THE FORGOTTEN HEIRESS-Chapter 331: Wait For Part Two

Lauren shook her head. Now that she considered it, she began to suspect something.

"Let’s say someone was aware and deliberately sent me on an errand close to this place," Lauren said.

Candace nodded in understanding. "And I think I have a rough idea of who that someone is."

"Your mother," they both echoed simultaneously and they collapsed in a bout of laughter.

"I never knew mother could be this scheming. No wonder she insisted I go immediately," Lauren managed to squeeze out in between her laughter

Handing over a pile of face wipe to Lauren, Candace dapped gently on her wet eyes with the second one.

"I’m sure she wanted you to disrupt Dolly’s plans but knew you might not go if she asked you directly."

"That’s right. And after I arrived, everything else flowed naturally," Lauren said.

"But I’m not sure, you have truly acted to mother’s satisfaction," Candace pointed out.

"How?"

"You know what I mean," Candace waved dismissively. After all, which woman will see her man in a restaurant with another woman and just leave them alone?

"You think I didn’t do enough? Wait for part two," Lauren leaned forward and poured herself a cup of wine that the waiter had just brought.

After taking a sip, she beckoned to the waiter and whispered something in his ears.

His eyes widened for a split second, nodded obediently, then quickly went out.

Meanwhile, as the waiter went out to prepare their order, Sarah just received a video clip on her phone from Cassidy, her personal maid whom she had sent to go with Steffan and Dolly to the restaurant.

After watching the short clip, she nodded, a satisfactory smile, dangling around her lip.

"That’s my impressive daughter," she said. But then a frown appeared on her face. "I wish she had done more. How can she just walk away and leave her man in the arms of another woman?"

She quickly sent a message to Cassidy who was sipping leisurely from her wine on another table.

Not long after she saw Lauren and Candace appear again and went straight to the table where Steffan and Dolly were seated.

"Doc, I hope your patient is enjoying the fresh air in this exquisite restaurant?" Lauren asked as she got a chair for herself and pulled one out for Candace.

Steffan who just succeeded in pushing aside his thoughts about Lauren and was about taking the first bite of his food, stopped to stare at her while Dolly’s brow furrowed in confusion.

"And what do you think you are doing?" She asked before she could stop herself.

"What? Can’t I share a meal with my brother in-law anymore?" Candace retorted, causing Steffan who wanted to speak change his mind.

This was his elder brother’s wife and he dare not disrespect her, especially in a place like this where the patrons were equally from well to do families.

Though Steffan couldn’t give a retort, that doesn’t mean Dolly, who had spent the major part of the time trying to make Steffan forget about their brief interaction with Lauren, keep quiet.

Besides, she can’t imagine herself sharing a meal on the same table with these two women who she was sure hated her the same way she hated them.

"It’s not that Steffan here doesn’t want you to share a meal with him, but as you can see we..."

"Are on a date and need your special time alone, right?" Lauren sneered from the side before Dolly could say whatever was on her mind.

Her intention was very clear. She wanted Steffan to see beyond Dolly’s mask that there was more to Dolly bringing him out for lunch than met the eyes.

"I wonder when it has become part of a treatment plan for a doctor to hang out with her patient in a high end restaurant. It seems my knowledge of the medical profession is still so poor that I need to be enlightened," she added in a self mocking tone.

Turning to Candace, Lauren asked, "Am I the only one that thinks that is strange, sister?"

"Dolly and I are not on a date," Steffan stated categorically, causing Dolly’s earlier fantasy to crumble, but she still forced a smile on her face when she said.

"Yes, I think you misunderstood us, Candace."

"It’s Mrs Candace Rosse to you. I don’t think we are that familiar to be on a first name basis," Candace corrected harshly.

Seeing how unfriendly Candace was to Dolly, a rueful look appeared on Lauren’s face, "Don’t be so harsh on the poor doctor, sister," Lauren reprimanded.

"After all she has been of great help to Steffan and can’t wait to be accepted by the whole family."

Dolly’s knuckles clenched in a tight fist as she glared at Lauren. Who doesn’t know that she was deliberately saying those things to make Steffan begin to doubt her sincerity.

She felt like injecting Lauren’s mouth region with an overstated dose of anesthesia that would numb her mouth forever.

But in all she could only wrack her brain for the best way to salvage her image.

"I can see that you’re both here to target me, but God knows my intentions are pure, especially when it comes to Steffan, who has known me for years and is very familiar with my character. All I’ve ever done is treat him like the friend that we are, nothing more."

"But..." she continued,

"No need to explain anything, Dolly, I understand you," Steffan snapped and cast a disappointed glance at Lauren.

Over the years, it was only Dolly who had never had any designs on him and had treated him like buddies among all his female contacts. He knew best when a woman was all over him like the way Lauren was doing right now, and he hated such women.

Lauren looked on in disbelief and although her face still held a smile, there was a sadness that enveloped her heart when she saw how Steffan defended Dolly.

Why doesn’t he even have a subconscious impression about her? She remembered that was how he had always stood up for her in the past especially when faced with those nurses who later became her friend when they thought she wasn’t worthy to snatch their most handsome doctor from them.

Now she was on the receiving end and saw how painful it was for the one you love to defend another against you.

But she wasn’t going to dwell on that. She could already see a smug smile on Dolly’s face and she was determined to wipe it off as soon as possible.

Steeling herself for the next blow she was going to deliver, she faced Dolly.

"Steffan is right, dear Dolly. There’s no need to explain anything to us."

Hearing what Lauren said, Dolly was taken aback. She expected Lauren to be angry but instead chose to foolishly cozy up to Steffan.

And just when she was thinking how pathetic Lauren was, her next word completely wiped off the smug smile on her face.

"After all, who can understand the heart of a woman better than a woman herself," Lauren said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Dolly’s eyes immediately darted to Lauren whose face was beaming with a knowing smile as if Dolly understood perfectly what she was talking about.