Escaped My Ex, Got Snatched by His Rival - Chapter 485

Chapter 485: No stone left unturned
“Miss Penelope, you are here?” A maid working in the living hall raised her head and looked at the woman who had just returned home.

“Are your eyes just for show?” Penelope did not bother to keep up with her pretence when she saw that the one who was talking with her was a maid. “Can you not see that I just returned home? Why are you not rushing to get me a glass of water? Want me to get it myself?”

The maid turned mutinous when she heard the mocking and scolding words of the woman. She was not a slave but an employee; there was no need to treat her in such a harsh way.

However, the maid thought of her paycheck and swallowed her anger before saying to Penelope, “I didn’t mean to disrespect you, Miss Penelope. I was waiting for your return as madam had called you in her room. She said that she has something to talk about with you.”

Penelope, who had changed her heels and was now wearing a pair of homely slippers, turned worried when she heard the words of the maid. Mother had called her? For what? A flicker of concern flashed in Penelope’s eyes, but she still stepped forward.

‘Let us hear what mom has to say.’ Maybe she was just worrying over it for nothing. Maybe her mother had called her to just discuss the next set of clothes that she had in mind and wanted to purchase.

On reaching her parents’ room, which was on the second floor inside the penthouse that belonged to Keon, Penelope knocked on the door and said, “Mom, I am here. The maid told me that you wanted to see me.”

“Come in,” came the muffled response from inside the room. Penelope pushed open the door and saw her mother sitting on a chair while brewing tea. She looked gentle, and elegance seemed to be oozing from every single pore of her body.

Upon seeing her mother sitting against the French windows that illuminated her profile lightly with a golden glow, Kaylyn looked so much like Ariana that Penelope gritted her teeth.

Why couldn’t she have inherited the pink hair of her mother? At least that way, she would have at least pretended to be Kaylyn’s daughter a bit longer.

“Come in, Penny.” Seeing that Penelope was just standing at the threshold of her house and not moving, Kaylyn raised her head and said to her daughter, “I have prepared some jasmine tea for you to drink; come and have a cup of tea with me.”

The young woman replied with a sweet smile on her lips, “Sure, mother.”

She walked inside the room and sat down on the chair after flattening the back of her skirt and sitting down. Penelope was glad that she had changed her clothes and washed her makeup before returning, or else it would have been slightly difficult for her to explain it to her mother.

Kaylyn poured a cup of tea for Penelope before putting it in front of her. She waited until Penelope had drunk quite a few sips of the jasmine tea before saying to her, “The reason I have called you here is to tell you some good news. One of our acquaintances, Mister Simon, I believe you are friends with his son, Sean. They have asked for your hands in marriage. They are willing to marry you in their house despite your sickness.”

The smile on Penelope’s lips faltered. She looked at her mother in surprise before laughing lightly. Why are you worrying about my marriage? You should first worry about Keon and the rest.”

“Penny, your brothers have their own ideas, and I cannot stop them. You know that Keon has no plans of marrying anyone, and Mateo, well, he is still pining over the woman whom he lost years ago.” Kaylyn’s words brought a wave of annoyance to Penelope’s heart.

She was half certain that Mateo was not pinning over anyone, he was just trying to disgust her by refusing to get married as if making useless attempts to make her feel guilty.

When she had only wanted to help him, he deserved a woman much better than the woman with whom he fell in love. By taking her out of Mateo’s life, Penelope had helped him clear an obstacle that would have become much bigger trouble in the future.

“And just because they have not married, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t marry either,” Kaylyn had thought for an entire night and came to an understanding. What her son said was right; Penelope had taken what belonged to Ariana.

She had no right to ask Ariana to share what was hers, to begin with Penelope. But Penelope was also her daughter whom she had raised; thus, Kaylyn thought it was better to marry her off to a well-settled family.

“Mom, I–”

“I do not wish to hear a refusal, Penny,” Kaylyn said to Penelope. “I know that you have your eyes set on Nicolai, but he has cleared it again and again that he only sees you as his sister and nothing else. I do not see the point in chasing after a man who has no intention of marrying you.”

She sternly told Penelope, “I and your father have already discussed this matter, and we believe that Sean is a good match for you. He respects you and also genuinely wants to marry you.”

A good match? Penelope scoffed. If she was from a low background, such as Ariana, Sean would have been a good match for her. But she wasn’t; she was the heiress of the Ashford family, and only someone like Nicolai deserved her.

A man with not only good looks but power and money, she couldn’t believe that her mother was actually asking her to marry someone way beneath her status.

“Penelope, why are you so quiet?” Kaylyn asked with a frown on her face. “Why are you not answering?”

“I am willing to meet with him, Mom.” It didn’t matter; once Ariana was gone, she would make Nicolai realise that she was the only one for him. And this time she would leave no stone unturned.