Faux Vows, True Desires

Chapter 415

The following day, before the crack of dawn, the Porter family patriarch's phone began to ring insistently. He had barely hit the sack a few hours prior, feeling like he had just drifted off when the persistent ringtone roused him. Irritation bubbled within him.

Whoever had the nerve to call at this ungodly hour had better have a damn good reason, or they'd have hell to pay.

“Boss, the young miss has taken off. She boarded the private jet and headed to Pinehurst,” reported one of the patriarch's men.

The news instantly swept away any vestige of sleepiness. The patriarch bolted upright. “And none of you thought to stop her?”

His daughter Madeleine was surely seeking out Nathan. Or possibly, she was on a mission to confront his wife, Janice.

Under normal circumstances, in their own territory, he wouldn't fret or interfere, letting his daughter do as she pleased. But Pinehurst was a different ballgame, a place where even his extended reach faltered, and his daughter was heading there as the other woman—an outcome that was bound to end disastrously.

“We couldn’t stop her, sir.”

“Damn it all!”

After cursing, he instructed, “Arrange a flight immediately. I'm heading to Pinehurst.”

Unbeknownst to those in Pinehurst, Madeleine was flying their way on her private jet.

Lucinda awoke at her usual time.

The bed beside her was empty; Stefan had risen early. She reached for her phone to check the time, then scrolled through WhatsApp, Facebook, and the flurry of messages in her social groups. Once satisfied, she got out of bed.

A few minutes later, as Lucinda was about to head downstairs, she opened her bedroom door to find a maid about to knock. The maid greeted her and quickly relayed, “Miss, there’s a woman named Porter at the gate. She’s asking to see your mother.”

"A Porter woman? Wants to meet my mom?" Lucinda frowned.

It must be Madeleine. Lucinda had never met her, only hearing of her existence through her brother and mother. Madeleine was her father's mistress, prominently at his side for years, attending functions as if she were the Blue family matriarch herself. To outsiders, she was a marriage certificate shy of official status.

What audacity for Madeleine to arrive at dawn demanding to see her mother—the brazen mistress!

"Is Dad up yet?"

"The family head flew out at first light. Your brother saw him off," the maid informed.

Lucinda sighed, feeling a bit like an afterthought to her father, a mere excuse for his visit.

"Is my brother and cousin still here?"

"Your brother left with the head of the family. Keith is still asleep," answered the maid.

After muttering to herself, Lucinda asked, "Where’s Ms. Porter?"

"Still at the front gate. The young master didn't let her in."

Lucinda made her way downstairs.

"Honey, you’re up," Stefan said warmly as he entered the house and caught sight of Lucinda descending the stairs.

"Your dad and cousin headed back early. They're swamped with company matters but asked me to say goodbye for them. They'll visit when they can."

Lucinda replied, "They could’ve at least told me so I could have seen them off."

Stefan chuckled, "You were sleeping so soundly, I didn’t have the heart to wake you. I took the liberty of escorting them to the plane."

Remembering how Stefan had kept her up late the night before, Lucinda playfully chided him. “It’s all your fault.”

"And Madeleine?"

"She's outside, said she wanted to see Mom. I sensed trouble, so I had her stopped. Do you want to meet her?"

"The mistress dares to confront the wife? I'd like to meet her on Mom’s behalf, see for myself just how entrancing she must be to shamelessly cling to marrying my old man Dad."

Stefan inwardly chuckled at his wife's colorful description.

"Since you want to meet her, I'll have her brought in." ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

He promptly made an internal call.

Madeleine, having been kept waiting impatiently at the gate of Ascend Estate, was losing her cool. But she had to endure it; this was Anderson family turf.

Janice's son-in-law was likely giving her a hard time, which was to be expected. Making a scene or throwing a tantrum based on her status as a Porter heiress would almost certainly mean not getting an audience with Janice.

After what felt like an eternity, the gate cracked open.

A security guard emerged and said cordially, "Ms. Porter, our young madam has agreed to meet with you. Please, follow me."

The estate was vast, and newcomers could easily get lost. Madeleine acknowledged him with a haughty nod.

Upon digesting his words, she frowned and said, “The young madam? I’m here to see Mrs. Janice Blue, the head of the Blue family, not Lucinda Blue.”

The guard maintained his polite demeanor. “It’s quite a privilege that the young madam is willing to see you, Ms. Porter. She doesn’t have time for just anyone.”

As Madeleine followed the guard through the opulent estate, she couldn't help but wonder what awaited her inside.

Madeline bit her lip, poised to argue further but then reconsidered. Maybe a chat with Lucinda wouldn't be so bad. If Janice refused to see her, she could always pass the message through Lucinda.

Janice had been in Nathan's cold shadow for over two decades, and now that she was coming to her senses, she surely had memories of the past. Madeline refused to believe that Janice could act as if nothing had happened.

If she showed up again, pleading for Janice to step aside and relinquish her role as the matriarch of the family to her, it was bound to drive Janice up the wall and, hopefully, drive a wedge between her

and Nathan.

Madeline had gotten entangled with Hayden, but her obsession with Nathan wasn't something she could easily let go of.

She felt a surge of determination. If only she could get Nathan and Janice to divorce, with the years of affection between her and Nathan, maybe he could come to terms with her tarnished reputation and carry on with her.

Even if she couldn't marry Nathan, getting a rise out of Janice would be satisfying enough.

At the end of the day, if she couldn't have Nathan, she was damn sure not going to let him rekindle things with Janice.

"Thank you," Madeline finally said, acknowledging the security guard's assistance.

The guard nodded towards a woman approaching, saying, "Ms. Porter, Edith will take you to see the lady of the house."

Madeline's gaze followed to where the guard pointed and saw a middle-aged woman pedaling towards them on an electric tricycle.

Madeline's eyebrows shot up in disbelief.

They couldn't possibly expect her to ride in an electric tricycle, could they?

The Ascend Estate was vast, which she was aware of, but she hadn't anticipated needing transportation from the gate to the main hall, let alone an electric tricycle!