Chapter 327: How to Stop All This?

Chapter 327: Chapter 327: How to Stop All This?

"Yvonne?" Aria Sinclair asked, a little surprised. "Why would she be telling you these things?"

Descending the stairs into the living room, Zoe Morgan called to the woman nearby, "Mrs. Lowe, please brew a pot of the tea I just brought and bring it out to the garden."

"Right away, Vivi," Mrs. Lowe agreed.

The two sisters-in-law made their way to the pavilion in the villa’s rear garden.

After taking a seat, Zoe Morgan let out a soft sigh. "When does that girl ever see me and *not* talk about you?"

"Is that so," Aria Sinclair replied with a ghost of a smile. "She’s certainly devoted."

"Sister-in-law," Zoe Morgan began, studying the look on her face before asking tentatively, "Did you see Fanny’s post from last week?"

Aria Sinclair didn’t answer immediately, her brow furrowing in thought. "Fanny’s post from last week?"

’The fact that Zoe would ask this meant she didn’t know about the phone call I made to Faye Wyatt that night.’

Aria Sinclair lowered her gaze and shook her head. "I don’t recall. Let me take a look now."

She made a show of taking out her phone.

Zoe Morgan reached over, took the phone from her, and set it aside. "Since you haven’t seen it, allow me to tell you, Sister-in-law."

"What is it?" Aria Sinclair asked, looking at her in confusion.

"Fanny asked to meet me last week. When I got there, I discovered someone else was with her," Zoe Morgan said softly. "It was Renee Jennings."

Aria Sinclair’s brow furrowed. "Renee Jennings."

"Yes." Zoe Morgan’s voice took on a melancholic edge. "I had no idea how to face her, and I don’t know what you and my brother are thinking, so I left before we even ate."

"So that’s what happened," Aria Sinclair sighed.

"Sister-in-law." Zoe Morgan’s eyes were fixed on the woman across from her. "Before..."

She abruptly cut herself off. Mrs. Lowe had arrived with a pot of tea and was filling their cups.

"Thank you, Mrs. Lowe," Zoe Morgan said. She then picked up a cup and handed it to Aria Sinclair. "Sister-in-law, try this tea. I brought it back from a business trip."

"Alright," Aria Sinclair said, accepting the cup.

Once she saw Mrs. Lowe walk out of earshot, Zoe Morgan returned to their previous topic. "Didn’t we decide before to just give that child some money and not bring her back?"

Aria Sinclair’s mouth opened, but no words came out. ’I wanted to slap myself for ever having said such a thing.’

’That’s my own flesh and blood. How could I have said something so monstrous?’

Aria Sinclair’s eyes grew hot, a misty haze blurring her vision.

Seeing her reaction, Zoe Morgan’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. "Sister-in-law? Why aren’t you saying anything?"

Aria Sinclair wiped away a tear with her finger and looked her sister-in-law straight in the eye. "Vivi, do you really think what we did was right?"

A flicker of something passed through Zoe Morgan’s eyes. She hesitated for a moment before replying, "I... I don’t know what to say."

"Renee... I carried her for ten months before giving birth to her," Aria Sinclair said, her voice choked with emotion. "Vivi, can you understand? You’ve never had children. You probably can’t understand this feeling."

Zoe Morgan pressed her lips together, remaining silent.

’Perhaps she did understand, though.’

’She had never been pregnant for ten months, but she had spent ten months by that person’s side.’

After a moment of silence, Zoe Morgan changed the subject. "Sister-in-law, what about Yvonne? Have you considered her feelings? She might not be the daughter you carried for ten months, but you’re the only mother she’s ever known."

"It’s because I’m *always* considering Yvonne’s feelings that I’ve waited so long to bring my own daughter home!" Aria Sinclair’s voice suddenly grew agitated.

"Vivi, Renee isn’t just my biological daughter—she’s your biological niece."

Zoe Morgan looked slightly taken aback.

’How could she not know that?’

’She knew it better than anyone.’

’But so what?’

’In the end, Renee Jennings just couldn’t compare to Yvonne.’

"Sister-in-law, I know Renee Jennings is my biological niece," Zoe Morgan said, collecting her thoughts and speaking earnestly. "But Yvonne has been with us for so many years. To me, she will always be more important."

She paused before continuing, "Yvonne has been so good and well-behaved since she was little. We’ve protected her so much that she’s become fragile and sensitive. If we bring Renee Jennings home, Yvonne will surely feel neglected and abandoned."

Aria Sinclair stared at her, dazed, and murmured, "Then what should we do, Vivi?"

Once again, Zoe Morgan fell silent.

After a moment, she too sighed. "Sister-in-law, I’ve said my piece. The rest is up to you and my brother to decide."

With that, she rose and departed.

Aria Sinclair watched her retreating figure, her eyes filled with suspicion and scrutiny.

’Is the bond between Vivi and Yvonne really that deep?’

It was safe to say that Zoe Morgan and Aria Sinclair’s conversation did not end on a happy note.

Back in her car, her heart grew heavy with anxiety.

’Given Aria’s attitude, it’s highly likely she’ll bring Renee Jennings back.’

’Once Renee comes back, Yvonne is bound to be devastated.’

Zoe Morgan gripped the steering wheel, her brow furrowed in deep thought.

’How can I stop this from happening?’

***

Renee Jennings hadn’t streamed in a week.

The kittens she’d brought home on the ninth had all put on another layer of chub.

Renee Jennings was quite pleased. She took a set of photos and posted them on her streaming platform, laying the groundwork to find them their forever homes.

Rhea Dempsey walked over, wearing a sun hat and sunglasses. "Renee, I’m heading out for a bit."

"Where are you off to, Mom?" Renee Jennings asked, getting to her feet. "Going hiking?"

"To the housekeeping agency," Rhea Dempsey explained. "She said there are new candidates for me to take a look at."

She hadn’t been satisfied with any of the housekeepers she’d interviewed before.

Finding a housekeeper wasn’t easy, and Rhea Dempsey had no desire to hire a prima donna who would just make her angry.

Renee Jennings raised an eyebrow. "Then I’ll go with you."

"Alright," Rhea Dempsey said with a beaming smile. "Let’s roll."

Renee Jennings was wearing an athletic-style loungewear set, which was fine to wear out.

The mother-daughter duo arrived at the housekeeping agency, where the manager, a Ms. Archer, enthusiastically welcomed them into her office.

"Ms. Dempsey, is this your daughter? She’s absolutely lovely."

"She is," Rhea Dempsey replied, happier to hear her daughter praised than herself. "She was the campus belle back in her school days, you know."

"She must get her looks from you," Manager Archer said, her smile stretching from ear to ear.

Manager Archer was a full-figured, middle-aged woman dressed in a fitted, white, short-sleeved blouse and black trousers. Her hair was pulled back meticulously in a bun, and she had a small, red mole between her eyebrows.

"Manager Archer, what about the candidates you mentioned? Have they arrived?" Rhea Dempsey cut through the pleasantries and got straight to the point.

"They’re almost here," Manager Archer said, glancing at her watch. "One sent a message saying she was stuck in traffic and switched to the subway. Another is coming by electric scooter. They should be arriving any minute."

No sooner had she spoken than the young woman from the front desk knocked on the door. "Manager Archer, the applicants are here."

"Bring them right in," Manager Archer said.

"Okay." The young woman from the front desk complied, leading a large woman into the office.

As soon as the large woman entered, she asked eagerly, "Manager Archer, is there a job for me?"