Ready to Rule: The Real Heiress Strikes Back novel Chapter 786

Lucinda’s eyes filled with tears in an instant. “Mom, do you really hate me that much now?”

Her mom used to never let her near the kitchen. Now, she’d actually gotten up early to make breakfast for the family and managed to burn her hand in the process, but her mom didn’t even seem to care.

Kylie and Cameron had barely slept the night before, both of them tossing and turning, thinking about how they’d been treating Lucinda lately. Ever since their real daughter came back, they hadn’t paid as much attention to Lucinda. It was hard not to notice the shift. Before, she was the only princess in the house, soaking up all the love. Now there were two, and it made sense that Lucinda would feel like Lydia was taking away something that used to be hers.

Maybe they had expected too much from her.

Kylie’s voice stayed gentle, but her words still stung. “Lucinda, you don’t have to do these things. There’s just one thing we want you to understand. Your sister spent eighteen years struggling on her own. Now that she’s finally home, all of us need to welcome her, care for her, and give her the love she was always supposed to have. Don’t start thinking she’s taken everything from you. What really belongs to you is with the White family, do you understand?”

What really belonged to her was with the White family? Lucinda’s heart twisted. What did the White family even have? All she could think of was Frank, a loser who’d gambled everything away.

She tried to pull herself together. “I get it, Mom. I’m already grateful my sister let me stay here after she came back. I just lost my head for a minute. I’m sorry. If… if she wants me to leave now, I’ll start packing my things.”

She hid her burned hand behind her back, her face full of regret as she turned to head upstairs.

Her grandfather let out a heavy sigh. “Lucinda, your sister never said you had to leave. I know it’s hard for you to admit your mistakes, but you have to give everyone a little time. We are still angry. Wait a couple of days until everyone cools off, then you can talk things through.”

Honestly, Mr. Norwood didn’t know what to do. He knew the fairest thing for Lydia would be to send Lucinda back to the White family. That would be the proper consequence for what she’d done. But in the end, he just couldn’t bring himself to be that cruel and send Lucinda away so easily.

Lucinda paused on the stairs and looked back, her eyes searching Lydia’s face. She sounded so small. “Is that true, Lydia? You don’t want me to leave?”

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