The Queen's Back

Seeing that Mona was still ignoring him, Gordon directly shouted, "Lydia is Maxwell's ex-girlfriend. Maxwell hasn't told you that, has he?"

Upon hearing this, Mona instinctively halted her steps. She had asked Maxwell about his relationship with Lydia when she arrived, and he hadn't mentioned it. But Gordon's claim might not be accurate.

Moreover, after her previous life ended, she had never seen any other women by Maxwell's side. Even if Lydia was his ex-girlfriend, she likely didn't hold a significant place in his heart.

With that thought, Mona continued walking forward. She had no fondness for Gordon whatsoever.

As Mona kept walking, Gordon continued his taunts. They broke up because Maxwell is impotent. Now that Lydia is back, she must regret it. So how long do you think you can keep your position as Mrs. Carter?" He then pulled out a photo and waved it in front of her.

It was a picture of Maxwell dining with Lydia. In it. Maxwell looked quite youthful, but one could already see hints of maturity in his features.

The two were sitting across from each other in a restaurant, seemingly enjoying their meal, with clear signs of happiness, especially as Mona could see a smile on Maxwell's lips.

"Mona, see? This is evidence. So you might as well give up and come to my arms. After all, first loves are hard to forget," Gordon saidNôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

If Mona genuinely agreed to divorce Maxwell, Gordon wouldn't mind marrying a second-hand woman as his wife. Gordon knew Mona hadn't had sex with Maxwell. And she was Bernard's granddaughter and held shares in the Clem Group. With the support of the Clem Group, it would help him compete with Maxwell for the Carter Group. Besides, his strong desire for Mona had become an obsession.

Mona understood that Maxwell had an ex-girlfriend. It would be a lie to say she wasn't upset, but she had already expressed her feelings to Maxwell, and he had said he liked her. Therefore, she had to believe that Maxwell had forgotten about his so-called ex-girlfriend, just as she had completely moved on from Teddy.

"No matter what kind of ex-girlfriend Maxwell has, it's still better than you, you scumbag," Mona replied before striding back

into the house.

If she wanted to know something, she would discuss it with Maxwell, rather than stand around listening to someone else's

nonsense.

Watching Mona's hurried steps, Gordon knew he had achieved his goal, so he stopped following her and waited outside before heading back inside.

As soon as Mona entered, she found that the living room was empty except for Maxwell's grandmother, Stephanie.

Stephanie waved to Mona as she walked in.

Out of respect, Mona didn't hesitate to walk over and sit beside Stephanie.

She sweetly called out, "Grandma."

Since the first day she came to the Carter family, Mona had sensed that Stephanie wasn't very fond of her, and today it was even more apparent with Lydia's presence. "Good girl, you're so beautiful," Stephanie smiled at Mona, taking her hand. She asked with concern, "Why are your hands so cold? Did you catch a breeze outside?"

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Then Stephanie signaled a servant to bring Mona a cup of hot coffee.

This gesture surprised Mona, especially since Stephanie was holding her hand. "Thank you for the compliment, Grandma You're beautiful too. I was just outside for a while, so my hands are a bit chilly, Mona explained.

"Oh, dear, I'm old and wrinkled. How could I be beautiful? You're just flattering me to make me happy," Stephanie said.

Mona smiled and teased Stephanie, "Haven't you heard that true beauty defies time?"

What she said was true. Even though Stephanie was older now, with wrinkles adorning her cheeks, it was evident that she had been a beauty in her youth.

"You have a way with words. Since you married Maxwell, I haven't had a good chat with you. I'm feeling lively tonight. Let's have a heart-to-heart talk" Stephanie said enthusiastically.

Before

long, the servant brought over the hot coffee. Stephanie handed it to Mona, who accepted it with a thank you.

Stephanie's desire to talk made it hard for Mona to refuse, so she nodded with a smile.

Stephanie began recounting stories about Maxwell's childhood, including tales of Lydia, mentioning how their bond was strong when they were kids. When others looked down on the recently returned Maxwell, Lydia was the only one who spoke to him. By the end, Stephanie exaggeratedly recounted the earlier conversation among the group.

While listening to Stephanie, Mona found herself disinterested since she had already heard most of these stories. She only responded occasionally.

Eventually, Mona felt drowsy, her eyelids fluttering as if they might close at any moment.

Meanwhile, Stephanie continued her enthusiastic chatter, going from nine to nearly half past ten

Around half past time, Stephanie finally noticed that Mona was nearly falling asleep and smiled, "Oh dear, look at me, I've lost track of time while talking. It's already this late. You must be tired."

Mona didn't want to continue sitting there chatting with Stephanie. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she nodded and said, "Yes, it's getting late. Are you tired, Grandma?"

Feigning a yawn, Stephanie said, "I am a little tired. Can you help me back to my room?"

Mona couldn't refuse such a simple request, so she nodded and helped Stephanie to her feet, guiding her upstairs.

Due to Stephanie's age, she walked very slowly. Mona took her time as well. After all, she had to do the same when assisting her own grandmother. Occasionally, she even intentionally slowed her pace to ensure Stephanie could keep up.

For some unknown reason, Richard and Stephanie slept in separate rooms. Mona helped Stephanie up to the third floor and into her room.

As Mona said goodnight to Stephanie and turned to leave, Stephanie grasped her hand and said, "Mona, can you sleep with me tonight? I feel a bit lonely at my age, and talking to you tonight has brought me warmth."

To be honest, Mona didn't want to sleep with Stephanie. She still had questions to ask Maxwell, and she didn't like sleeping with people she wasn't close to. However, seeing Stephanie's expression today reminded her of her grandmother. As people age, they seemed to feel loneliness, even when surrounded by others.

After hesitating for a moment, Mona nodded. pajamas."

I'll go back to my room to talk to Maxwell first and