Chapter 393

As soon as Gerald Hawthorne heard her mention his late granddaughter, his face went pale. That name touched a nerve—one that never really healed. He had practically raised Faye Hawthorne himself, while Mara only came into the picture later, when his daughter-in-law brought her into the family to be formally acknowledged. Yes, he clearly favored Faye more, but not out of malice. Faye lost her mother young, and Lance was too busy running the company, so Gerald did everything he could to fill that role. But he hadn’t been cold to Mara either. His care for her was just as real, if only different in kind. Still, it had never occurred to him that Linda Quinn harbored so much resentment over it. That she viewed Mara as nothing more than Faye’s stand-in, and believed he only ever truly saw Faye as his 'real' granddaughter… “Linda, that’s enough,” Lance Hawthorne cut in quietly, shooting his wife a sharp look. He could tell by his father's strained expression that her words had hurt. Faye had a