chapter1166

The moment Lydia spoke, Lucinda's face fell and her heart skipped a beat. What was Lydia getting at? Did she somehow know Lucinda had slipped something into her soup last time? No way. It had to be Lydia just stirring things up. Maybe she was annoyed Lucinda had made soup for their parents and grandpa today and was just picking a fight out of jealousy. That had to be it! She was jealous, plain and simple. If Lydia really knew about the drug, with her petty attitude, she'd have run straight to their parents. She would have jumped at the chance to get Lucinda thrown out again.

Trying to keep her cool, Lucinda put on her sweetest voice. "I'm sorry. I'll work harder on my soup next time. Maybe I can finally make one you like."

Mr. Norwood couldn't take it any longer. Lydia, Lucinda did her best. She spent the whole day in the kitchen. Why don't you just have some before you go?"

Lydia just smiled. This old clone really was something. She'd already said she didn't like the soup, but he kept pushing her to drink it. Sometimes it felt like he'd been programmed to always take Lucinda's side.

"No thanks. Mrs. Bland's birthday is today and I promised some friends I'd go to her party. If I don't leave now, I'll be late."

As soon as Lydia mentioned the Bland family, Kylie and Cameron perked up. "The Bland family? Lydia, do you know someone from the Bland family?"

The Blands were in business, too, and had a bit of a name in the Capital, though they were a notch below families like the Jeffersons, Norwoods, Lowes, and Davises. Their family did some business with the Blands, but they weren't exactly close.

Lydia just nodded and made up an excuse. "She's my classmate's grandma."

"Oh, I see. Our family does have some business ties with the Blands. It's only right to show up for her birthday... Kylie started, but Lucinda jumped in, her eyes lighting up. Dad, Mom, why don't I go with Lydia? Or maybe we could all go?"

Cameron shook his head. "The Blands didn't send us an invitation. It wouldn't be proper for your mother and me to show up." He glanced at Kylie. "How about Lucinda brings a gift and goes with Lydia?"

Kylie nodded. "That's a good idea."

Lucinda was practically buzzing with excitement. Finally, she could tag along and figure out what Lydia was really up to.

Since her parents had already said so, Lydia couldn't say much else. She looked at Lucinda. "I'm riding my motorcycle. You should let the driver take you."

And with that, she walked out the door.

Lucinda rolled her eyes when no one was looking, but turned back to Kylie and Cameron with a sweet smile. "I'll just run upstairs and change. I'll be down in a minute."

"Alright," they replied.

Lydia had plans to meet up with Juna that night. Juna was friends with Lincoln, and as soon as Lincoln heard Lydia was going to the party, he insisted on coming too. He' barely been sleeping lately because of the walking disaster at his house, and he was desperate for Lydia to give him something to calm his nerves.

When Lydia arrived at the hotel where the Bland family was throwing the birthday party, she spotted Juna and Lincoln waiting at the entrance. The three of them only had one invitation, which Juna had somehow managed to get but they went in together anyway

Honestly, with Juna and Lincoln's connections in the Capital, they didn't even need an invitation to get into Victoria's birthday. The same went for Lucinda. She didn't have an invite either, but when security tried to stop her at the door, she just said, "I'm Lucinda from the Norwood family." They let her right in.

Everyone in the Capital knew Lucinda, the princess of the richest family around.