Chapter 14

The family dinner ended on a sour note. Mildred was seeing Dorian out. "You defended me so strongly back there and insisted I see you out. What do you want to say?" He smiled faintly. "Why did I feel like I was only going with your flow? You were trying to bait Tamara into saying something, weren't you?" Mildred raised a brow ever so slightly. She thought her words had been so subtle that not even Kieran, that sly fox, found anything inciting. Yet, Dorian did. Though having seen through her plan, Dorian didn't show any signs of smugness. Instead, he confessed, "My mother's condition hasn't always been well. Countless treatments from various doctors have been futile. "However, since your intervention previously, she began to show signs of improvement. I'd really like it if you could check in on her again." "Ten gold bars as a deposit, 30 more upon completion of the treatment," Mildred stated. He nodded. "Deal." "Send me the address, and I'll head over in the morning." With that, Mildred turned back into the Ginger residence. The Ginger brothers crowded around Tamara in the living room, trying to comfort her. She was sobbing so hard her whole body shook, looking like she could faint at any moment. "Congrats on your engagement," Mildred said. Tamara's cries amplified. Nox snapped, "Shut your stupid mouth, Mildred!" Mildred chuckled. "What's wrong? She was the one who offered herself up." Then, she pretended to sniffle, raising her arms in a pitiful, submissive display while adopting Tamara's tone. "I was too naive back then and threatened my brothers to cancel the engagement through suicide. I really didn't think they'd make Mildred take my place! "This is all because of me! So, please, let me marry Arthur instead! Oh—and if it weren't for the Gingers, I would've become an orphan. If lowering my pride could help my brothers, then it's all I could ever ask for! "I'll do anything if it means finding the miracle doctor to treat Kieran!" "Mildred!" By then, the smile on Mildred's face had faded, replaced by a layer of frost. "You should think twice before you speak next time, Tamara. Otherwise, no amount of tears can take back what you've wished for. "You wouldn't want all the shows you put up previously to go to waste, would you? Unless… You weren't being sincere about marrying Arthur." "Of course, I…" Met with Mildred's towering gaze, Tamara found herself shrinking. What if she said something rash out of spite, and it ended up coming true? Why did everything start to feel out of control? The anxious Nox urged, "Kieran, say something, please! We can never let Tammy marry that man! Not on my watch!" Adrian nodded eagerly. "That's right. This is gonna cost Tammy's happiness. I don't agree to it, either." Mildred smiled, adding, "But you could find out about that miracle doctor along the way and treat Kieran's legs at last. I mean, I'm all for it." Kieran's pupils shrank a little, as if tempted by that possibility. "I… I need to sleep on it. Give me some time." … The next morning, during breakfast, Tamara's eyes were so swollen that she could hardly open them. She must've cried all night. Nox was so distressed that he looked ready to feed her himself, while Adrian carefully picked out all her favorite dishes and placed them in her bowl. Mildred ate a few bites in silence and then changed her shoes and headed out. As soon as she exited the residence, she found Susan standing in the far corner, calling out, "Ms. Mildred! Ms. Mildred!" "Susan? What are you doing out here?" "There's something I needed to tell you, but I didn't want anyone from the household to see us. That's why I waited for you." Mysteriously, Susan pulled Mildred to the side and whispered, "Mr. Kieran and Adrian were the first to arrive at the dining room this morning. "I think I overheard Mr. Kieran saying something like, 'Get everything ready for Ms. Tamara. Once the miracle doctor shows up, the engagement won't count anymore.'" A thought flashed across Mildred's eyes. "Got it. You should get back in there." She pulled out her phone, sent a few texts, and took the bus. When she arrived, she immediately saw Zoey standing beside the bus stop sign. "Mildred! Mildred, over here!" She ran over and held Mildred's hand. Confused, the latter asked, "Why are you here?" Zoey wore a smile that could light up a town. "Dorian told me you'd be taking the bus. He didn't want you to get lost since our place is quite far away, so he told me to come pick you up. "Anyway, why did you even choose the bus? It must've taken you over an hour to come here." "There are more people on