Chapter 5

"I'm just giving you a heads-up—Henrietta's almost here," Alexander said, expression tightening, voice flat. Samantha didn't even pause, cool as ever. "Great. My job's done then. Maybe worry about yourself first." She tossed that back smoothly while arranging her mixed salad on a plate. Waving at Lucas, she added, "Hey, um... you, help take this out, would ya?" Over the past five days, Ethan had stuffed her brain with all the 'key players' in Alexander's life—including his shadow, Lucas—but honestly, Samantha hadn't bothered memorizing any of them. "Uh, Mrs. Perkins? It's Lucas," he replied, looking a bit stunned, like he wasn't sure if she was joking or legit forgot him. "Of course I know you're Lucas," Samantha shrugged, totally unfazed. "But your name's kinda twisty. Can't expect me to remember it every single time, right?" She smiled, casual enough to squash any suspicion he had. Lucas looked like he'd just eaten a lemon. Back when she first married Alexander, she used to speak to him all polite, always calling him Mr. Bennett. Now? She didn't even bother with names. Women... seriously unpredictable. Best not mess with her. Honestly though, he kinda respected the new her. Way tougher than before. At least she wasn't the same woman who used to cry behind closed doors when things got rough. Outside, a sleek Bentley pulled up. "Mom," Alexander said gently, lifting a faint smile as he helped Henrietta—a regal woman, decked out in designer wear and no-nonsense authority—out of the car. Henrietta gave a curt nod, her sharp eyes locking on Samantha with a frown. "Samantha, are you pregnant or something? Why didn't you come help me out?" Samantha gave a slight inner eye-roll. What is this—Game of Thrones? Somebody gunning for a throne here? Still, she walked over with a fake smile and lightly took Henrietta's arm, guiding her inside with textbook manners. "When I did the count, today, tomorrow, and the day after should be your optimal days. I had Mr. Carson hand you the test strips. Did you use them?" Mr. Carson was Perkins family's butler. Henrietta gave zero care to the table full of dishes. Her voice was ice, straight to the point. "Test strips?" Samantha frowned, wondering what this new level boss was on about. Ethan never mentioned anything about having to pee on things for the job. What the heck? "Ovulation tests, girl!" Henrietta snapped, raising her voice. The anger in her tone was uncannily similar to Alexander. "I've had someone track your cycle. This is the key window!" Wait, what? Samantha blinked, stunned. Was this real? People actually talked about periods and ovulation at the dinner table in this house? The corners of her brows twitched. She hadn't even had a boyfriend before this—now she was getting grilled over fertility schedules? Wild. "Caitlin, don't tell me you've been slacking and didn't test at all?" Henrietta's stare sharpened like a blade, tone loaded with judgment. When Samantha didn't rush to explain, Henrietta slammed the hot towel she'd been holding onto the table. Her voice came down hard. "Don't forget why you're in this house, Caitlin! If the Perkins family hadn't invested, your stepfather's company would've died a long time ago! You won't give us an heir, but your family keeps coming with their hands out? Unbelievable!" Samantha let out a soft breath. Oh wow. The audacity.That old hag really had the nerve to say that in front of everyone—like she never saw my sister as family, more like some baby-making machine! Samantha let out a soft chuckle, voice turning cool. "You said it yourself—he's my stepfather, not even blood-related. So why should I be the one popping out babies for the Perkins family just because he needs money?" "You..." Henrietta clearly wasn't expecting the usually docile Caitlin to fight back. Her face turned shades of red and purple as she snapped, "Caitlin, are you and your father scheming together to milk us dry?" Unbothered, Samantha calmly sliced a bit of lamb and popped it into her mouth, chewing slowly as she said, "Come on, with how sharp you are, you think I could fool you, really? And even if you're mad at me, what's the point? I can't get pregnant by myself, can I?" Henrietta's eyes widened, her face twisting with rage. "What—what are you implying?" Samantha raised her brows, playing up the surprise. "No way, you didn't hear about that? Everyone knows Alexander isn't into women. He won't touch me. What am I supposed to do?" "Caitlin!" Henrietta nearly choked in her fury. She slammed her hand on the table and stood up angrily. "Watch your mouth! If word gets out, how's the family supposed to hold its head up? Alexander! Alexander! Is this how you let her act at home?" Henrietta was fuming because Samantha had hit a nerve. All those rumors about Alexander not being into girls? Yeah, they'd been going around forever. She knew the talk, but she just didn't want to believe it. It was the unspoken thing in the Perkins family—never touched. Alexander had never had a girlfriend. Everyone kinda knew what was up. Henrietta had been bitter about it for ages. She couldn't do a thing about her son, so she took it all out on Caitlin. And now, with Samantha throwing it out so casually in front of everyone, it felt like confirmation. Henrietta's face flushed then went pale. "Say one more word and I'll make sure someone shuts that mouth of yours for good!" But Samantha wasn't backing down. She gave a smirk that dripped with sarcasm. "Me, lying? No way. You track my cycle every month—you even know my ovulation days better than I do. Everything's in place, except the final step won't show up. Can't blame me for that, right?" Henrietta looked like she'd been struck by lightning. She collapsed onto her chair, slapping the table and screaming. "Alexander! Are you trying to kill me? If you don't like this woman, then divorce her and find someone new. There are plenty of women out there, and I'll help you marry whichever one you want. But you can't do this to your mother! Look at your brother now, and then you—how's a mother supposed to live like this?!" Boom. Direct hit. Samantha's lips curled just slightly, her smile so faint it almost wasn't there. Getting under their skin was an art—and she nailed it. Push me, and I'll drag you down for sure. The air was thick with tension—nobody dared breathe too loud. It was like Mrs. Perkins had just thrown a grenade at the dinner table. Chaos was guaranteed. Alexander watched his mother lose it, his arms crossed, brows slightly knit. Was she seriously trying to bring him into this now? Bold move. Lucas glanced at his boss's stony face, heart sinking a little as he looked toward Samantha, already worried for her. To his surprise, she was still casually nibbling on her lamb chop, like nothing had happened—mouth curved into the faintest smile. Lucas felt chills creep down his spine. She must've just come back from vacation—only someone fueled by beachside margaritas and main-character energy could be this fearless today.