Chapter 29
Chapter 29
Emily fell into a new routine-waking before dawn for work, stopping by the hospital to see Charles when her shift ended early, and slipping back to the Bennett residence only late at night when everyone was sleeping.
Two weeks had slipped by since Emily’s return, and the Bennetts had nearly forgotten her presence. She remained an afterthought until Lydia declared the welcome party preparations complete.
The family moved through its routines with quiet efficiency, its attention focused solely on Lydia’s impending graduation. Emily’s existence barely registered in their daily lives.
Emma’s rare inquiries about her were perfunctory at best. “What’s Emily been doing lately?”
Andrew was the first to answer, “She spends most days at the hospital with Grandpa.”
Since assuming the CEO role, Andrew kept brutal hours, which explained his rare encounters with Emily. She’d offer nothing beyond a terse “Mr. Bennett before disappearing.
Emma’s lips thinned. “Visiting Charles daily is excessive. She can’t even bother joining family meals.”
The mention of family meals made Gale stiffen. His face darkened as he remembered seeing Emily wolfing down food in the kitchen like some starved stray.
His fork clattered against his plate. “First she ate like an animal, so I told her to learn some table manners before joining us again. Now she won’t even come to the table? After eighteen years under this roof, this is how she repays us?”
Gale’s outburst shattered the pleasant dinner mood.
Lucas scowled in irritation. They’d been having such a nice meal until Lydia brought up that unpleasant subject.
Lydia’s eyes darted nervously around the table. “Did I ruin everything by talking about the welcome party?” she asked in a small voice.
“Not your fault,” Lucas said quickly, noticing Lydia’s expression had grown uneasy. He softened his tone. “You’re always thinking of others. If Emily showed half your kindness, she wouldn’t be so difficult to deal with.”
Lydia’s face brightened with relief as she looked at him adoringly. “Lucas, you’re always so sweet.”
She leaned closer, lowering her voice. “Why don’t you tell Emily about the party? But let it be a lovely surprise when she gets to the hotel. Then she’ll see how much thought we’ve put into this.”
Lydia’s eyes gleamed with quiet calculation. ‘Lucas is exactly what I need-always so direct and impulsive. He’ll try to be subtle, but it’ll only come across as clumsy and irritating. And that’s precisely what will set Emily off.
The way Lydia gazed at him, like he was her only ally in the world, made refusal impossible.
“Don’t worry about a thing,” Lucas declared, thumping his chest. That evening, he planted himself in the living room, determined to wait for Emily’s return.
Yet when Emily came home, she just found Lucas passed out on the couch. She gave his sleeping form a quick glance before walking past him to her room.
There was a time she would have gently shaken him awake, urging him to bed, or at least covered him with a blanket,
But experience had taught her better. Every attempt had earned only his irritation. “Get off my case. Lydia knows enough to leave me be. Why can’t you?” he’d snap.
She understood her place now-exactly as he’d intended. She wouldn’t disturb him anymore.
1/2
*****
The next morning, Emily moved through the living room without even looking at the couch, keeping her eyes fixed straight ahead as she passed by where he still slept.
Lucas came to with a servant shaking his shoulder, the chill hitting him the moment he woke up. A harsh sneeze exploded from him as he pawed at the empty space beside him. But after patting around, he realized there wasn’t one.
He ran a hand through his messy hair and glared at the servant. “Where’s Emily? She must’ve seen me sleeping here. Why didn’t she wake me up? She couldn’t even bother to toss a blanket my way?”