Chapter 247
Marcus caught sight of McNeil’s car and said casually, “That’s the friend I mentioned to you—he and his girlfriend are here to pick up his daughter from school today too.”
Victoria responded with a noncommittal “oh,” showing little interest in the well- worn gossip about McNeil and Violet. Frankly, she’d heard enough about their drama to last a lifetime.
Marcus had expected Victoria to at least ask a few questions about McNeil. He’d never been much of a gossip himself, but lately he was just looking for any excuse to keep the conversation going with her. To his surprise, she seemed entirely uninterested.
They got into the car. As Victoria settled into her seat, she noticed Marcus watching her through the rearview mirror. “What is it?” she asked.
“Nothing. I just thought you’d be curious. My friend is the CEO of The Langford Group. I figured you’d want to know more.”
Marcus was almost amused by her cool indifference. He knew plenty of women who used that kind of aloofness to draw attention, but with Victoria, it seemed genuine.
“I’m not really interested in that sort of thing,” Victoria replied. “Besides, I don’t know anyone from the business world.”
Anything involving McNeil was the last thing she wanted to discuss.
Marcus felt a twinge of disappointment, but that only made him more intrigued by her.
“I suppose not,” he said. Women like Victoria, who didn’t swoon at the mention of wealth and power, were a rarity these days. Maybe that was part of what made “Fannie” so irresistible to him.
Across the parking lot, Gwyneth’s eyes grew wide as she stared at Marcus’s car. She’d spotted Victoria getting inside, and now the car was slowly pulling away.
“What are you staring at?” McNeil asked, scooping Gwyneth into his arms. Her cheeks were flushed with indignation.
“Daddy, I saw Mom again!”
She pointed at Marcus’s car. “Turns out Mom is the ‘Miss Fannie’ that little rascal was talking about. She must be the one who taught him those video games!”
“What little rascal? Who are you talking about, Gwyn?” McNeil asked, though he already suspected the answer.
“Marcus’s nephew, Max,” Gwyneth replied, her tone leaving no room for doubt.
Violet suddenly remembered on the day Gwyneth was discharged from the hospital, she’d had a spat with that boy. And now, it seemed, round two was underway.
But Violet had picked up on something else. “Did I hear you say you saw your mom just now?” she asked.
“Did Victoria come to pick you up too?” Violet wondered out loud.
McNeil hesitated, but Gwyneth piped up, eyes locked stubbornly on the departing car. “She left with Max’s uncle. Mom is Max’s Miss Fannie.”
Violet thought back. “No wonder I saw Victoria driving Marcus’s car at the tech expo last time. I thought I was seeing things.”
Gwyneth huffed, her voice rising in frustration. “Ms. Marchand knows too, doesn’t she? Mom only ignores me because of Max. Daddy, I bet that model car Mom had today was a gift for Max, not me.”
Her jealousy was palpable. Was her mother planning to become Max’s aunt? The thought stung.
“Daddy, does that mean Violet will be my new mom because Mom is going to be Max’s aunt?” she asked, her voice wavering.
The idea of Max living with her mom, the way she now lived with Violet, made Gwyneth’s chest tighten with resentment.
McNeil’s face darkened, while Violet forced a smile. “That depends on whether your mom likes Max’s uncle, doesn’t it?”
Gwyneth was nearly beside herself. The thought of her mother spending all her time with Max made her furious.
“Of course she likes him! She taught Max video games and even beat me! Daddy, you should win Mom back-I don’t want her to be Max’s aunt. I want her to be my mom.”
Violet’s smile faltered as Gwyneth’s words sank in. For a moment, her beautiful, composed expression turned ashen.
Was Gwyneth taking Victoria’s side now?