chapter574

Clark's face darkened too.

Honestly, if the Smiths had given them even the smallest heads-up that Lydia was friends with the Davis family's daughter, there was no way they would've ever messed with her. Now the Davis family was cracking down on them and they had no idea how to fight back.

"We need to talk to Mrs. Smith about this," Clark said, his voice tight.

Vivia nodded. You're absolutely right. Let's go see her right now."

Lydia had basically been raised by the old lady. She always listened to her. If Mrs. Smith was willing to help, Lydia would probably ask the Davis family to let them off the hook.

Neither Clark nor Vivia had time to worry about Soren anymore. They just told the nurse to look after him and hurried off to the countryside at Lakeview Town to see Mrs. Smith.

They thought they were early, but someone else had gotten there first.

As soon as they stepped inside, they saw Jenson and Milana on their knees in Mrs. Smith's courtyard.

Sandy was standing by the front door, calling out, but Mrs. Smith seemed to be ignoring her completely.

The three of them turned around when they heard noise at the gate, and saw Clark and Vivia coming in, arms full of gifts.

Milana figured the Lane family must've found out that Lydia was actually Miss L, and now they were here to butter up the old lady.

"Well, look who decided to show up. What brings you here today?"

The Lane family hadn't set foot in this place in at least ten years.

Hearing the sarcasm in Milana's voice, Vivia shot back, "Milana, at the charity event last night, you knew Lydia was close with the Davis family. You didn't even bother to warn us. Thanks to you, we ended up offending the Davis family!"

Milana was already furious, so Vivia's words just pushed her over the edge. She stood up fast. "You only have yourselves to blame!

?

Sandy tried to warn Soren more than ance, but

he flat out refused o

listen. Don't go blaming us for your own mess."

"Soren was furious at the time. Why didn't you just tell us straight up that Miss Davis was looking out for Lydia?"

Jenson suddenly cut in. "You were the ones who messed with Lydia first. Lydia is family. If you go after her, you go after us. Did you really expect us to help you?

Clark and Vivia were stunned.

They'd always known Jenson and Milana didn't like Lydia. Even the old lady knew, which was why Lydia got kicked out the second they found out she wasn't the real Smith daughter.

So why were they acting like Lydia was family all of a sudden? Were they just trying to win points with Mrs. Smith?

"What's that supposed to mean? Are you really just going to throw away the relationship between our two families? Vivia snapped.

Milana scoffed. "Relationship? What

relationship? When Smith

Corporation was in trouble, we called you over and over, and you never answered. And Soren has

beer avoiding Sandy like the plague. Maybe you should be the ones

explaining yourselves."

Vivia's patience snapped. "We don't

know whp Smith Corporation

managed to offend this time. You're always teetering on the edge of a financial disaster. The Lane family doesnt have unlimited money to keep patching up your messes. If you can't handle business, don't drag everyone else down with you."

That one really hit a nerve for Jenson and Milana. Lydia and Juna had said almost

the exact same thing to them just yesterday.

"Oh, so now you're blaming us? You didn't use your heads and now you want to point fingers at us? Since you're here, let's lay everything out. If you want to break off the engagement, you're going to have to make it up to Sandy."

"Make it up to you? Why should we? The engagement was supposed to be with Lydia. You switched her out for this girl from the countryside without even telling us. Did you really think just anyone could marry into the Lane family?"

Vivia's comment made Milana furious.

And Sandy, too.

Nothing bothered her more than people bringing up her days in the village, or calling

her a hick, or a nobody who didn't belong.