Faux Vows, True Desires novel Chapter 533

Janice playfully tapped her daughter's forehead again, chuckling, "Stop trying to scare me with Stefan. A couple of pokes won't ruin your pretty face. You're not made of paper, you know."

Turning her attention to her son-in-law, she said, "Stefan, don't spoil her too much. You're letting her get away with murder."

Stefan laughed good-naturedly, "Mom, Lucy's my wife. In the Anderson family, we treat our wives like queens. I need to cherish her. Who else would I spoil?"

"It's because of your pampering that she thinks she can do anything."

Janice was complaining about her son-in-law's indulgence, but deep down, she was thrilled. Her daughter was much luckier than she had been, marrying a man far better than Nathan. With such a great family-in-law, she didn't have to worry about her own misfortunes repeating in her daughter's life.

"Mom, I'll make sure Lucy's safe when she's climbing, so she won't fall off while trying to do something crazy."

Janice rolled her eyes but couldn't help smiling. She had intended to moan about her daughter siding with Nathan, but ended up feeling a wave of warmth seeing how much her daughter and son-in-law cared for each other.

"Your dad is something else, always rushing off. Couldn't he wait for you to change clothes before leaving?"

Janice found fault with Nathan for everything. No matter what he did, she always saw a problem.

"Mom, don't you think my husband looks pretty sharp in his sportswear? We're used to seeing him all suited up. A change of style is refreshing. My brother's the same, always looking so serious, like someone owes him a fortune."

"My brother being single is a testament to his standards."

Janice laughed at her daughter's wit, "Your brother's got a lot on his plate. It's different for you. You're not even twenty-five yet. If he were thirty-five and still single, I'd be worried."

"Stefan looks great no matter what he wears."

After feeling sorry for her son's challenges, Janice couldn't help but praise her son-in-law. She was grateful to have found her daughter and gained such a wonderful son-in-law after waking up from the haze. Even if her marriage with Nathan was beyond repair, her future seemed brighter than ever.

"Mom, aren't you going to compliment your daughter?"

"What is there to compliment? Apart from eating, drinking, and telling fibs, what else do you do that deserves praise?"

Lucinda: Oh, mom, you're definitely my real mom!

Nathan had taken the family to the Blue estate.

After getting out of the car, Lucinda nudged her husband and whispered, "Honey, doesn't this place remind you of Sunnyglade Abbey? But it's quieter and doesn't have that oppressive vibe."

She sighed, "Dad must be really wealthy to build a place like this. It's not just about money; it takes heart and emotion."

It was clear that her dad had built this estate as a love nest for her mom. Though calling it a "nest" was an understatement. It was a full-blown mansion.

Stefan nodded warmly, "If you like it, when we get back to Pinehurst, I can buy some land and build you an estate like this."

Lucinda laughed, "There's no need. I love our place in the hills just fine."

Stefan smiled, already planning in his mind to find a beautiful plot of land back home to create a love estate for his wife, one that would rival his father-in-law's.

"Ha! With me around, Cecilia can only dream of being the richest. But second richest? That's feasible."

Janice looked at her daughter, amused and exasperated.

"I'll pack breakfast for Dad."

Fearing more of her mom's sharp remarks, Lucinda quickly made her escape.

Later, when Keith was leaving, Lucinda handed him a thermos, instructing him, "Bro, give this to Dad. Tell him it's from Mom, who cares about him and wanted you to bring it to the office."

Nathan signaled to one of the bodyguards to come over and take the thermos flask, chuckling as he teased, "Lucy, come on, your fibs need a bit more finesse. You really think Dad's buying that?"

"Hey, you never know," Lucinda replied with a smirk. "I made him some ginger tea, and he drank it all up. Now look at him, not even a sniffle in sight, thanks to my magical brew."

Lucinda was feeling pretty pleased with herself. Her dad had been hoping to use a little cold as an excuse to cozy up to her stunning mom, but she’d unknowingly thwarted his plan.

In all honesty, Lucinda truly wished her parents could patch things up and get back to how they used to be. But deep down, she felt it wouldn’t be fair to her mom, after all those crazy twenty years she had to endure. So, every now and then, she’d throw a little wrench in her dad’s plans, just to keep him on his toes and make sure he was really putting in the effort to win her mom back.

Her dad had his reasons back then, she knew that. It had something to do with that shooting incident, she figured.

Whatever the case, her dad’s sacrifice had ensured her mom and brother’s survival. And that’s why today, they could all finally be together as a family of four.