Faux Vows, True Desires novel Chapter 530

"I was always the strong one as a kid, the one who made others cry in fights. If I had taken up kickboxing, I'd probably be a pro by now."

Stefan chuckled fondly, "Doesn't matter if you learn kickboxing or not, you've got me."

"Stefan, if you keep spoiling me like this, you're going to turn me into a brat."

Stefan closed the window, drew the curtains, and returned to her side, wrapping an arm around her as they sat back down on the bed.

"I love spoiling you. Even if you become a brat, no one else will be able to handle you but me, which means you'll always be mine. No worry about anyone taking you away."

"You don't have any rivals now, do you? You've chased them all away."

Stefan laughed, kissed her cheek, and said, "Here in Pinehurst, I have no rivals. But back in Skywatch, who knows? People there might not like seeing us so happily married, and they might be wary of the Anderson family."

He imagined the upcoming event the Blue family would host for Lucinda—surely they’d introduce her to many eligible bachelors from Skywatch.

Even though he and Lucinda were legally married, some folks, driven by ambition or influence, would undoubtedly dream of breaking them apart.

They might think that in Skywatch, with their numbers, they could overpower him since he was on his own.

On his first day at the Blue family estate, Stefan noticed that they didn't regard him with the same respect as they did in Pinehurst.

In Pinehurst, he was the wealthiest, the heir of the Anderson family, someone not to be trifled with.

But in Skywatch, he was truly alone.

The Blue family likely thought that no matter how powerful he was, he wouldn't be able to stir up much trouble on their turf.

Yet they remained cautious of him.

Their best bet would be to try and split him and Lucinda up.

"Stefan, no matter what, you're the only man I'll ever love."

Lucinda knew her so-called relatives were capable of anything, and she quickly reassured her husband of her loyalty.

Stefan smiled, gently pushing her onto the bed and leaning over her. He chuckled softly, "You better keep an eye on me, sweetheart. Don't let anyone take my place."

"Of course. From now on, you're under my protection," Lucinda giggled, pulling him down for a kiss.

Meanwhile, Nathan was the first to hear about Darlene's visit.

He wasn't worried in the slightest.

He knew his children too well; their little secrets were no match for his insight.

If he wanted to, he could easily uncover everything about Darlene, but he preferred to let his son handle it. That was part of the fun, after all.

Thus, he didn't concern himself with Darlene's visit.

Of course, as the head of the family, he couldn't ignore it entirely. Upon returning home late at night, he instructed the staff to tighten security and ensure such incidents didn't happen again.

And that was that.

Nathan returned home in the early hours, finding the main house quiet and dark.

Nobody waited up for him with a light on.

Entering the grand, empty hall, Nathan felt a pang of loneliness, remembering twenty years ago when he first took over the family responsibilities. No matter how late he returned, there was always a light on for him.

She would wait under the lamp, dozing off on the sofa but always there to greet him.

And in the morning, she would personally see him off.

Those were the happiest days of his life.

He didn't linger in the hall, heading straight upstairs.

He quickly masked his delight, saying, "It's rare for you to care about your old dad's little scratch, so I'll take this ointment."

With that, Nathan turned to go back into his room.

"Lucy, help me put some on my hand, will you?"

Nathan was inwardly thrilled, though he kept a straight face.

After all, this was Sunnyglade Abbey, not the Blue family estate, and he had to remain composed.

Lucinda agreed with a nod.

As she stepped into her dad's new room, she couldn't help but notice the clutter. "Dad, why don't you let someone help you tidy up a bit?" she suggested.

Nathan chuckled, "I like to keep my things in order by myself, thank you very much."

Deep down, though, he secretly hoped Janice would lend a hand with the organizing.

Nathan motioned for his daughter to fetch some cotton swabs, then had her apply antiseptic to his hand.

The scratches on the back of his hand hadn't faded since the night before. In fact, they were red and swollen, looking alarmingly worse.

"Dad, haven't you disinfected it or put some ointment on?" Lucinda asked, concerned.

"It's just a scratch, and I kind of brought it on myself," he admitted sheepishly. "I got a bit carried away and ended up hurting your mom. She was justifiably upset and scratched my hand in the heat of the moment. I swear, her nails are as sharp as a knife."

As Lucinda gently applied the ointment, she couldn't help but tease him, "Dad, you really did ask for it this time."

Nathan just sighed.

"You and your wandering eye! That woman came to our house wanting Mom to step aside for her. Mom was already furious, and then you added fuel to the fire. It's a wonder she didn't scratch your face off—probably spared you for my and Mike's sake."

Nathan just sighed again.