Chapter 597
597:
Cruz hesitated briefly before speaking. “Ms. Brooks, may I ask about your parents? You look remarkably like my wife. Could we meet your parents? Perhaps there’s a familial connection we aren’t aware of.” Beside him, Myla nodded gently in agreement.
Linsey paused before responding calmly, “I’m sorry, but I don’t have parents. I grew up in an orphanage.”
A stunned silence followed.
Jeffery, caught completely off guard, blurted out, “You were an orphan?” Even the usually gentle Myla frowned slightly and pinched Jeffery’s arm. “Be quiet!”
Jeffery inhaled sharply and muttered a quick apology. “I’m sorry.” Linsey had never seen Jeffery so subdued before. It was almost amusing.
But she wasn’t bothered by his reaction. “It’s alright. You were just stating a fact.”
Jeffery awkwardly adjusted his tone. “I just meant… I’m amazed someone as young as you could reach such a position…”
He trailed off, unsure how to phrase it, but Linsey understood what he meant.
She smiled faintly. “I don’t have an impressive family background. Everything I’ve achieved, I did on my own. So, you can stop speculating about my connection to our founder. I’ve never met him. And besides—I’m already married.”
Myla listened intently, her gaze softening. Poor child.
The moment Linsey mentioned she was married, Myla instinctively asked, “What kind of person is your husband? Does he treat you well?” As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized she had overstepped. They had only just met today.
Linsey noticed the flicker of regret in Myla’s eyes and offered a reassuring smile. “Thank you for your concern, Mrs. Lawson. My husband treats me very well, and we love each other deeply.”
Upon hearing Linsey’s response, Myla felt an unexpected sense of relief. Still, a hint of worry lingered. Linsey had no family to rely on, and if her husband didn’t treat her well, what would she do?
𝓜𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝗱𝘁𝗵𝓮 𝗰𝗵𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼 @ gⲁ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀⩼.c𝗈𝗺
Cruz, noticing his wife’s growing fondness for Linsey, suggested, “Why don’t we sit down and talk?”
Myla smiled warmly and took Linsey’s hand in an affectionate gesture. “Ms. Brooks, would you mind sitting next to me?”
Linsey had already formed a good impression of Myla, so she didn’t hesitate. “Of course, I don’t mind.”
With that, they took their seats at the dining table—Myla and Linsey in the center, with Jeffery and Cruz on either side.
Cruz signaled for a waiter. “Could you bring us the menu again?” At the same time, he turned to the two men accompanying Linsey and gestured toward the nearby sofa.
Linsey’s security detail nodded in acknowledgment, understanding the underlying message—to stay quiet and remain on standby.
.
.
.