?Chapter 132:


    Lydia had little tolerance for men who were too calcting. If action was an option, she saw no point in excessive talk.


    Elena, however, wasn’t surprised. Business always came with a bit of maneuvering. If things worked out, great. If not, so be it.


    Outside Johnson Group’s building, Lydia turned to Elena. “What made you decide to create scented candles this time?”


    Elena hesitated briefly, her expression shifting. “I found a lead on my mentor.”


    “Really?” Lydia’s face lit up. “Where? How did you find it? Don’t tell me you actually essed the militarywork?”


    Getting in wasn’t the issue—the challenge was avoiding detection and getting out clean. Lydia had always disapproved of Elena messing with military systems. A single misstep could result in being traced.


    Elena shook her head. “Do you remember that ring?”


    “Of course.” Lydia nodded. After all, she was the one who discovered it.


    “I saw the same one on Wesley’s hand.”


    “Wesley?” Lydia blurted out. “Are you saying your mentor is part of the Spencer family? That can’t be right. If he were, we wouldn’t have spent years searching without any trace of him.”


    Elena added, “Gerald retired from the military.”


    Lydia instantly pieced it together. “So, you think Gerald knows your mentor.”


    Elena nodded. “My mentor told me to keep our connection secret. I need to get closer to Wesley to uncover more information.”


    “That’s a solid n.” Lydia nodded in agreement. Then, a thought struck her. “I heard Wesley has a nasty temper. Be careful.”


    A bad temper? Elena considered it. Aside from constantly testing her identity, Wesley wasn’t all that difficult to deal with.


    Sylvia disconnected the call, her mind swirling with distractions.


    Cecily noticed Sylvia’s distant look and quickly asked, “Sylvia, what’s going on? What did Darren say? Is his grandfather making more demands?”


    “No, it’s not that,” Sylvia replied, snapping back to the present and shaking her head.


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    Yet, Sylvia’s distressed expression only made Cecily worry more.


    Grasping Sylvia’s hand firmly, Cecily said, “Sylvia, you need to stick with Darren. Eventually, the Griffiths family will be his, and then you’ll be the richest woman in Foiclens. Just hang in there a little longer. His grandfather can’t live forever. Once he’s gone, all of the Griffiths family’s assets will be yours.”


    Cecily couldn’t hide her scorn when she mentioned Darren’s grandfather. That old man had always criticized Sylvia, deemed her unsuitable for Darren, and opposed their engagement. He even considered the possibility of Darren marrying Elena instead. But what did his disapproval matter? Sylvia was intelligent, kind, and beautiful—just Darren’s type. They were on the brink of engagement. Once that was official, no one could stand in their way.


    Cecily’s constant chatter only served to frustrate Sylvia further. “Mom, enough!” Sylvia eximed, her voice edged with frustration. “I’m well aware of all this. Do you think I have no desire to keep Darren?”


    This surprised Cecily. Ever since Sylvia had returned to the Reed family, she had been soft and thoughtful, never showing such irritation.


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