Chapter 52
Ophelia shifted her gaze to Liam, who stood at the entrance of the dining room. “Lisa,” she instructed, “get Liam in a wheelchair and take him for a walk.”
Liam hesitated for a moment, but quickly grasped Ophelia’s intention. They had once spread rumors about a disabled, perverted old man living in Rosewood Manor.
It dawned on him that Ophelia’s folks must’ve been all too happy to marry off their daughter for a fat paycheck. The fact that only a chauffeur had escorted Ophelia when she first showed up said it all about her parents.
Liam glanced at Kenneth, who gave a slight nod. With that, he sat into the wheelchair, letting Lisa take the handles.
As they moved, a thought struck Liam. ‘Wait, why on earth did Miss Spencer cast me as some pervy old dude?’
Lisa grunted as she maneuvered the wheelchair, muttering under her breath, “Jeez, old man. You might not look it, but you’re heavy as a sack of bricks.”
From the doorway, Heather craned her neck for a better view. She knew Ophelia might brush off her words, but she was certain that this “old man” would have Ophelia wrapped around his finger.
Emily carefully surveyed the courtyard’s furnishings, thinking to herself, “Talk about living high on the hog, she thought. ‘She doesn’t deserve any of this.
Curiosity had gotten the better of Emily, prompting her to tag along with Heather this morning. She was itching to see what kind of man had snagged Ophelia. In Emily’s mind, Ophelia’s cushy life had to be the result of cozying up to this guy. Rumor had it he was some hotshot businessman from overseas.
Lisa wheeled Liam forward, smiling politely, “Ladies, this is Mr. Sinclair. May I ask what brings you here today?”
Liam slumped in his wheelchair, putting on a show of extreme frailty. To anyone watching, he appeared moments away from drawing his last breath.
The two women at the door froze, staring in disbelief at Liam under the crabapple tree in the courtyard. Heather and Lisa exchanged a glance, their thoughts in sync. ‘He still wanted to get married at his age? It looks like he’s on death’s door.”
They continued their silent appraisal. ‘Sure, he’s old and disabled, but you can tell he was probably quite the looker back in the day. Still, there’s no denying he’s ancient now. Must be pushing seventy, at least. He could easily be Ophelia’s grandpa. No wonder he’s so generous with her.’
After a long silence, Heather fumbled for the right words, her mouth twitching slightly as she finally spoke. “I hope my daughter hasn’t been giving you any trouble. She can be challenging. If she’s done anything to upset you, please don’t take it personally.” It sounded like something a mother should say, but the insincerity was palpable.
Liam and Lisa, having worked for the Sinclair family for years, had seen all types. This act might have fooled others, but they weren’t buying it for a second.
Heather chuckled awkwardly, thinking to herself, ‘Why aren’t they inviting us in? Are we just going to stand here at the door?’
She forced a smile, not forgetting her purpose for coming today. “Ophelia,” she said, her tone dripping with false concern, “we arranged for her to marry into comfort, but she’s acting like we’ve done her wrong. Ever since the wedding, she’s been giving us the cold shoulder. We’re supposed to be family, but she’s treating us like we’re the enemy.”
Their plan was obvious – paint Ophelia as a disrespectful brat in Liam’s eyes.
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Chapter 52
pretending to rest and completely ignoring her.
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Lisa smiled brightly at them. “Ma’am, I owe you an apology for my behavior earlier. I misunderstood your intentions. Please forgive me.” With that, she wheeled Liam away, leaving Heather and Emily standing helplessly. Heather paced anxiously. “What should we do, Emily? If your dad finds out, we’re done for.” She had no idea what to do if they really cut off their money.
“Don’t worry, Mom. It’ll be fine,” Emily said, eyeing Heather with disdain. ‘You just can’t handle anything properly!
Discreetly, Emily pulled out her phone and snapped a photo of Liam’s profile. She was confident that Ophelia would want to keep her marriage into Rosewood Manor under wraps. This photo would be her leverage. Meanwhile, in the backyard of the mansion, Ophelia was engrossed in a game of chess with Kenneth.
Lisa reported every detail to the couple, and her voice tinged with anger as she spoke. Ophelia, however, remained remarkably unfazed. Still, Lisa felt a sense of satisfaction in the end, thanks to Liam’s knack for clever schemes. Sensing her cue to leave, Lisa tactfully excused herself.
Kenneth placed a chess piece, glancing at Ophelia’s impassive face. “About the Hastings situation… Need me to step in?”
“No need,” Ophelia replied, moving her own piece. “Asking for your help would be like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, wouldn’t it? But, could you make that plot of land by the West End Soccer Field available?” “Sure,” Kenneth agreed softly.
Ophelia looked up at him, raising an eyebrow. “Aren’t you g