I Quit Being a Stepmother (Cypress Gem) novel Chapter 425

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Chapter 425

Chapter 425

+25 BONUS

Steven and George had both left, leaving Cynthia alone in the house. She sat there in a daze.

After some time, Maverick entered the room and asked, “Mrs. Snider, do you want me to heat up the dishes?”

Lost in thought, Cynthia merely hummed in response. She wasn’t really listening to what Maverick was saying, just responding out of habit.

Her mind was still spinning with George’s words.

He had admitted it. He had admitted that Gerard’s death was connected to him, yet he wouldn’t take responsibility.

But to a mother, that was negligence–something to hold someone accountable for.

She loved both her sons, but she couldn’t accept that one’s death was tied to the other and that another woman was involved in the mix.

The dishes were brought over.

Suddenly, Cynthia looked at Maverick and asked, “Do you think Gerard’s death was normal?”

Maverick didn’t dare speak freely. “Mrs. Snider, I feel sorry for Mr. Gerard, too.”

Everyone knew that it had been an accident, a twist of fate that no one could foresee or prevent.

Cynthia stared at the table, muttering to herself, “But if things had gone differently, maybe it would have turned out another way.”

If George hadn’t gone to pick up Rhea that day and had gone with Gerard instead, perhaps Gerard

would still be alive.

Her sorrow for Gerard’s passing left no room for nuance. She could only channel her pain toward

Rhea and Nathan.

Meanwhile, in a spacious villa, Rhea was reading on a couch.

“Ms. Ravelle, your supper is ready.”

This villa had been a gift from George when they were just starting to date. Rhea didn’t care much about such things, but she knew that living at home wasn’t ideal either.

After all, Nathan had reached an age suitable for marriage. And she had heard that he had been seeing a woman named Elena fairly often recently.

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Chapter 425

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“Ms. Ravelle.”

Carmelo Chapman, the villa’s butler, approached. George had handpicked him personally for this

role.

Rhea looked at him.

Carmelo reported, “One Ms. Elena Austin has arrived to visit.”

Once the intercom connected, Elena identified herself.

Rhea nodded. “Let her in.”

A few minutes later, Elena entered the living room.

“Ms. Ravelle,” she greeted politely.

Rhea gestured. “It’s quite late. Since you’re here, would you like to join me for some supper?”

Elena smiled. “I won’t refuse.”

She had been waiting for Nathan for hours, only to hear that he had gone home to rest. Elena, frustrated, had come straight to Rhea.

Rhea looked at her. “Ms. Austin, you can just say whatever’s on your mind.”

Elena was stunned for a moment, surprised by Rhea’s directness. Then, she bluntly said, “I couldn’t

find Nathan, so I came to you.”

Rhea wasn’t surprised. “You fancy him? What is it that you like about him?”

Did Elena fancy him? That was obvious.

But what did she like about him? Elena was momentarily caught off guard by the question.

After a moment, she wiped the corner of her mouth with a tissue. “Just so you know, before I take my leave, you can’t kick me out.”

Rhea couldn’t help but chuckle. “Okay.”

Elena hummed softly for a moment before saying, “I actually fell for Nathan at first sight, though not completely. I’ve always been protected and pampered, but he ignored me, and I took it as a personal affront. Over time, I realized that I couldn’t stop thinking about him. I’ll wonder what he’s doing, whether he’s thinking of me, or if he’s seeing someone else.”

Her voice grew softer as she spoke, and she was tracing circles on the table with her finger. “I know I’m not the perfect lady. I’m clumsy and carefree, neither elegant nor refined. But if he needs me to be like that, I can change and learn.”