Actually, the Rhodes family had everything they could possibly want, so bringing gifts was really just a sweet gesture. Seeing how thoughtful and considerate Anastasia was, Cassian felt his heart warm.
After they started driving, Anastasia had them stop at a fancy artisanal bakery to pick up some gourmet macarons and petit fours. These treats were beautifully crafted and not overly sweet—perfect for sophisticated palates. After grabbing those, they headed to the family estate.
The car smoothly pulled into the estate’s circular driveway, and Anastasia hopped out first. She saw Lancey emerging from the house with a radiant smile. Her eyes seemed to light up only for Anastasia as she rushed over to take her arm and guide her inside. “Ana, darling! I had the chef make you this incredible lobster bisque with fresh herbs from the garden.”
“That sounds absolutely divine, thanks, Mom,” Anastasia felt all warm and fuzzy inside. “Oh, I brought you those French macarons from that place you love.”
“Oh my goodness, you’re such an angel! Always thinking of me. I was literally just craving these earlier.”
The two women walked arm in arm like mother and daughter. Cassian was still climbing out of the car, completely invisible to them. He chuckled and shook his head. His mom clearly only had eyes for her daughter-in-law now—her actual son might as well not exist.
Once they got inside, Lancey immediately started fussing over Anastasia. “That son of mine better be treating you right, I hope?” Lancey had definitely caught the entertainment news. That Sonda woman was back in town. The story had gotten pretty major coverage—definitely seemed intentional. Talk about stirring the pot.
Lancey had never been a fan of Sonia. She thought the woman was way too calculating and ambitious—you could practically see the scheming in her eyes. She wasn’t the type to settle down and build something real. If her son had actually been serious about her, Lancey would have bitten her tongue. But Cassian seemed pretty indifferent to her too. Though he did hook her up with good career opportunities, Lancey couldn’t make sense of it. Whatever, she didn’t give a damn. As far as she was concerned, Anastasia was her one and only daughter-in-law. And she wasn’t about to let some wannabe homewrecker mess with that. That’s partly why she’d invited them over tonight—she wanted to have a little chat with Cassian.
“Mum, seriously, don’t worry. Cassian’s been amazing to me.” Anastasia said, genuinely touched. Her mother-in-law had probably seen the news and was worried there might be drama between them, so she’d called them over for a direct chat. She was so sweet to care like that.
Actually, Cassian hadn’t mentioned anything about the Sonia situation, so Anastasia was just playing it cool. She knew him well enough—he was direct and honest. He wouldn’t pull any shady behind-the-scenes bullshit.
“Well good. If that hoy ever gives you any grief, you come straight to me and I’ll set him straight. Don’t you dare put up with any nonsense from him. If he messes up, don’t get all upset—just tell Mama and I’ll handle it,” Lancey said fiercely. She was genuinely worried that her emotionally dense son might do something stupid and drive away her perfect daughter-in-law.
“I will, Mom, but please don’t stress about us. How have you been feeling? Any aches or pains I should know about?” Anastasia smoothly redirected the conversation.
“Oh honey, I’m doing fantastic. Don’t you worry about me.” Lancey waved her off.
Soon Cassian joined them inside. Spotting the elegant soup tureen on the dining table filled with what looked like a rich, herb-infused broth, he caught the aromatic scent and his expression shifted slightly…