"I never imagined fate would bring us together like this. You saved me yesterday, and here we are meeting again today and you''re even my business partner''s wife," Lionel said with a smile.


    "Saved you?" Suzan nced curiously at Effie and Lionel, feigning concern as she looked at Lionel. "Uncle, what happened? Are you not feeling well, or...?"


    Lionel brushed her off with an easy smile. "It was nothing, really. I just felt a bit unwell, but I''m perfectly fine now. No need to worry."


    "That''s a relief," Suzan replied, her tone warm.


    Despite Suzan''s apparent closeness with Lionel, Effie couldn''t shake a vague sense of difort, as if something about the whole situation was off.


    "Let''s not just stand around. Why don''t we go inside and take a seat?" Lyman suggested.


    The group made their way into a private dining room and settled around the table.


    Perhaps Suzan was eager to make a good impression on Lionel; she was on her best behavior that evening, never once making things difficult for Effie or even bringing her up in conversation. For a moment, Effie wondered if Suzan had undergone some miraculous transformation. Yet, the more Suzan acted this way, the more unsettling it felt.


    Suzan''s pregnancy was showing-she excused herself to the restroom several times.


    During one such absence, Effie finally leaned toward Lionel and spoke in a low voice, “Mr. Harper, when you and Suzan reconnected, did you ever confirm things officially? Like a DNA test? Are you certain she''s really your niece?"


    Lionel''s smile vanished. He fixed Effie with a chilly stare. "Miss Bagnold, why would you ask me something like that? Do you think I''m so gullible I could be tricked?"


    Lionel was a man who valued his dignity above all else and couldn''t stand anyone who looked down on him.


    He wasn''t like the other rich kids—he''d grown upfortable, but after his parents'' divorce, everything fell apart. His father spiraled, the family business copsed, and Lionel ended up scraping by with his dad in one of the roughest parts of Rust Row.


    He''d wed his way back up, and every step had been hard-won. That fierce


    pride made him constantly wary that others might think less of him.


    Effie''s question, to him, was a p in the face-like she thought he was some fool who couldn''t even recognize his own family.


    1.n


    Effie rushed to exin. "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean it like that. It''s just that Suzan..." She trailed off. No, even if she spoke the truth now, Lionel would probably suspect her of?ying or trying to nder Suzan. "Igust think it''s important to be careful with something so major. This is for life, after all. It doesn''t hurt to go through the right steps-better safe than sorry, you know?"


    Lionel''s expression stayed cool. "Thank you for your concern, Miss Bagnold, but I''m not a fool. I did everything by the book. I wouldn''t have acknowledged Suzan otherwise."


    With that, Effie knew she couldn''t press the issue any further.


    She managed a small smile. “You''re right. I was overthinking things."


    Lyman slipped his arm around Effie''s shoulders, his voice gentle. "Mr. Harper, my


    wife is just cautious by nature. She meant no harm."


    He squeezed Effie''s hand beneath the table-a quiet signal of reassurance,


    letting her know he was right there with her.


    Effie turned to meet Lyman''s gaze, his warmth settling her nerves.


    Lionel gave a cordial smile. "Mr. Etheridge, Mrs. Etheridge, let''s not dwell on it. It''s all in the past."


    Hearing this, Effie finally felt herself rx a little.


    Still, a knot of unease lingered in her chest-something she couldn''t quite swallow or spit out.