hapter 156
“Sorry.”
Xanthea felt a deep pang of guilt upon hearing his words, “I know I can’t get you an identical one, but I can compensate you triple the original price, or if you like another designer’s work, I could arrange a custom order.”
Leonard laughed, “Xan, do you think I care about the money, or do you think it was really about the dress? I was just looking for an excuse to become friends with you. Stay for breakfast and consider it your way of making it up to me, okay?”
Cedric chimed in, encouraging her, “Ms. Nightshade, please stay. There’s quite a distance from the freeway, and with the morning rush hour, it’s gonna be packed. Why not have breakfast before you leave?”
“Xan!”
While they were talking, Matthew sent out a message, and soon, his phone rang, “It’s your mom calling.”
“Mom?”
Xanthea took the phone, but before she could speak, she was met with a torrent of rebuke.
“Xan, you’re just too headstrong, running off without telling anyone and your phone off the whole time. Your dad and I couldn’t sleep; we were worried sick all night!
Thankfully, Matthew told us where you were. He’s driven all night to pick you up from Everglade. What were you doing there alone?”
“Alone?”
She raised her eyebrows slightly, her gaze inadvertently sweeping over Orion downstairs, “Didn’t Uncle Oliver tell you why I was in Everglade?”
“He was out socializing last night, just as drunk as you. You two are just like kids, irresponsible as ever! Honestly, I regret leaving you in his care.”
Xanthea went silent, not expecting to be scolded along with her uncle.
“Mom, my phone was broken; otherwise I would have called,”
“Don’t think you can sweet–talk your way out of this. Come home now. Hearing you spend a night alone in a strange city, drunk, your dad’s furious. You need to come home and explain it to him yourself.”
“Okay, I understand.”
Xanthea hung up the phone, feeling dejected. She was about to decline the breakfast invitation when she noticed the eager eyes below; they genuinely seemed to hope she would join them.
Her visit to the Marlowe family was unexpected, but everyone at the estate had been so warm and welcoming, eating her like an honored guest and taking care of her, even in her drunken state:
It seemed rude to refuse their kind invitation now.
“Ms. Marlowe?” At the doorway, a servant’s voice called out.
Xanthea looked up to see Queenie, in her pajamas and slippers, hair disheveled, charging towards her like a madwoman.
Chapter 156
What was she up to? Not coming to pick a fight, surely? Xanthea frowned slightly, her expression guarded.
Lifting the hem of her night skirt, Queenie ran to the second floor. She stopped abruptly in front of her and then slowly raised her head.
Xanthea was startled by the sight of her swollen eyes, dark circles, pale face, and scabbed lips, a groggy state as if ghosts had sucked dry all her energy – not a trace of the dolled–up Lolita from the day before.
What had she gone through in just one night? Did she do that to her?
Cedric had mentioned this morning that the marks on her neck were from fighting with Queenie. Xanthea had thought she’d been too drunk to defend herself properly, but seeing Queenie now, she was just relieved the latter hadn’t called the police then!