Matriarch Ford’s gaze swept across the room. Suddenly, she reached out toward Claire Lockwood. "You... you..."
Overjoyed, Claire quickly sat closer, only for the old lady to bat her hand away in disgust. "Go... away. You’re blocking me."
Matriarch Ford’s eyes had landed squarely on the doorway.
Zoe Shaw stood there silently. Even though she was bundled up tightly in a medical mask, a cap, and a white lab coat, the layers couldn’t conceal the natural elegance of her upright silhouette. Her presence instantly captured everyone’s attention, especially Matriarch Ford’s.
Stripping away her previous disorientation, the old lady’s cloudy eyes brightened significantly. They gleamed with excitement as her breathing grew hurried.
"Zoe, is that you? You’ve finally come to see Grandma!"
Matriarch Ford’s palpable joy brought a sour pang to Zoe’s heart. She stepped up to her side.
Shrouded in anger, Claire’s dark eyes emanated a chilling frost, glaring as if she wanted to tear Zoe to shreds. Back when Zoe and Cyrus Ford were dating, Madam Ford had absolutely adored Zoe! She had completely dismissed the childhood bond that Claire had built growing up alongside Cyrus. Claire hated her to the core for this, silently cursing her as a damn old hag at every opportunity.
The old lady was getting on in years. Not only was her eyesight failing, but she also suffered from Alzheimer’s. Her mind was muddled most of the time. Yet, even in such a state, she could still recognize Zoe despite her being completely covered up.
Matriarch Ford gripped Zoe’s wrist tightly, asking relentlessly, "Zoe, I’ve been waiting for you every day. Why haven’t you come to see me? Did that brat Cyrus bully you?"
Zoe lowered her eyes, her feelings complicated. "Grandma, you’ve got the wrong person. My name is Penney."
"Oh dear! You must have had a falling out with Cyrus!" Matriarch Ford seemed anxious, turning her head to the side. "Go on, go get Cyrus for me right now! How did he bully you? I’ll teach that brat a good lesson for you."
A loud BUZZ rang in Elaine Carter’s head. She froze in place, overcome by an unspeakable sense of panic. What was going on?
Elaine’s face turned livid, her breathing rapid. The hand pointing at Zoe trembled slightly as she desperately suppressed her inner fury. "So you’re not Penney after all! You’re just a fraud. Somebody, get her out of here immediately!"
Hearing this, Matriarch Ford let out a heavy cough. Her gaze locked onto Elaine’s face. "Who dares! Zoe is the granddaughter-in-law I’ve chosen. As long as I’m here, no one dares to lay a finger on her!"
Her tone brooked no argument. The old lady’s steady, powerful voice struck everyone’s heart, leaving no room for rebuttal.
Zoe?! Elaine stood rooted to the spot. She hadn’t expected the old lady to still be so hung up on Zoe after all this time!
Neither Elaine nor Claire had ever received such favorable treatment, no matter how much effort they put into currying favor with Matriarch Ford. And yet, Zoe seemed to have slipped the old lady some kind of magic potion. Without having to do a single thing, she managed to keep Matriarch Ford endlessly fixated on her, dead set on having her as a granddaughter-in-law. Enjoying the story? Read on at novelping dot com.
Claire, in particular, felt an indescribable surge of jealousy upon hearing the old lady repeatedly refer to Zoe as her granddaughter-in-law. She was on the verge of going mad. A flash of hostility crossed Claire’s eyes. Usually a master at controlling her expressions, her face now twisted faintly. Beneath her sleeves, her fingernails dug into her palms so hard they nearly drew blood!
How could the two of them not be jealous of Zoe!
Zoe pursed her lips into a faint smile, looking somewhat helpless. "Grandma, have you forgotten? Cyrus and I broke up a long time ago."
At those words, a childlike panic flashed through Matriarch Ford’s eyes before she broke into a violent coughing fit. "No, hurry up and call that rascal over here! How dare he make my Zoe suffer!"
Whenever Matriarch Ford spoke, no one could possibly stop her.
A trace of panic flickered in Zoe’s beautiful eyes. She hurriedly patted the old lady’s back to soothe her. "Grandma, please don’t get worked up."
Claire glared fiercely at Zoe before chiming in, "Grandma, Brother Cyrus is busy right now! How about we wait until tonight?"
Under everyone’s persuasion, Matriarch Ford’s eyes half-closed. She leisurely patted the back of Zoe’s hand. "Fine. He can run for now, but he can’t hide forever! Zoe, you just stay right here with me!"
Zoe’s eyes darted around, the smile freezing on her lips.
What!
She thought about her accidental run-in with Cyrus that night. If the room hadn’t been so pitch-black and her face hadn’t been covered, she probably would have blown her cover by now. Madam Ford had managed to recognize her. When Cyrus returned, wouldn’t he be able to see through her with a single glance?
Him recognizing her was a minor issue; they were nothing more than exes. But if he found out that Jonathan Shaw was her child...
No matter how calm Zoe usually was, she couldn’t help but groan inwardly at the situation. For now, she had no choice but to humor Matriarch Ford and look for an opening to escape later.
Matriarch Ford looked at Zoe with eyes full of affection. "Alright, I’m feeling fine now. The rest of you can leave. I want to spend some time alone with Zoe."
Naturally, Claire was reluctant to leave. Wouldn’t that just be handing Zoe a golden opportunity to show off?
"Did you not hear Matriarch Ford?" Elaine shot her a pointed look. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
Left with no choice, Claire awkwardly backed out of the room.
Out in the hallway, Elaine asked mildly, "Is that woman really Zoe Shaw?"
"Yes..."
"The Shaw Family is currently controlled by her uncle, Charles Shaw, right?" Elaine mused. As long as Zoe had no powerful backing, she didn’t have to worry about her bringing any assets to Cyrus. If utilized properly, anyone could become Elaine’s pawn to drag Cyrus down from his pedestal!
"Yes, Miss Ford. What should we do... Will Zoe steal Brother Ford away from me?"
"Didn’t you claim to be Cyrus’s fiancée and scare her off back then? Why are you afraid of a defeated loser now?" Elaine asked with a hint of disdain.
"You’re right, Miss Ford." Claire’s expression stiffened. She had expected Elaine to come up with a plan for her, not offer such a dismissive reply. She paused. "Wait a minute. The son Brother Cyrus brought back seems to have the last name Shaw, too!"
Elaine’s eyes instantly flared with vigilance.
If the boy was Zoe’s son, things would get complicated. Making a move against him right in front of his biological mother was hardly a wise choice.
"How about this—let’s find an excuse to send her away this afternoon. We have to make sure Brother Ford doesn’t get to see her. What do you think?" Claire showed a rare flash of wit, having already formulated a scheme in her mind.
Elaine calmed down, her gaze growing even sharper as a cold sneer curved her lips. "Very well. It would be best if we can force her to leave on her own!"
A venomous glint suddenly shot from Claire’s eyes. "I definitely won’t give that damn woman Zoe any chance to get near Brother Cyrus."
Elaine’s eyes darkened with profound meaning. "That’s right. Some things still require you to fight for them with your own two hands."
Little did they know, a small figure was hiding around the corner of the staircase.