She knew Lysander too well.
In his heart, there might have been a trace of affection and commitment for her born from their time together, but it paled in comparison to the countless people and things that took precedence—his company, childhood friends, and old flames all ranked higher than she did. Over the past seven years, she had seen this clearly.
If there was a scale in Lysander’s mind, she was undoubtedly the lightest weight on it, and he never disappointed her in this regard.
Felicity was unaware of the specifics and was mildly annoyed at her son for leaving without a word. She muttered a few grievances but quickly turned to console Mila, fearing she might be upset.
…
Around noon, the Fontaines arrived.
It was Felicity’s older brother, Xavier Fontaine, Lysander’s uncle, along with his wife, Gina Winslow Fontaine, and their son, Archie Fontaine.
When the guests arrived, Mila joined her mother-in-law to greet them.
Soon, a refined middle-aged man stepped out of the car. Upon seeing Felicity, he opened his arms wide and called out with a smile, Dearest sister!
Felicity was the youngest and only sister in the Fontaine family, cherished and doted upon since childhood. Even after getting married and turning fifty, she rushed toward her brother with the glee of a young girl. After hugging him, she turned to embrace her sister-in-law, Gina, who warmly returned the hug. However, when she tried to hug her nephew Archie, he dodged away.
You rascal! That’s your aunt!
Gina playfully flicked his forehead.
On this cold winter day, the eighteen or nineteen-year-old stood nearly as tall as his father. With striking features and a rebellious air, Archie wore a thin blue-black denim jacket, its collar open wide, a slender silver chain dangling from his neck, exuding a striking visual impact.
After his mother’s playful reprimand, he muttered impatiently, I can’t stand all this mushy stuff, it’s gross…
Before he could finish, Xavier gave him a firm pat on the head.
Dad, what was that for?
As for Archie, he was even less frequent a visitor, and Mila had hardly interacted with him, only hearing rumors of his rebellious nature, which seemed to clash with the refined artistic style of the Fontaines.
Now seeing him, it was clear the stories were true.
Compared to his elegant and poised father, and his lively, beautiful mother, he stood out like a sore thumb, resembling more of a rogue. If not for the good looks inherited from his parents, he might have been a sight too hard to behold.
Just as these thoughts crossed her mind, Gina nudged Archie to greet Mila, This is your cousin-in-law.
Oh?
Archie raised an eyebrow, a playful glint in his eyes as if recalling something amusing. He drew out his words with a teasing tone, Cousin-in-laaaaw—
The atmosphere tensed instantly.