Chapter 2728
Emma’s eyes brimmed with tears as she gazed at the bewildered Regina, at a loss for words herself. Francis had always been a man of clarity, but when it came to matters of the heart, he was hopelessly lost.
No matter how much he doted on Imogen, his second wife, it was no reason to put a stepdaughter on a pedestal, especially when he had a daughter of his own blood. Regina was his only biological child; she and her father were the true continuation of the Tanner family lineage. Yet, everything in the Tanner household seemed topsy-turvy now.
Emma’s heart ached for Regina, and she couldn’t bring herself to voice such harsh truths.
Instead, she offered solace, “Sweetie, why wouldn’t your dad love you? Men are not. always great with words, but deep down, he adores you, his daughter. Besides, you’re the lady of the Tanner family. He’s got only you, darling. One day, all of this will be yours. Regina, your father might be a bit confused at the moment, but you have to believe that he truly loves you.”
“Really?” Regina’s eyes searched for hope.
“Of course, it’s true. When have I ever lied to you?”
Comforted by Emma’s reassurance, Regina’s emotions began to settle. Just as she turned to leave, a shrill voice pierced from within the room, Madeline’s pitch rising in frustration, “Didn’t I tell you I have my reasons? Why do you keep asking?”
“Keep it down, will you?” Imogen hissed, pulling her agitated daughter back to the couch with a thud.
Regina waved Emma off, “Don’t worry. I won’t do anything rash. You go on back.”
Emma cast a worried glance toward Madeline’s closed door. “You’re grown up now, with mind of your own. I’ll leave you to it, then. But if something’s bothering you, come to me-don’t bottle it up inside, okay?”
Regina hugged her tightly and said, “I will.”
Feeling gratitude for the care still shown to her in this house, Regina knew that
understanding her adversaries was key to overcoming them.
“Why should I tell you now? Can’t you just do this for me without asking questions, Mom? Don’t you want to tell Dad about this for me?”
Madeline was perplexed. Why was Imogen pressing for details at such a critical time? If Regina got the upper hand, what if Francis decided to marry her off to Nolan?
“I’m just concerned. What’s so secretive that you can’t even tell your own mother? You have to let me know, why are you so set on marrying Nolan? If not, I might start to think you’re just smitten with his good looks,” Imogen probed, privately thinking that Nolan’s handsome face was a good enough reason in itself.
However, Nolan’s family background was a murky affair, even among their social circle.
What made Madeline so sure that once their Tanners made the proposal, she could actually marry Nolan?
“Nolan? Looks like Madeline has quite the crush on him,” Regina snorted with disdain, curious to see how Madeline would react if she knew Nolan’s heart belonged to another.
A plan began to form in Regina’s mind.
Meanwhile, the conversation inside continued, with Imogen unable to grasp why her daughter wouldn’t confide in her, and Madeline puzzled as to why her mother couldn’t just sort things out before grilling her for details, as she had no intention of deliberately keeping secrets.
