Faux Vows, True Desires novel Chapter 529

"Her face was covered in freckles; she definitely wasn't Darlene," Lucinda said with a frustrated sigh. "But her silhouette was just like Darlene's. I felt like I knew her. How could she not be Darlene?"

"When I blocked her path, she instinctively moved to strike but then hesitated, clearly not wanting to hurt me. I think she knows me; otherwise, she would have tossed me aside without a second thought."

Lucinda murmured to herself, "How could she not be Darlene? So many details pointed to her. But when I took off her mask, it wasn't Darlene's face I saw."

Keith was more pragmatic about the situation. He wasn't as emotionally invested as his sister. He was just curious about what the masked woman looked like. "Lucy, how's your drawing? Think you could sketch her from memory?"

"I'm not as good as you, but I suppose I can manage a rough sketch," Lucinda replied. She'd had some art training; she wasn't exceptional, but she could draw someone she'd seen.

"Don't worry about it. Just a rough sketch will do so I can get an idea of her appearance."

"Alright, I'll draw her for you tomorrow."

Lucinda noticed that her brother wasn't put off by the woman's freckled face. He seemed genuinely intrigued, which made her think he wasn't someone who judged by appearances alone.

"Keith, Lucy, are you two alright?" Their mother, Janice, rushed in, looking worried. She'd heard there was an intruder at the estate and wanted to check on her kids.

"Mom, we're fine," Lucinda quickly reassured her, gripping her mother's hand to soothe her.

Janice's eyes scanned her daughter from head to toe, ensuring she was unharmed. Once she saw that both her son and new son-in-law were also okay, she relaxed a bit.

"Was the intruder a thief or an assassin? I heard they came from your rooms. Were they after you two?" Janice had been almost asleep when she heard the commotion. Who would dare break into Sunnyglade Abbey? It had to be an assassin!

"Mom, it was a female burglar," Lucinda explained. "Not an assassin. She might have been new to the game, trying to test her skills in our home. She wasn’t specifically after us. She just stumbled into my room and got into a scuffle with Stefan."

"A female burglar?" Janice was skeptical. What thief would dare test their skills at Sunnyglade Abbey? She glanced at her son, recalling the night she saw him near the Moore family's place, waiting for a masked girl.

"Keith, was it that masked girl I saw?" Janice asked, her eyes now filled with a knowing gleam.

Keith hesitated, "Yeah, it was her."

Janice’s expression turned teasing, making Keith feel like escaping.

"Mom, you've met her?" Lucinda asked, intrigued.

"Mom's tired. I need to get back to bed. You two should rest early as well," Janice deflected, yawning and heading out.

Lucinda watched her leave, then glanced at her brother, sensing there was a secret between him and their mother.

"I know, I was wrong. I promise I won't do it again," Lucinda vowed, unable to meet his eyes.

"I get that you wanted to prove she was Darlene. But even if she was, do you think she'd be careless enough not to have a plan? No matter how skilled, she knows there's always someone better."

"She could have used makeup or a realistic mask. Remember Tiffany's amazing makeup skills? The world is big; there could be another Tiffany out there."

Lucinda's eyes widened. "Stefan, are you saying she could still be Darlene, just in disguise under the mask?"

"I'm just saying it's a possibility; I can't guarantee she's Darlene. But from what you've described, the chances are pretty high that it is her," Stefan mused.

Because it was Darlene, she'd rather expose herself than harm Lucinda.

Because it was Darlene, during their encounter, she hadn't fought with all her might. She just wanted to get away without causing any real harm.

Analyzing all these details, Stefan figured there was a ninety percent chance that the masked woman was indeed Darlene.

"I'll sketch her face for my brother tomorrow," Lucinda said, "Whether she's Darlene or not, he's got a special place for her in his heart. And if she's wearing layers of masks, give my brother some time; I'm sure he'll find a way to uncover her true identity."

After she said that, Lucinda sighed with a bit of regret, "I wish I had taken up some self-defense classes when I was younger, like Cecilia did. It would be nice to know I could take care of myself."