Chapter 238


    Jamie was earnestly assuring Thomas and Ava that the children Cordelia was carrying were his, their


    own grandchildren. But the question of the babies’ paternity was hotly debated in their circles. Some


    whispered they were the child of Cordelia''s ex-husband, while others imed they were Jamie''s.


    Even if the children were Jamie''s, Cordelia was, after all, Ronan''s ex-wife. Ronan had warned Thomas


    more than once about Jamie''s rtionship with Cordelia.


    "Did you let Ronan know that you invited Cordelia to our home?" Thomas had asked Jamie with


    concern when he first brought up the subject.


    "He knows. I told him to his face. He didn''t object," Jamie had responded.


    Still, Thomas found himself with pins and needles, feeling restless and uneasy. Ava, on the other hand,


    didn''t carry her husband''s worries. She was a woman of faith, believing in fate and karma. Moreover,


    she wasn''t much privy to her husband''s business dealings, let alone the grudges between him and


    Ronan. When Jamie had brought his pregnant wife home, expecting twins no less, Ava was overjoyed.


    Thus, Ava had greeted Cordelia with warmth and genuine hospitality.


    Living under the same roof and seeing each other daily, Thomas merely smiled awkwardly at Cordelia


    whenever their paths crossed, quickly making himself scarce afterwards.


    Ava was much more weing. Ava, being of the same age as Shelley, Cordelia''s mother, who had


    recently passed, became a source of emotional support for Cordelia. Their rtionship was fairly good.


    Jamie was still working on the orders he had received from Ronan. Cordelia''s way of securing these


    orders had initially upset Jamie, but he understood that she had the best interests of their business at


    heart.


    Cordelia didn''t work a regr job. Her work was done from home, and when she needed a break, she


    would take a stroll in the garden.


    One day, after lunch, both Cordelia and Ava decided to take a walk to aid digestion. As they were about


    to step out, a Maybach pulled up to Jamie''s mansion.


    Cordelia''s face darkened at the sight. It was Ronan''s car. Thankfully, it wasn''t Ronan who stepped out,


    but his chauffeur. The chauffeur carried arge bag of snacks towards Cordelia.


    "What is this about?" Cordelia asked with suspicion, not knowing what Ronan was up to.


    "Ah, Mr. Evans noticed that Ms. Haselwood enjoyed sour candies, so he collected a variety of tangy


    snacks for you. Where should I put them?" the chauffeur asked.


    The situation was extremely awkward for Cordelia, and Ava''s face had turned quite sour. After all, it


    wasn''t appropriate for a daughter-inw to be in close contact with her ex-husband.


    "Oh, we have plenty of snacks at home," Ava said dismissively. "You may take them back."


    "If I do, I''ll lose this month''s sry. So, where should I put them?" the driver asked again.


    "Give them to our housekeeper," Ava said curtly, clearly unhappy, before getting into the car with


    Cordelia.


    Cordelia thought to herself, Ronan was quite skilled at stirring the pot. This was only the first time, but


    there would surely be more toe.


    ...


    The Colby family''s chauffeur was Adrian. Jamie had repeatedly instructed him to ensure Cordelia''s


    safety.


    When Cordelia saw Adrian again, it was a stark reminder of how things had changed. Adrian was


    somewhat reserved, especially in front of Ava, and didn''t say much, leaving Cordelia in the dark about


    Adrian''s current circumstances.


    As Cordelia and Ava sat in the backseat, Ava held Cordelia''s hand and shared stories of Jamie''s


    childhood.


    Cordelia kept ncing at Adrian, who was also looking at her through the rearview mirror, somewhat


    distracted by their silent exchange.


    Winter had arrived in Millstone, and the trees were bare. asionally, fireworks would light up the sky,


    although it was hard to see in the bright daylight.


    Cordelia thought to herself, “Time flies. In just a few weeks, it would be New Year''s again.”


    Last year, Ronan had been angry with her over a fireworks incident. This year, they were divorced.


    After a leisurely drive around the city, Adrian asked Ava, "Ma''am, why don''t you and Cordelia find a


    warm ce to walk and digest your meal? I''ll wait for you."


    "How about we go to the mall?" Ava suggested to Cordelia.


    "Sure, I don''t mind," Cordelia replied, her bellyrge and round. Ava helped her navigate.


    As they chatted andughed their way to the second floor of the mall, Cordelia spotted a logo. RC.


    A question formed in her mind, “Could this be the brand she and Ronan had started?” Had he started


    the factory? Had it hit the market already?


    "Hey, this brand seems new. Shall we check it out?" Ava suggested.


    Since Cordelia was curious, too, they walked in. A sales associate greeted them warmly. It was a men''s


    brand, with truly exceptional fabric, smooth andfortable to the touch. Ava, being a wealthy woman,


    had seen many kinds of fabric, but even she acknowledged that this brand''s material was of the


    highest quality.


    "With the new year approaching, I want to buy some shirts for Thomas. They''re meant to be worn close


    to the skin, sofort is paramount," Ava said, running her fingers over the luxurious fabric.


    "Mmm," Cordelia replied, scanning the store for any sign of its manufacturer. She still wasn''t sure if the


    clothes were produced in Ronan''s factory.Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.