Chapter 10
The hot sunlight streamed through the thin curtains.
Lydia stood in front of the mirror in a light blue dress. The white belt at her waist made her figure look even slimmer. Her long wavy hair fell lazily over her shoulders, making her face look more delicate.
She had been busy handling things for Michael at Stellar Horizon Group and hadn’t dressed up for herself in a long time.
Lydia picked up a lipstick and brushed it over her lips. Since she was meeting Hayden’s grandmother, she had chosen a light shade, which surprisingly suited her well.
Her phone on the side suddenly buzzed. She glanced at it, then quickly slipped on her heels and headed out.
At the hotel entrance, Lydia walked fast and hopped into the car. The hem of her long dress swayed with her steps like a blooming flower.
Hayden, sitting inside, glanced at her. Her chest was rising and falling quickly.
“I just said I’m downstairs. We still have time. You didn’t have to rush,” he said in a calm tone.
Lydia let out a slow breath, steadying her breathing. “It’s rude to keep people waiting.”
Hayden said nothing more and signaled the driver to go.
The doorman watched Hayden’s black car drive off, then turned to see Michael and Ciara standing at the door, staring after it. He hid the disdain in his eyes and asked politely, “Hello, do you need help?”
Michael waved him off impatiently. If he hadn’t seen wrong, the one getting into that car was Lydia.
“So that’s why she came to Jettridge,” Ciara said, clenching her fists tight, jealousy flashing in her eyes. “That guy looks loaded. Don’t tell me Lydia sold herself to-”
“Shut up!” Michael snapped at her for the first time. “You have no right to talk about her like that.”
He tore his eyes away from the car disappearing down the road, feeling a faint unease.
Ciara noticed the dark look on his face and swallowed the rest of her words.
She hadn’t expected that after all her effort, she still couldn’t compare to Lydia in his heart.
She hated that she had been second to Lydia all her life, watching her take every good thing.
The veins stood out on Ciara’s thin arm as she clenched her fists so tight that her nails dug into her palms.
Finally, she loosened her grip and said softly, “Michael, don’t you have a meeting later? Let’s grab a bite first.”
Michael glanced at his watch and gave a slight nod.
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1959 E 15 Aug
Chapter 10
Summer was hot, but Lydia felt a hint of coolness at the Leonard Manor.
“This place is quiet. I’m used to living like this,” Hayden’s grandmother, Harper, a kind old lady, said as she sat under the shade of a tree, looking Lydia up and down. “But if you don’t come back often, it’ll be too quiet here.”
Lydia smiled and placed the sliced fruit in front of Harper. “Mrs. Leonard, with you saying that, I’ll make sure to come often. Just don’t get tired of me then.”
Compared to her children and grandchildren, who always wore cold faces, Harper especially liked Lydia’s warm smile. After all, this was the first time Hayden had brought a girl home.
At the same time, Lydia was carefully watching Harper’s expression. She thought she was playing her role well.
The Leonard family was one of the top families in Jettridge. Harper had seen all kinds of people, most of whom treated her with stiff respect. Meeting someone as fresh and sincere as Lydia felt different, almost refreshing.
But just being refreshing wasn’t enough. As Hayden’s fiancée, Lydia needed to show more care for him.
So she casually picked up a piece of apple with a fork and held it to Hayden’s lips, as if it were an unconscious act. Hayden played along, taking a bite before gently holding her wrist.
Lydia felt the warmth of his palm and blushed all the way to her ears. She lowered her head quickly to hide her panic, letting Hayden wipe away the water droplets on her hand from cutting fruit.
Harper watched the two of them and nodded in satisfaction.
Feeling a bit uncomfortable being so close to Hayden, Lydia stood up to get some coffee but tripped over a chair.
The moment her body lost balance, alarm bells went off in her head. She worried that all the good impression she’d worked so hard to make with Harper would be ruined by this clumsy move.
But Hayden caught her in time. Lydia fell right into his arms, filled with the scent of his cologne.
“Careful.” His voice was low and rich.
Her heart was racing. She quickly pushed him away and sat back in her seat. Hayden pulled back his hand, the corner of his mouth curving into a faint smile.
To Harper, the whole scene just looked like Lydia was shy and easily embarrassed.
She had always thought Hayden was great in every way except for being slow when it came to love. But now it seemed his slowness was only because he hadn’t met the right person.
Now that Lydia was here, it looked like he was finally opening up.
“From now on, Lydia will be part of our family,” Harper said, taking a small sip of coffee before looking at Hayden with mock reproach. “But you don’t even treat her well.
“She doesn’t have a single decent piece of jewelry on, and her clothes are so plain.”
Lydia really felt a bit embarrassed. She hadn’t spent much time on her looks these past years. The dress she wore was
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Chapter 10
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already the best she could find in her closet.
She was about to explain for Hayden, but he spoke first and took the blame. “Grandma, you’re right. I’ve been too busy with work and didn’t notice these things.”
Hayden glanced at Lydia’s slender neck, smooth like fine porcelain, needing no jewelry to catch the eye.
He looked up and met Harper’s gaze, feeling a little guilty, as if he had been caught. He cleared his throat and went on, “After lunch, I’ll take her to the mall.”
At lunch, the cherry wood table was filled with dishes Lydia loved. She looked at Hayden, who was serving her soup, a bit surprised.
Last night when they got to know each other better, she had only mentioned what she liked to eat. She didn’t expect him to remember.
Hayden felt her eyes on him and said softly, “Try the soup.”
Lydia took the bowl and, in return, placed some food from her plate onto his. “This is really good. You should try it.”
Hayden picked up his fork, tasted it, and gave a small nod.
Their actions didn’t escape Harper’s eyes. She gave a shocked look to Dora, the maid next to her.
Dora stayed calm and only nodded, though inside, waves were crashing.
She knew why Harper was so surprised. Hayden had a cleanliness obsession and never ate food touched by others.
It seemed Lydia really was Hayden’s true love.
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