Faux Vows, True Desires

Chapter 471

As the heir to the illustrious Blue family fortune, he was considered a leftover bachelor by his sister! "Is Stefan around?" Keith inquired.

"Yes, he is. You looking for him? Hold on, I'll get him for the phone.”

Lucinda promptly handed the phone to her husband

Stefan grabbed the phone and greeted Keith on the other end.

Keith immediately started to gripe, "Where's that bossy attitude of yours, Stefan? And that petty jealousy? I've been chatting with Lucy for ages, and you're not the least bit sour? You don't snatch the phone away or hang up, leaving me to be teased by Lucy. There goes my brotherly authority."From NôvelDrama.Org.

Stefan was speechless.

If he was domineering and jealous, Keith would call him petty, saying he was even jealous of his own cousin. If he was generous, Keith would still find fault with him.

He was in a no-win situation, caught in the middle like a sandwich cookie.

Keith still had a few more complaints lined up, but Stefan hung up the phone.

Just as he wished!

"Stefan, Stefan, I wasn't even finished talking, and you hang up on me. Seriously, when I want you to hang up, you don't, and when I don't want you to, you hang up so quickly.”

Keith grumbled a bit but didn’t call back. Continuing the conversation would probably drive him mad with frustration from his sister's teasing

Stuffing his phone back into his pocket, Keith checked himself out in the mirror and found his reflection to be tall, cool, and handsome, just the way he liked. Satisfied, he stepped out of his room.

Keith greeted his grandparents with a casual ‘good morning.’ and his interaction with them was brief. "Keith, you're heading out so early?" his grandmother asked with affection

"Just trying to shake off the lazy vice-president tag Ashley keeps throwing at me. Don't want to give her more reason to compare me unfavorably to Pete," Keith replied nonchalantly.

His grandmother choked on her words. Pete had been shuffled off to a branch office and his chances of returning to head office were slim. It was all Keith's doing.

Though it was Nathan who officially made the transfer, everyone in the Blue family knew that Keith had caught Pete in a mistake and insisted on having him removed from Blue Corporation's head office.

Keith was always so unapproachable, without a trace of sibling affection.

"I'm going to check on Dad. He had a bit to drink last night and was a bit tipsy," Keith mentioned before departing.

Even as his grandparents showed him affection, he knew it was all an act.

For years, they'd subtly favored Hayden and Pete, hoping Pete would replace him as the heir. Keith was acutely aware of this.

His strained relationship with his father was partly fueled by his grandmother's meddling.

His grandfather had stayed out of it, but by not intervening, he was complicit... so Keith kept his distance.

Before his sister was found, he was like a lone wolf at Sunnyglade Abbey, surrounded by relatives who might as well have been strangers. As Keith walked past them and swiftly disappeared, his grandmother sighed to her husband, "Look at your grandson's attitude towards us.” The old man merely murmured, “You reap what you sow.”

His wife was left speechless, realizing the truth in his words. Arguing was futile.

Now that they recognized their mistake and wanted to make amends, it all depended on whether their grandson was willing to give them a chance. Keith proceeded to his mother's room, only to remember he had locked it the night before. Fortunately, he had a key.

Unlocking the door, he saw his father still in deep slumber, clinging tightly to the pillow his mother used to rest her head on

Keith approached the bed, attempted to remove the pillow, but his father’s grip was unyielding even in sleep, and it didn't budge.

"Why not go hug Mom if you're so capable, hugging her pillow doesn't count.” Keith muttered under his breath.

He left a note for his father instead of waking him, stating he was flying to Pinehurst for a week to attend Liam's wedding and would return with his. sister.

The responsibilities of the Blue Corporation would wait on his father's shoulders. However, at the bottom of the note, he added. [Take care of yourself] It was his way of showing concern as a son.

After locking the door and leaving the house, Keith boarded the private jet arranged for him, ready to fly to Pinehurst and deliver a financial gift to the lifesaver who had once helped him.

Meanwhile, in Pinehurst, Lucinda had just resigned from her job and was paying a visit to the Bishop family for the first time. Belinda had moved out, leaving only a few servants and the still-sleeping Darlene at home.

Darlene, having sneaked out to meet Keith the previous night, had rushed back to avoid her sister's suspicion.

Once home, she had changed clothes, hidden her silver mask, and fallen into bed. skipping breakfast with her sister this moming.

Darlene was suddenly woken up by a knock on the door. Darlene really wanted to curse, but she always showed her good temper and gentleness and could not curse

She could only get up and open the door.

"Ms. Darlene, Ms. Lucinda is here.”

The servant whe came to knock on the door was puzzled.

In the past, Darlene got up earlier than her sister, because Darlene always liked to cook breakfast for her sister, so she got up earlier.

Today, Darlene didn't even get up until the end of the day.

Darlene’s sister called back twice to ask, worried that Darlene was uncomfortable. Just as Lucinda came to visit, the servant had an excuse to knack on the doer.

The persistent knocking on her door was more than enough to wake her up, and though she felt like cursing, Darlene was known for her gentle demeanor and couldn't give in to anger.

Darlene assured the knocking servant, "Please invite Mrs. Lucinda in, I'll be down shortly."

Wondering why Lucinda would visit when she should be at work, Darlene also worried if Keith had found something out and sent Lucy to probe her. Sighing inwardly, Darlene realized dealing with someone as sharp as Keith meant constantly being under suspicion

She couldn't figure out where she slipped up that made Keith suspect she was Darlene.

"Alright, Miss Darlene, are you feeling alright?” the maid asked with genuine concern.

"No, I'm fine: I j ust got too caught up in that mavie marathon last night” and wepit to bed really late. Couldn't wake-up this morning. No = disgamfort at all," Darlene quickly fabricated an excuse. Content bélongs ~

The maid seemed to buy it but still said witha motherly tone, "Miss 2 Darlene; staying up late can takea toll onyour health. Try not to. do that agaity, or your sister will have) anather reason to lecture you."

"Mhm, I got it. Won't happen next time,” Darlene assured her.

Only after the maid turned and descended the stairs did Darlene close the door, leaning against it. She massaged her temples: lack of sleep occasionally brought on these mild headaches.

Right, she needed to check for dark circles. Darlene hurried to the mirror. Sure enough, there they were.

These past few days, her nocturnal escapades had seriously disrupted her sleep.

She'd needto apply her makeup skillfully to: camouflage the fatigue under her eyes, lest Lucy notice Lucy had a hawk-like gaze, sharp as a razor blade, and Darlene couldn't afford to be careless. Content bélongs ~