Chapter 31
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Richard spent the whole day with Katherine, and he could see just how spoiled she was now. Her everyday routine was to eat, take a walk, and then flop on the couch when she got tired.
On the surface, it looked great. But Richard noticed she had no drive to do anything, and that worried him. He suggested, “Kate, how about you go to the office with Derrick sometimes? See more people, you know?”
He figured being stuck in this big house all day could make anyone depressed.
Maeve came in with a plate of fruit just in time to hear that, and she nodded. “That’s right, Mrs. Graham. If you went to the office, Mr. Graham could look after you. And if you’re worried about bothering him, I can go with you.”
Katherine glanced at the two eager faces and sighed, “I never said I wouldn’t want to go.”
In fact, if Mia hadn’t shown up and caused trouble that day, she would’ve gone to see Derrick already. She was starting to feel bored with her empty routine anyway, and she planned to find something to do.
“That’s good. I was afraid you’d refuse
go out,” Richard said, relieved.
When Derrick got home from work, Richard told them he was leaving. He wanted to stay longer with his daughter, but there was plenty to do at the company.
“I’ll
come by after work from now on, alright?” Richard said to Katherine.
Katherine caught Derrick’s expression and smiled, “Don’t bother, Dad. You’re so tied up. Don’t exhaust yourself. If you miss me or your grandchild, just come by on your day off.”
Richard pressed his lips together. Between staying in a house with two women he didn’t trust and crashing at Derrick’s, he’d rather the latter.
But seeing Derrick’s dark expression, Richard knew better than to push it. “Alright, we’ll do it your way.”
Katherine grinned and gave him a hug. “Take care of yourself, Dad. And be careful when you’re driving.”
Richard didn’t know why she suddenly emphasized driving, but he nodded. “OK, I’ll have the driver take me from now on.”
Even so, Katherine still looked uneasy.
When Richard walked out, he spotted Mia standing by his car with messy hair, wearing a dress that didn’t fit.
“Richard?” Mia lit up as soon as she saw him and rushed over.
But when she reached for his arm, Richard took a step back, his face cold enough to freeze water. “We’re not related by blood. It’s best we keep our distance.”
Mia froze for a second, but remembering that Richard never really interacted with her much anyway, she didn’t dwell on it. She asked, “Richard, did Mom send you to get me?”
She’d had plenty of time to think while being locked up in the last couple of days. Seeing Richard here made her nervous. She was worried that Katherine had told him about their plan.
But then she remembered how Katherine hadn’t spoken a word to him for years, and her nerves eased.
“Richard, I haven’t eaten or slept in two days. I just want to go home. Please take me home,” Mia pleaded, trying to look pitiful. She sneaked cautious glances at Katherine while speaking,
Katherine stood behind them, her face blank. She didn’t call Mia out or say a word. She just watched them, like Richard had just arrived and she still couldn’t be bothered to be close to her own father.
Mia finally relaxed. She thought, ‘As long as they still act like enemies, we’ve got a shot.
Richard didn’t say a word. He gave Mia a cold glance, then turned to Katherine with a nod. “Go back inside.”
Katherine nodded too, keeping her mouth shut.
On the surface, they still looked painfully distant. In reality, neither of them wanted to show anything in front of Mia. Neither of them
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7:53 PM
Chapter 31
knew what dirty tricks Mia might try.
Once Richard drove out, he pulled over halfway and told Mia, “You can grab a cab from here. I’ve got work to deal with. I’m heading to
the office.”
dealmen
There was no way he could stomach going back to that house where Miranda stayed. He figured he could buy an apartment near the office.
Before Mia could react, she was already standing on the side of the road. She watched his car vanish into the night, then it hit her. She shouted toward his car, “Hey, Richard, I don’t have any money.”
Her phone, her cash, and everything had been taken by the maids at Derrick’s place, all on Derrick’s orders.
Derrick knew Richard’s personality—strict, zero tolerance for anything shady–so there was no way Richard would calmly drop Mia home. And really, she had legs, and she could walk home.
But it was still April, and the nights were cool. Wearing only a thin dress, Mia started shivering in minutes. She flagged down taxies, promising she’d pay at the destination, but one look at her ragged state and every driver just drove off.
All of them had to fight to survive, and nobody would waste their kindness on a stranger who might stiff them on the fare.
If they brought her home, but she refused to pay, they could do nothing. Besides, judging from Mia’s outfit, she didn’t look like
someone who could afford the fees.
Mia bit her lip so hard that she almost drew blood. In the end, she had no choice but to walk home. It took hours. Her feet were blistered, every step torture.
When she finally reached the gates of Windridge Villa, the security guards gave her a long once–over. One even stepped out, made her raise her hands, and checked her face carefully before letting her in.
She walked past them, humiliated, still hearing their voices behind her.
One of the guards asked, “What happened to her? She looks like a beggar.”
“Who knows. Anyway, not our problem,” another replied.
Right then, Mia’s hatred for Derrick, Katherine, and Richard, that man who never once took her or her mother seriously, burned white- hot.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration hit her. She mused, ‘Maybe we don’t need to have a kid to lock in my mom’s place in the Lawson family.
‘As long as she’s still Richard’s legal wife, and something happens to Richard, she will get a share of his property. His daughter’s already married, and his spouse is the first heir.
Back at home, Miranda was too anxious to sleep. Mia was her only daughter and her future. The fact that she still wasn’t home made Miranda feel like climbing the walls and storming Riverbend Manor herself.
Just then, there was a knock at the door, followed by Mia’s weak voice. “Mom, I’m back.”
Miranda rushed to the door, but when she saw the figure standing there, she froze. “Are you… Mia?”
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