The Kiss that Sparked it All

Regina had Francis wrapped around her little finger, and sure enough, the second she mentioned their unborn son, his whole demeanor perked up.

After tenderly serving Imogen a few more bites of her meal, he said, “You need to eat up as well, love. But remember, we’re going for a balanced diet here. After lunch, we can take a little stroll together. I’ve cleared my schedule a bit; I can finally spend some quality time with you and our little one.”

Imogen chuckled, clearly enjoying the attention. “Oh, come on now. It’s not like you can be glued to my side 24/7. I’ve been pregnant before; I’m not made of glass.”

“But that was before you had the means, Imogen. This child is my son, and I won’t have him suffer,” he said, patting her hand reassuringly. “Trust me, I won’t let you suffer either.”

It was as if Madeline was the only spare part in the room, with no blood ties to the Tanner family. The only connection she had was through her mother.

But with her mother’s full attention on Francis, how could she spare any for her daughter?

Madeline dared not think about her place in the family once her mother gave birth, especially if the baby turned out to be a boy. She couldn’t help but wonder if Imogen would even notice her once she had another child to pin her hopes on – the little prince of the Tanner family.

The thought of how much inheritance Francis might leave for his son made Madeline’s food taste like ash. All she had was herself, and she had to claw onto what she could.

If only she could lift her head and catch the eye of the man sitting across from her. Marrying him would secure her future, draped in luxury and comfort. She needed to start planning for her own future.

If only Madeline hadn’t let her foolish thoughts show, Regina could have pretended to enjoy the meal.

She cherished the times she could share her childhood favorites with Nolan and wished for more peaceful moments together. But Madeline just had to be tactless, blurting out whatever came to mind at the lunch table.

“Nolan, it seems you’ve got quite the taste for Emma’s cooking. Why don’t you and my sister visit more often? Mom and Dad are getting on in years, and they’d love having you around. We can’t let Dad think that marrying off a daughter is like throwing water out the door, never to return, right? I’m just saying this for…”

Regina cut her off mid-sentence, “Try these salt and pepper chicken wings; they’re my absolute favorite. Emma cooks them like no one else, extra crispy. Madeline, stop talking for a moment, will you? We’re finally all together for a meal. You must be thirsty after all that talking. Have some soup.”

With a glance from Regina, a servant promptly filled a bowl with steaming soup for Madeline. Her face soured, and even Imogen didn’t come to her defense.

The conversation had smoothly moved on from the previous awkward topic, so why on earth did Madeline have to force another one?

Couldn’t she see that Nolan hadn’t given her even a single encouraging look? Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

When had her daughter become so oblivious?