Facade of Love

Chapter 454 Do Adults Ever Stay the Same?

Ash nodded.

I did not even glance at Liam as I headed straight for the parking lot.

Sweety caught my sleeve as I passed her.

I stopped, eyebrows knitting together, not too pleased. "Yeah? What do you want?"

She was biting her lip, looking pale. Maybe it was the pregnancy. Her voice came out raspy. "I heard you went to the border. When did you get back?"

"I haven't been back long," I said, my voice coming out more stiff than I intended.

She bit her lip, her hand resting softly on her stomach. "I'm pregnant with Liam's baby. He's sorting out his divorce with Emily right now. We'll probably have our wedding soon. Are you gonna come?"

I yanked my sleeve out of her grip and gave her a stern look. A sardonic laugh escaped me. "Really, Sweety? Are you proud of breaking up a family and playing the homewrecker? You might not have any shame, but I sure do. Why on earth would you think I'd show up to your wedding?"

My words might have cut too deep. She went pale, her eyes narrowing at me. "Enough, Yvette! I thought we were friends—that's why I invited you. If you don't want to come, it’s fine by me."

Something sparked in her eyes, and she sneered at me. "All I'm doing is chasing my own happiness. As for you, I heard Idris is marrying someone new. That girl's cozying up to Mrs. Scott, calling her godmother. Looks like you're losing your mom and your man to someone else. Is this the 'dignity' you wanted to keep? We were friends once, so here's a friendly tip: Alice isn't as easy to handle as Moore was."

"Thanks for the heads-up," I said, stepping back and giving her an icy stare. "Let's drop the 'friends' act, Sweety. We haven't been friends for ages. And a word of advice? Don't get too cocky. The prize you're fighting so hard for might just turn out to be a fantasy."

She shrugged off my words with a scoff and strutted off toward Liam.

I got back in the car, and after a bit, Ash climbed in, her cheeks red with what looked like pent-up frustration. I fired up the engine and said, "Let's head back to the old manor, shall we?"

She nodded, her voice taking a break before she finally let out, "Do grown-ups always change their minds like this?"

Her question caught me off guard, and I found myself speechless, resting on the steering wheel as I pondered for a bit before replying, "Maybe. You'll probably get it once you're older."

She wrapped her arms around herself, craning her neck to take in the blur of the world outside the car window, and grumbled, "Adults always tell kids about staying in school, being nice, sticking to the rules, and being good people. However, then they go and break their promises, doing whatever they want."

Her words struck me.

Yes, when we were little, everyone drummed into us to be good kids and grow up into good people. Nobody told us about what the grown-up world was really like, that people's hearts can change, and that telling right from wrong was not always easy.

I had no words of wisdom for her. Heck, I could not even sort myself out, let alone offer advice to a kid.

We rode in silence.

Young Manor.

I pulled up outside the manor and let Ash hop out, telling her, "I won't walk you in. You can head in on your own."

She gave me a look, her big, doe eyes sparkling. "You're not just trying to avoid Idris, are you?"

I could not help but smile at her, shaking my head. "Nope, I've just got stuff to do."

"Ash!" Zoe burst out of the manor, her voice carrying across the distance. Ash turned at the sound, her face lighting up. "Zoe!"

Zoe, spotting me, looked a bit taken aback before her face broke into an excited grin. "Yvette, it's been ages! Are you doing okay?"

I nodded, relieved to see that her sunny disposition had not dimmed. Her smile and eyes were still as charming as a crescent moon. It was comforting to know that not everyone had changed, Zoe, at least, was still the same as ever.

"Come on, let's head inside. The place is buzzing today, and Iddy's here too," she said, reaching for my hand to lead me toward the old family estate. I quickly held her hand back and flashed back a gentle smile. "I'm just here to drop off Ash, I won't be staying."

The buzz of the house no longer had anything to do with me.

"Yvette..."

"Idris." Ash's voice cut through Zoe's sentence.

I was taken aback for a second, looking up to find myself face-to-face with the striking man emerging from the yard, Idris.

Our eyes locked, and he looked healthier than the last time I had seen him, probably happy with his upcoming wedding.

"Iddy, perfect timing, Yvette's here. Get her to come along," Zoe chimed in, then added, "Grandma's got this super famous theater group to come in from the Capital City. We should all go watch them perform."