Hearing the voice, Charis turned back and saw Lauren walking into the ward.
She had already learned a lot about Lauren before coming to the hospital. Now, seeing her in person made Charis realize the woman wasn’t as gentle as she seemed in the photo. She looked cunning. Strands of hair around her temples had turned grey and the wrinkles around her eyes seemed more prominent, revealing her age.
“Hello, Mrs. Quinn.” Charis withdrew her arms from Cassie, stood up, and nodded politely.
“You’re finally here, Miss Turner. That cruel bitch has ruined Cassie’s life. Do you see what lengths she had gone to take her revenge?” Lauren grabbed Charis’s hands and lamented.
However, Charis felt disgusted. She had never seen such an unreasonable person in her life. It was Cassie who had started all this. She was the one who had hired men to assault Natalie, but her plan had backfired.
However, Charis hid her disgust and frustration and forced a smile “Don’t worry. People cannot do bad deeds and get away with it. They’ll be punished for all their wrongdoings. Natalie, too, will pay the price for her mistakes. She will face a terrible, miserable end.” Lauren looked at her grimly. For a moment, she thought Charis was mocking her. Sometimes, she would wake up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night because the past continued to haunt her even now. Lauren studied Charis’s face and realized the latter wasn’t mocking her. She seemed cheerful and easygoing. Considering her parents had pampered her and spoiled her, Lauren concluded that Charis was just another sweet innocent girl and there was no hidden meaning behind her words. She thought she could win Charis over by playing the victim
Lauren sat down and told Charis about how cruel and ungrateful Natalie had been to the Quinn family. Charis patiently listened to her.
She was aware of the things Lauren had done in the past. The woman seemed smarter than Cassie because she had managed to manipulate George, an honest man, to do whatever she wanted. She had done a lot of bad deeds without the Quinn family’s knowledge. She had resorted to despicable means to put Natalie into trouble. If Sebastian hadn’t helped Natalie, Lauren would have succeeded
Lauren was undoubtedly smarter than Cassie and would be able to help Charis. However, there was one downside: Charis wouldn’t be able to easily deceive her. “Miss Turner, have you been busy of late? Every family has its own problems. I’ve heard about the new predicament in your family. Mrs. Turner and the male star made the headlines again yesterday.” Lauren patted Charis’s hand and sighed concernedly. “By the way, you and Cassie seem very close. What do you think of her?” Bile rose in Charis’s throat. She could understand what Lauren meant. She wanted Cassie to marry into the Turner family. Lauren and her daughter both had thought Charis was a fool who only knew to spend money. “As you know, there will always be rumors about influential families. My family runs several entertainment companies. Reporters tend to blow things out of proportion. My mom only has a professional relationship with those stars. Don’t believe those baseless rumors,” Charis patiently explained. ‘What a bunch of fools!” It was stupid of Cassie to think she could replace Chairs’s mother. Her confidence both irked and surprised Charis.
Although Luke had affairs with several women, his marriage had always been stable.
Charis’s mother belonged to one of the wealthiest families in the city, and she owned two top entertainment companies in the country. She was a strong, independent woman capable of supporting the Turner family all by herself.
Luke and his wife got married for mutual benefits. They led different lives and had partners outside wedlock.
However, they had a good understanding and got along well when they returned home.
Over the years, no matter how many mistresses Luke had, they would never be a threat to his wife and take over her position, because he wouldn’t let it.
However, even though she disliked them, Charis knew she had to give Lauren and Cassie some hope Lauren rubbed her fingers awkwardly and said, “I’m sorry, Miss Turner. Ignore my words
“Mrs. Quinn, please? I didn’t mean that I don’t like Cassie. To be honest, my father has dated a lot of women in the past. But they were all gold diggers. However, Cassie is the only one I liked. She is genuine and likes my dad for who he is and not his money.” Charis continued to flatter them, hoping they would take the bait.
Her words ignited a spark of hope in Lauren’s heart.
“What do you mean, Miss Turner?” Lauren and Cassie exchanged glances. They were on an emotional rollercoaster
“My father had stopped loving my mother a long time ago; their marriage is already dead. In fact, I’d be doing them a favor by helping them find true love.” Charis sighed dramatically. She knew this was what Lauren hoped to hear from her.
“My father likes you a lot.” She smiled at Cassie. “You have been with him for a while, right? I have never seen him be this happy with any woman before. It was he who asked me to visit you and see if you were okay.”
Both Lauren and Cassie couldn’t contain their excitement. They looked at each other, grinning.
“Mr. Turner has seldom mentioned his family to me. He would always avoid the topic every time I asked about it. After a while, he grew impatient. Besides, he never takes me to important occasions. It made me think he doesn’t
like me.” A smile finally appeared on Cassie’s face.
Luke had been an enigma, and she had always struggled to find out what was going on in his mind. However, Charis’s words gave her a sense of assurance. She had been with Luke for a long time. Every time they met, Luke would take her to some fancy restaurant and then to a hotel as if it were a mandatory procedure. The two had been dating for months now. But Cassie still knew nothing about the Turner family. She had concluded that Luke regarded her as a plaything to satisfy his needs. “My father is a reserved man. He doesn’t like people questioning him and never expresses his feelings. Only his actions prove how much he likes someone. He has been doing business for years. You know how businessmen are; they are used to masking their true emotions. If someone finds out how much he cares about you, they might use that to hurt him, right?” Charis exaggerated to convince the two. She was as cunning as her father and was good at making up stories,
‘I think you have a point.” Cassie lowered her head, trying to suppress her smile. She believed Charis’s words and began fantasizing about becoming the new Mrs. Turner.
Lauren seemed equally happy. She held Charis’s hand, her face bright with delight. “That’s great. When Cassie marries your father someday, you two can look out for each other.”
Lauren herself used to be the other woman. She believed that all men were weak, and it was easy to seduce them.
“Mrs. Quinn, there is no rush. Marriage is a long-term commitment. It requires a lot of planning” Charis forced a
smile. But deep down, she was disgusted by their greed. “I agree.” Lauren nodded in understanding. There was indeed no rush.
