Faux Vows, True Desires
Chapter 402

After Cecilia left, Stefan and Keith walked in together.

"Stefan, bro, what brings you guys here?"

Lucinda greeted them with a warm smile.

Neither man had brought their bodyguards; in Pinehurst, Keith always felt most at ease.

He had great faith in his brother-in-law's ability to keep things safe, believing that on his turf, there was no need to worry about any threats.

"Is it unwelcome for your brother to come for a coffee? Or do you think I'm just being a third wheel?"

Keith spoke with a playful grin, not pausing as he picked a spot to sit down, making it clear that even as a third wheel, he was there to stay.

Stefan's gaze was tender as he looked at Lucinda. "Cecilia's not around, right? I thought I'd come over and lend a hand. I'm just loafing around at home anyway." Since tying the knot, his weekends were always spent with Lucinda.

Their friends teased him for abandoning them for his woman.

Stefan, however, stood his ground firmly, declaring that it was Lucinda he'd be with for life, so of course, she took precedence.

That left his friends without a comeback.

"Where's Dad?"

"He's with my dad." Stefan replied.

Lucinda nodded in understanding.

"Need any help with anything?"

Lucinda laughed, "Not at the moment, but I might need your help later when it gets busy."

"Bro, do you want some coffee?" she asked Keith.

"Pour me a cup, will you? I had a rough night and I'm dragging today," Keith responded.

Lucinda went to prepare coffee for him.

"You seem pretty chipper to me, not like someone who had a rough night," she teased as she brewed the coffee.

Keith approached, watching his little sister with an amused expression, "Just an expression."

At that moment, someone else entered.

Everyone assumed it was a customer, but when Lucinda and her husband saw who it was, her smile vanished, while Stefan remained unfazed.

The newcomer was George Mitchell.

Lucinda's only boyfriend before Stefan.

George had tried to rekindle things with Lucinda even after moving on to someone else. Lucinda had told his wife about his antics, leading to their divorce. Mrs. Mitchell had even thanked Lucinda for revealing George's true nature.

In Mrs. Mitchell's eyes, George was a social climber who lost his status after the divorce and couldn't make it in Pinehurst. He left town.

Lucinda hadn't seen him in months, and had almost forgotten him completely until he walked in today.

For Lucinda, George was a closed chapter.

Back then, she and George had shared a real connection, and it was she who made the first move in their relationship. They had kept things proper, but her psychological barriers had vanished when she met Stefan.

Reflecting on it, Lucinda couldn't help but marvel at how she and Stefan seemed destined to be together.

Lucinda had contemplated marriage with George, but he chose betrayal. Even knowing that Stefan had a hand in their breakup, she harbored resentment towards George.

His betrayal had worried her mother, prompting her to set up blind dates in hopes of healing the wounds George left, unwittingly pushing her into the trap Stefan had laid. "What are you doing here?"

Lucinda's voice was calm as she looked at George like a stranger.

Keith glanced between his sister and brother-in-law, leaning in to ask Stefan in a low voice, "Who's he?"

Stefan pursed his lips before replying softly, "Lucy's ex, my former rival."

George hadn't expected Stefan to be there. After hesitating, he stepped forward with a pleading tone, "Lucinda, can we talk in private?"

Lucinda looked to Stefan, who smiled back at her reassuringly. She felt a warmth inside; Stefan had trust in her and gave her the freedom to handle her personal matters, even if it pained him. "Just give me a moment," Lucinda said. "You can take a seat and I'll be right there after I finish making the coffee."

George nodded, turned to see Stefan, faltered as if to say something, but ultimately stayed silent and took a seat in the corner, a far cry from his former self-assured presence.

Without Mrs. Mitchell, George was nothing.

But it was all of his own doing.

He thought he could have his cake and eat it too, but he was wrong.

If he had known Lucinda was part of the prominent Blue family, he would never have left her.

Too bad he realized too late.

"Lucinda," George started with difficulty, "how have you been lately?"

"Very well," she replied, her voice devoid of emotion as she placed a cup of coffee before him.

There sat Lucinda, more beautiful and poised than ever, the greenness of her past replaced with a mature allure. She was a flower in full bloom, but not for George. It was Stefan she blossomed for. If only he'd known what he had before it was lost.

George choked on his words, his face a portrait of desperation. Lucinda, the beacon of grace and poise, was untouchable now. She had married into the prestigious Anderson clan, becoming the darling daughter-in-law of the high society that once deemed her a mismatch. But time had revealed that she and her husband were the perfect match, a union of equal stature and merit.

"What are you trying to say, George?" Lucinda inquired with a cool detachment.

"Lucinda, I need to see my wife, but she refuses to meet me. Could you, perhaps, help me out? Or maybe could you lend me some money? It wouldn't be much for you, just around fifty or sixty thousand." Her refusal was as swift as it was firm. "I won't get involved in your affairs with your ex-wife, George. That's none of my business. And as for lending money, you've definitely come to the wrong place." Lucinda had closed the chapter on George; their past was just that-past. Clean and absolute.

Lending money to George would mean maintaining a connection, however tenuous. How would Stefan feel about that? Even if he trusted her implicitly, she had no intention of doing anything that might upset him.

"Lucinda, I really need the cash. Work's been rough, and my marriage is in shambles. I want to start my own business. I'll pay you back, I promise, with interest," George pleaded, his eyes avoiding hers.

He couldn't confess that he was drowning in gambling debts, hounded by collectors to the brink of desperation. His last hope was to reach out to his ex-wife, to plead for a loan on account of the child they had once expected together. But she wouldn't even see him, leaving him no choice but to shamelessly turn to Lucinda.

"George," Lucinda's voice was ice, "as I've said, you're seeking help in the wrong place. If this is the only reason for your visit, I must ask you to leave."

Rising from her seat, Lucinda's calm was unwavering. "I am a married woman, George. Please, do not appear before me again. I do not wish to cause my husband any distress."

With those final words, she turned on her heel and walked towards Stefan, who was waiting for her with a tender gaze. She reached out to adjust his collar with a gentle touch that spoke volumes of their intimate bond.

George's departure went unnoticed by the couple. In their world, there was simply no room for outsiders to intrude.