Chapter 953

At this point, Richard wasn't just trying to win Xavier and Lily over—he also had his guard up against Terence and Maryanne. He was watching every move they made. "If Maryanne can't even get through this, there's nothing you can do to help her," Xavier said as he took her coat back and hung it up again. His heart ached when he saw how pale she looked. He wasn't close with Terence. The only reason he'd agreed to help was because he knew Lily wouldn't just stand by and watch Maryanne suffer—and Terence had come to him, knowing he couldn't bear to upset her. That meant Terence could no longer stay out of the Devereux family's mess and mind his own business. The gentleness he once had was gone—now, he'd begun scheming for his own benefit. All of it was to shield Maryanne from being dragged into the mess. The realization only dawned on Lily now. But the moment she thought of what Maryanne was going through, she couldn't stay calm. … When Hayden opened his bedroom door in the m