When His Nauseous Sweetheart Frowns, the Tycoon's Family Takes Turns Pampering Her-Chapter 40: I Have High Hopes for You, Miss Yvonne
They had a lot of cooking to do today, and with guests at Pinehurst Estate, the small kitchen went unused.
Luna Axton found some ingredients in the fridge and threw them into a high-speed blender, making a drink in an instant.
She sat at the bar, alone, savoring a moment of relaxation after her Pilates session and a shower.
Yvonne Rhodes appeared, persistent as a ghost, and sat down across from her.
Yvonne Rhodes spoke as if granting a favor, "Luna Axton, how about I add you as a contact?"
"There’s no need for us to be in contact," Luna Axton refused bluntly.
"I just want to help you understand Ian a little better. After all, the two of you aren’t emotionally invested in this marriage."
’How very kind of her.’
"Oh, well then, I should thank you, shouldn’t I?"
Despite her words, she made no move to take out her phone and add Yvonne’s contact information.
But Yvonne Rhodes wouldn’t stop until she got what she wanted. Otherwise, who was her carefully curated social media feed for?
"What, you won’t even exchange contact info?"
Luna Axton set down her glass, her beautiful eyes regarding Yvonne with a faint, unreadable smile. "You... simply must have my contact info, is that it?"
"I just want to be friends. You know what they say, the more friends you have, the more doors open for you."
Luna Axton laughed as if she’d heard a hilarious joke. "That path is closed to you. At least, through me."
’Trying to use me to get to Blaze Fairchild? Does Yvonne have a screw loose?’
"Why would I ever let my child have a stepmother the moment they’re born?"
Yvonne hadn’t expected Luna to be so perceptive, to see right through her and realize she was in love with Ian.
’Well, that makes things easier.’
"Since you already know, I won’t beat around the bush. Ian and I grew up together—we were childhood sweethearts. I know him better than you do. He doesn’t like you."
"Oh, really?" Luna’s voice was filled with mock pity.
Yvonne scoffed. "Yes, really. A man with as much raw magnetism as Ian... why would he ever like a flat-chested woman like you? If it weren’t for..."
Luna was listening with great interest, but Yvonne suddenly stopped talking. ’What a tease.’
"For what?"
"Nothing. I just wanted to tell you that Ian doesn’t like you."
"Oh. Got it."
"If you understand, then you can get the hell out of Fairchild Estate after you have the baby." To Yvonne, Luna truly seemed to have studied herself stupid. "Besides, I don’t want to have kids anyway. Your body gets all out of shape after giving birth, it’s hideous. It would be fine by me if you had one for Ian."
"Mmm, indeed." Luna continued to agree with her, taking a casual sip of her fruit and vegetable juice with a relaxed air.
Yvonne had just finished her entire prepared speech when she realized Luna wasn’t following the script at all.
She still hadn’t gotten her contact information.
Luna was lazily sipping her drink, listening to her talk.
And here she was, standing and chattering away like some kind of clown trying to amuse her audience.
’How did our roles get reversed today?’
’I’m supposed to be the one holding a glass of champagne, listening to someone else talk, and nodding occasionally in approval.’
It slowly dawned on Yvonne that Luna was toying with her.
"Luna Axton, don’t think that just because you’re wearing matching outfits with Ian, you two actually have any real feelings for each other."
"Oh, so these are matching outfits? Thanks for telling me, I had no idea."
’She had only picked this sweater because it was just the right thickness, felt wonderfully soft, and was perfect for lounging around the house.’
’She hadn’t given a single thought to ’matching outfits’ or anything of the sort.’
Luna’s thoughts turned to Rosalind Fairchild going to the hospital to find her mother.
’She couldn’t do anything to Rosalind in front of Grandpa Fairchild, but Yvonne... she had walked right into this on her own.’
’In that case, she would be the one to give Yvonne a reality check.’
Luna Axton placed her glass back on the island counter. It made a sharp, clear sound as it touched the stone.
Yvonne’s attention was involuntarily drawn entirely to her.
"First of all, you grew up with Mr. Fairchild. You had the home-field advantage and didn’t capitalize on it, letting me come from behind and win. That just goes to show that he’s completely indifferent to you."
"Secondly, I’m not ’flat’ at all. My cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine all have very distinct curves."
Standing in the shadows, Blaze Fairchild almost burst out laughing at her specious reasoning.
’Then again,’ he thought, ’Luna is a studious medical student. It makes perfect sense that ’curves’ would make her think of her spine. Nothing wrong with that.’
"Mmm," Luna cooed, placing both hands on her abdomen with a blissful expression. "I have a marriage certificate. My marriage is legally protected. Mr. Fairchild cares deeply about this child, and Grandpa Fairchild adores me. You, on the other hand, don’t stand a chance."
"You... Luna Axton, you have the audacity to bring up climbing into a man’s bed? If I hadn’t pursued him back then, do you really think you would have ever had a shot?"
Yvonne suddenly lost her composure and began to shriek.
She looked exactly like a startled cat with all its fur standing on end.
"The one who was supposed to marry Ian was me! You stole everything that was supposed to be mine."
Luna watched her quietly. "See? Even you admit that your ’Ian’ belongs to me now."
"Don’t you dare twist my words!"
Yvonne warned Luna, her exquisite makeup now failing to hide the ugliness on her face. Her pearl necklace was askew, and she had lost all trace of her former poise.
"You talk. I’ll stop ’misinterpreting,’" Luna said calmly.
From beginning to end, Luna remained perfectly calm. She even had the presence of mind to rinse out her glass.
"You’re just a college student. You can’t give Ian anything. But with my abilities, I can fight by his side and help him make the Evergrow Group even more successful."
"Well then, you’d better get to it." Luna said, making a mock-encouraging fist pump. "I’m rooting for you, Miss Yvonne."
Yvonne instantly felt a fire ignite in her belly. In stark contrast, the corners of Luna’s mouth were turned up in a slight smile, her posture as relaxed as if she were gossiping with a close friend about something amusing.
Her gaze on Luna grew more and more brazen. She and her aunt had both been wrong.
’Luna Axton was not going to be easy to deal with.’
’Once a country chicken gains status through her child and becomes a phoenix, why would she ever want to go back to being a chicken?’
’Her aunt was right. The child in Luna’s belly had to go.’
"Hmph," Yvonne sneered twice and turned to leave.
Luna asked mockingly, "Not adding me as a contact anymore?"
Yvonne felt like a balloon that Luna had been inflating, bigger and bigger, to the very point of bursting—only for Luna to suddenly let go.
But for Ian’s sake, she would endure it.
Yvonne unclenched her fists, turned back with a smile plastered on her face, and said, "Of course I’m adding you."
Luna nodded affirmatively. "You should. After all, we’re family now, aren’t we?"
’What kind of family was Yvonne? Rosalind had only brought her here today to get under her skin.’
Luna had just sat down beside Blaze Fairchild when he asked, "What took so long?"
Her lovely eyebrows knitted together. "There was an annoying fly in the kitchen. I just couldn’t get it to leave."
"I’ll have Uncle Foster go take care of it," Blaze said with a perfectly straight face, looking not at all like he was joking.
’He was teasing her again.’
’He obviously knew Yvonne had gone to the kitchen. Besides, who ever heard of flies in the winter?’
The sight of the two of them huddled together, whispering intimately, did not escape Yvonne’s notice.
’Hmph. Luna Axton, you can be smug for now.’
’Once I have your contact info, you’ll be the one crying into your pillow.’
