Your Love Is But a Dream (Clara and Wren) novel Chapter 135

"Did Wren come back to the house today?" Clara asked Alexander, her tone cautious.

Alexander, who had slept in until almost noon, shook his head after a moment of thought. "No, I didn't see him."

Then, as if something clicked in his memory, he added, "But I did hear a car earlier. It didn't stop at your place, though."

Longfield might have been a small, underdeveloped town, but it wasn't so isolated that cars were a rare sight. Hearing a car in the area wasn't unusual.

"Got it. Thanks." Clara nodded, walking up to her door. She inserted her key but paused before turning it. Glancing back at Alexander, she asked, "Why don't you come over for dinner tonight?"

Alexander's eyes brightened briefly, a subtle smile curving his lips. "Sure. I'll even help out in the kitchen. That way, you can show me how to cook something decent. I can't stomach another plate of plain pasta."

The last part of his sentence carried a hint of playful complaint, almost childlike in its delivery.

Clara froze for a second, then let out a soft laugh.

"Alright," she agreed.

…

Thanks to Carlisle, the family conflict in the Zachman residence had settled—for now.

Although Martha still couldn't stand the sight of Shirley and Ivy, she'd stopped openly voicing her desire to kick them out. However, her disdain for them remained as clear as ever, and she continued to treat them with cold indifference.

Shirley, ever the patient opportunist, chose to swallow her pride. She knew better than to stir up drama. After all, no matter how much Carlisle indulged her, everyone had their limits. She spent her days trying to curry favor with Martha to avoid falling out of favor, hoping to improve their strained relationship.

But Martha found Shirley insufferable. No matter how hard Shirley tried, her efforts were met with nothing more than a dismissive glance.

That didn't mean Martha wasn't keeping herself busy.

If she couldn't personally drive Shirley and Ivy out, then this was the next best strategy.

Katrina stared at the dark, foul-smelling concoction in front of her, her brows furrowing deeply. She hadn't thought Martha was serious when she mentioned this plan the other day.

"What are you waiting for? Drink it before it gets cold," Martha urged impatiently.

"I'm not drinking it." Katrina pushed the bowl away, her tone steady and firm.

"What did you just say?" Martha looked at her, stunned, almost as if she hadn't heard her correctly. Katrina had never defied her before.

Her expression hardened as she said, "Don't tell me you're still refusing to have a child. Do you think your brother-in-law is still alive and that the Salford family can back you up?

"Katrina, I only agreed to let you marry into this family because you were obedient and sensible. Don't make the mistake of thinking you can act like those other women who don't know their place."