Chapter 854

“Connor, you and Caspian met last week?”
Lucinda jumped in quickly, worried that Connor or Lydia would mention the whole jewelry incident. “Yeah, Mom, Dad, it was just a random run-in at the mall when we were out shopping.”
Cameron laughed. “What a small world. Well, since you’ve already met, no need to stand on ceremony.”
Still, Garrett and Elliot could sense something off between Connor and Caspian, like an invisible spark of rivalry.
Why was that?
Blake glanced over at Caspian, his look full of meaning. He remembered that international piano competition abroad, where Caspian had stepped in to back up Lucinda. Maybe that was why Caspian seemed to have some kind of grudge against Connor and Lydia.
Dinner that night felt awkward. A big table full of people, but the atmosphere was weirdly tense.
Trying to break the ice, Elliot called out, “My concert’s tomorrow night. You all have to be there to cheer me on.”
Kylie lit up right away. “Of course! Lydia will be performing too. Your dad, your grandpa, and I wouldn’t miss it.”
Elliot put on a dramatic pout. “So if Lydia wasn’t going to be on stage, you all wouldn’t come?”
Kylie just laughed. “We’d still come, of course.”
She turned to Connor and Caspian. “Connor, Caspian, what about you guys? Are you free tomorrow night? If so, we can all go together.”
Connor nodded right away. “Lydia’s performing, so I’ll definitely be there.”
Caspian, on the other hand, looked a little awkward. “Sorry, Elliot, I… didn’t manage to snag a ticket. They were just impossible to get
Elliot looked genuinely confused. “Didn’t I give Lucinda a ticket for you? I told her to bring you.”
Caspian glanced at Lucinda, not sure what to say.
Lucinda had already given away her extra tickets. She definitely hadn’t saved one for Caspian. Besides, half her classmates would be at the
Concert The last she wanted
was to show up with him and blow her cover.
“Elliot, he’s just really busy with work. If he can’t make it, it’s no big deal.”
Garrett cut in, “He’s not too busy. He just doesn’t have a ticket. I actually have a spare. I’ll give it to you later.”
Lucinda froze, her hands tightening around her fork and knife. She really didn’t want Caspian to go. If she’d known this would happen, she never would have brought him home.
Caspian caught on to Lucinda’s
mood and quickly declined. “Thanks, Elliot, but tomorrow I might need to go on a business trip. I’ll be back really late, so you should give the ticket to someone who can actually use it. Your concert tour is just starting anyway. I’ll catch the next one.”
Honestly, Caspian was smooth. He hadn’t actually told Lucinda he was working late. She’d just made that up in the moment. He didn’t want to embarass her or make things
difficult. Their relationship was still new, nothing official yet, and showing up together in public would just make things complicated. He wanted to respect her feelings.
Lucinda felt a wave of relief. At least Caspian could read the room. If he hadn’t, she
might have skipped the concert herself.
Since Caspian had turned down the ticket, nobody pushed the issue any further. Thıs content belongs to