the bus," said Mildred. Zoey blinked. "Shouldn't you have your chauffeur drive you then? Or call a cab?" "I like watching people. The more, the better." "Oh…" Zoey nodded, then asked, "Watch them do what?" "Just… them being different in their own ways." The atmosphere suddenly plunged into an eerie silence, but Zoey quickly broke it with a change of topic. "Anyway, are you a fan of country-style ribs?" "Sure am." "Great! Dorian is the best at making them! You're in for a good feast today!" Mildred was taken aback. "Wait, I'm having lunch at your place?" Zoey nodded. "Yeah. It's past 9:00 am now. Aren't you coming over to hang out with us? There's no way we're not gonna make a fun day out of this!" Immediately, Mildred understood something—Dorian didn't reveal her identity to his family. Frankly, she liked how tight-lipped he was. … Mildred followed Zoey for another 20 minutes before they finally arrived at the front gates of the Sheppard residence. Beyond the entrance stood a decorative stone wall, sculpted from solid white marble. In front of it was a large antique fountain bowl made of weathered bronze. A few ornamental fish swam lazily in the water, lily pads drifting gently across the surface. "Is that a tree-of-life motif?" she asked, stopping by a painting. Zoey widened her eyes in surprise. "You recognize it? That's my dad's favorite piece in the whole collection. Not even my mom knows what to make of it." Mildred blinked. "I don't. Just a shot in the dark." Past the stone wall and the painting, a winding flagstone path led toward the main house. On either side stood neatly trimmed evergreens. Beneath them, ornamental rocks were arranged with quiet intention, their moss-covered surfaces weathered with time, like they had held a century's worth of stillness. She stepped into the front hall, where a dark wood console stood beneath a minimalist painting. A sleek brass diffuser on top released soft curls of oud-scented mist into the air. "What a refined and timeless interior!" Far more elegant and tasteful than anything the self-proclaimed aristocrats of the Ginger family had ever put together. Zoey scrunched her pretty nose. "I find it way too old-fashioned, but my dad loves it. Supposedly, his best friend designed the whole thing just for him. Every tree and stone is exactly the way he wanted it." "Zoey, are you making fun of your dad again?" A gentle woman's voice rang from upstairs. Mildred turned toward the voice and saw a stunning woman descending gracefully. She wore a pale blue silk dress that hugged her curves, her earrings dancing beside her soft, full cheeks. Her eyes sparkled with lively charm. Without a doubt, she was a true beauty. The woman, Ava Kinsella, arrived before Mildred and sized her up with a kind smile. "You're Ms. Ginger, aren't you? I haven't even had a chance to thank you for saving my life. Now that you're here, I can finally make it up to you." Having experienced such courteous treatment for the first time, Mildred was momentarily speechless. "N-No… It's really not a big deal." "I'm Ava, Zoey and Dorian's mother. May I address you as Mildred?" "Of course, Mrs. Sheppard." "Come—let me give you a tour around the house. This place might look a little old-fashioned, but everything is there for a reason. Let me show you around so you won't get lost next time." Ava's soft hand grabbed Mildred's and led her into the inner residence. When Dorian came out of the kitchen, he asked, "Where's Mildred? I thought I heard her voice earlier." Zoey shrugged. "Mom kidnapped her." He sighed. "And you didn't think to stop her?" She planted her hands on her hips. "Bro, you basically proposed to her in front of everyone two days ago and have now invited her over. You polished every single stone in the yard last night. Everyone knows how you feel about her. "Besides, Mom's just trying to get a head start in building a relationship with her. There's no reason I should stop her, right?" Dorian was speechless. "I told you yesterday that Mildred is just a friend; there's nothing between us. Anyway, go check on her. I don't want Mom scaring her away." Zoey replied sarcastically, "Okay, I'll go check on your friend now. Don't mind me, I'm just on my way to look for your friend—hey, don't kick me!" "You know what—I don't trust you. Go slice up the fish; I'll check in on her myself." With that, he removed his apron and tossed it to Zoey before going after them. Zoey screamed, "Hey, my hands are made to play the keys, not to deal with dead animals! You're doomed to be single forever—never mind—I actually do want a sister-in-law…"