جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 330

“At first, I really wasn’t on board with the two of them,” Marianne admitted, her voice growing more animated. “But the more I thought about it, the more I realized—my grandson has clearly made up his mind about Aria. And all that gossip? It won’t last once they’re married. What really matters is that the kids are happy. Why should we let other people’s opinions ruin something so good?”Her face lit up as she began picturing the future. “They get married, and before long, I’ll be holding my first great-grandchild. You’ll have your first grandchild too, Rachel. Isn’t that something worth looking forward to? As long as we’re happy, who cares what outsiders say? Since when has listening to idle talk ever led to a good life? All it does is tear families apart. Why let a few baseless rumors steal our children’s chance at happiness?”The truth was, Archer finally finding someone he wanted to marry was a big deal. And yes, Aria had been married before—to Larry Spencer—but beyond that, she w

“I might’ve dressed a little plainly today and skipped the makeup, but that doesn’t give anyone the right to act like I’m invisible,” Marianne huffed. “That woman—Kandice’s mother, I don’t even remember her name.”“Sandra Peterson,” Grace murmured beside her.Marianne waved a hand dismissively. “Sandra. Whatever. She bumped into a box of red wine the driver was carrying and completely lost it. Started ranting about how we had no manners. I mean, really—who’s the one with no manners here?”Her eyes flashed. “She must’ve thought I was just some random old lady she could walk all over. But if she knew who I really was? Please. With her snobby attitude, even if I shoved her down the stairs, she’d still smile and apologize for being in my way!”Then her tone sharpened.“Let me tell you something, Grace—you’re not going to force Archer to marry a woman he doesn’t love.“You know how he grew up. If you and Jonathan had been more present, he wouldn’t have suffered the way he did. And now

After Marianne finished speaking, Grace lowered her head and sighed in frustration. “You’re right, Mom. I really wouldn’t betray Archer.”“In that case,” Marianne said firmly, “act like you never saw any of it. Don’t ever speak of it again. And delete the photos from your phone—now. We can’t risk someone else accidentally seeing them.”She stared at Grace until she reluctantly pulled out her phone. Only when Marianne saw the photo deleted with her own eyes did she finally ease up.“Alright. You can go now,” she said with a wave of her hand, dismissing her flatly.“Wait—Mom, are you serious?” Grace looked at her in disbelief, stunned into silence.Marianne looked her in the eye. “If Archer made that choice back then, then he was prepared to face the consequences. And now, if he still chooses to be with Aria, then he’s prepared to deal with that too. He’s your son—don’t you even know that much about him?”“You’re still going to let them be together?” Grace asked, horrified by what

In the end, Mark clenched his jaw and slammed his fist hard against the steering wheel. After that, he sat in silence, taking several deep, shaky breaths until his breathing finally steadied. Only then did he start the car and drive away.…Marianne eventually rose to her feet, finally ready to leave. She slung her handbag over her arm and held Rachel’s hand affectionately.“Rachel, you should bring James by the house sometime. It’s just me and my husband most days—we bicker constantly. It’d be nice to have you both over to liven things up.”As she spoke, she pulled out a dog-eared almanac and began flipping through it. “Oh look—two days from now is a good day for visits. Why don’t you and James come by then? We’ve got dance practice in the afternoon for the senior dancing competition. You can come with me! It’s good for the body and the soul. You should visit more often anyway.”Rachel opened her mouth to politely decline. “Mrs. Duncan, I—”But Marianne didn’t give her the chanc

Earlier, Marianne had secretly peeked back—she had clearly seen how tightly Archer was holding Aria, like a human cling wrap, completely glued to her. The way he acted, it was as if he couldn't bear to let her out of his sight for even a second.And then there was what he said—insisting on waiting downstairs until she was done, just so he could take her home. He wouldn’t even let her stay a little longer with Rachel.How could Marianne not be surprised?Even Lily was shocked, sneaking glances at Archer like she couldn’t quite believe it was really him. It was the first time she'd ever seen him like that.Just from what she had witnessed, Marianne was sure now—there was no way Archer would ever let Aria go. Even if she wanted to leave, he wouldn’t allow it.Marianne sighed. So that was it. Archer had been carrying a torch for Aria all these years. No wonder he never got involved with anyone else—his heart had always belonged to her.And knowing this, it didn’t matter how much the