Chapter 102: She Will Not Meet Essie
That afternoon, Aubree and Gina met Sonya at a cafรฉ. They were already seated at a table by the window when Sonya arrived.
"Sorry I'm late," Sonya apologized, sitting across from them.
Aubree smiled gently. "We just arrived. Please, sit down. I've ordered some desserts. I hope you like them."
She gestured to the server, who then served their food. A few delicate desserts were soon placed before them.
Sonya grinned. "Oh, how thoughtful, Aubree. You remembered I like sweets. Lucian's not as considerate."
They chatted for a while before Gina casually mentioned Roxanne.
"Aubree visited Old Mr. Queen a few days ago and ran into the woman who divorced Lucian six years ago," Gina said. "Roxanne. When did she return? Did you know about this?"
Sonya's smile vanished. "Roxanne? Roxanne Jarvis? How dare she show up! I wouldn't have known if you hadn't told me!"
Roxanne had left without a word, abandoning her divorce agreement. A year later, Estella had been returned to their family without a guardian. Sonya was furious at the memory. How dare Roxanne return to Chanaea?
Gina feigned surprise. "Didn't you know? Aubree saw Lucian there too. They seemed friendly. I thought you wanted Roxanne back to care for Essie."
Sonya frowned. "The nerve! If I'd known, I wouldn't have let her near Essie!"
Roxanne had left the country, stubbornly abandoning her daughter. Sonya declared, "I'll never let someone so cruel near Essie!"
Gina and Aubree exchanged glances. Aubree offered a placating smile. "Mrs. Farwell, please calm down. Perhaps Lucian doesn't feel the same way." Her smile faltered, and her gaze dropped.
Sonya's anger intensified. "What's wrong? Did Lucian bully you?"
Aubree gave her mother a conflicted look.
Gina broke the silence. "I'll be frank. Lucian didn't show up for our dinner. I asked Aubree to invite him, but he implied he wanted to break off the engagement. Aubree didn't tell me. If I hadn't noticed she was upset and pressed her, she would have kept it a secret!"
Gina whipped her head toward Aubree, then back to Sonya. "I brought you here to confirm this. If you're planning to welcome that woman back into the Farwell family, I'll tell Aubree to end things now."
Aubree hung her head, utterly crestfallen, saying nothing.
Sonya, hearing this for the first time, looked grim. "Did Lucian really say that?"
Gina and Aubree remained silent, their silence confirming it.
"I understand," Sonya said, grabbing her bag and rising. "Don't worry, Aubree. We have an agreement. You'll be my daughter-in-law. I won't agree if Lucian insists on marrying someone else! I won't allow him to remarry Roxanne."
Aubree offered a mournful look. Sonya felt sympathy. "Don't be afraid. I'll go home and deal with this immediately."
(The repeated "Search the FindNovel.net" lines have been removed as they are not part of the story itself.)