between us were about to get awkward.
"Looks like those girls outside are still waiting for you." He gestured to Sophie and her crew, who were hanging around the entrance, still eyeing with that "we're watching you" look.
I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "Great."
"Auntie, you're here too?" Sophie and the other girls froze when they noticed Leanna.
Their eyes instantly fixated on the rows of designer bags being carried by the staff trailing behind her, and I could practically see the envy radiating from their faces.
If anyone could clear out a store with just one wave of her hand, it was definitely Leanna Fay.
"Hey, Sophie, go say hi to your mother-in-law," one of the girls chirped, her voice dripping with excitent.
Sophie's eyes lit up upon seeing Leanna, and without hesitation, she blocked her path, flashing her most charming smile. "Hello there, Auntie! Is Cole with you?"
I was montarily taken aback. Of course, she'd bring up Cole right away. She probably missed him so much that his na was the first thing to slip from her lips the mont she spotted his mom.
Then I glanced over at the man standing beside , leaning casually, wearing his usual mask and cap. He didn't seem fazed by it, which only made the whole thing even more absurd.
Leanna tilted her head slightly, clearly studying Sophie. "You're . . . the real Rosette heir, right? What was your na again?"
Sophie's face turned bright red, and I couldn't help but notice the confusion on Lily and the others' faces.
Sophie must've told them about how close she was to Cole, so they probably assud Leanna would recognize her imdiately.
But Leanna had no clue who she was which was hilarious.
I didn't know if it was intentional or not, but I secretly smirked. This was gold.
"Ahem . . . Auntie, it's , Sophie," she stamred, clearly flustered. "I might look different because I dyed my hair back to its natural color."
"Oh, I see . . . ," Leanna said, her tone completely devoid of any emotion. "Well, nice eting you, Sophie. Sorry, but Eve and I have a lunch date, so if you'll excuse us . . ."
Sophie's mouth fell open in shock, and the other girls behind her looked just as stunned.
"Lunch date with . . .
Eve
?" Sophie asked, her voice laced with disbelief as she glared at .
I knew exactly what was going through her mind. She was probably wondering how on earth I managed to score lunch with
THE
Leanna Fay, the reigning matriarch of the Fay family.
After all, everyone knew that Cain Fay practically worshipped his wife, making her the real power behind the throne.
Leanna didn't miss a beat. "Let's go, dear. I'm really hungry," she said, motioning for to follow as she briskly walked past Sophie and her group.
Sophie and the others had no choice but to step aside, their faces a mix of confusion and bitterness.
As Leanna led the way to the elevator, I caught Sophie's gaze. I couldn't resist. I gave her the sweetest, most innocent smile I could muster. Underneath the surface, I saw the familiar flicker of hatred and jealousy burning in her eyes.
I had to admit, it felt a little satisfying.
The elevator doors closed, and we headed down to the parking lot, leaving Sophie and her friends behind, still frozen in place.
=== 🤍 ===
Lily approached Sophie with a worried frown. "Sophie, what's going on? I thought you said you and Cole were in a serious relationship. Why doesn't his mother even recognize you?"
"Yeah," another girl chid in, her voice laced with confusion. "And why does she seem to favor Eve over you?"
Sophie's eyes flickered with panic at the sudden confrontation, but she quickly composed herself. "W-Well, I recently dyed my hair back to its natural color and started wearing different makeup, so Auntie might not have recognized right away," she stamred, forcing a strained smile.
"But then why is she so close to Eve enough to have a lunch date with her?" one of the girl pressed.
"Well, you all know Eve was acting as a stand-in for before, right?" Sophie's voice turned bitter as she sighed dramatically. "I hate to admit it, but Auntie Leanna seems more comfortable around Eve than she is with . It's frustrating."
"So Eve must have poisoned Leanna's mind when she was around her," one of the girls guessed, her voice filled with righteous anger.
"Exactly! That snake must have fed her all sorts of lies throughout those years," another girl agreed.
"Yeah, that must be it. There's no other explanation than that," the others echoed, their voices filled with sympathy for Sophie.
Sophie's tears began to spill over, and she covered her face, playing the part of the heartbroken victim. "It's also the reason Cole and I haven't announced our relationship publicly yet. He's still trying to work things out with his mother. He's assuring her that I'm the one he's going to marry, not Eve. But it's hard when Auntie is already so comfortable around Eve . . ."
She let out a choked sob, her shoulders trembling as she buried her face in her hands.
The girls gathered around her, offering words of comfort and support, their expressions filled with pity and anger on her behalf.
Sophie, however, was secretly smirking behind her hands.
Just like her mother had told her, she still had ti to win everyone around her, especially Cole. In her mind, Eve was nothing but a temporary obstacle—a nobody she'd eventually sweep off the board.
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