Betrayed and Dumped She Rose Stronger Than Ever novel Chapter 406

After asking that, Nina leaned in a little and lowered her voice. “I heard Brett is back?”

Cindy’s lashes fluttered. “Yeah.”

Nina’s curiosity got the best of her. “Did he come back by himself? Or did your aunt come too?”

“He came alone,” Cindy answered.

“So the reason he’s back is...” Nina trailed off, then caught herself, “Don’t get me wrong. I’m just surprised, that’s all. They’ve been gone so many years, everyone just assumed they weren’t coming back. I don’t mean anything else by it.”

Cindy gave her a gentle smile. “Grandpa’s birthday is next month. He came back especially for that.”

“Oh, I see. Brett’s a good kid,” Nina said softly.

Cindy dropped her gaze. Brett’s return was bound to stir up gossip. Until his real reasons became clear, she couldn’t let rumors get out and affect Duncan Corporation, not even with someone as close as Nina.

Halfway through dinner, Nina and Cindy had talked about everything. Skincare, beauty routines, new restaurants in town, even all the latest society gossip. They covered every topic they could come up with.

But eventually, the conversation ran dry and the private room fell into an awkward silence.

Nina grew anxious. How was she supposed to bring up what she really wanted to say without making Cindy uncomfortable?

In the end, Cindy spoke up first. After finishing her meal, she wiped her mouth with a napkin and looked up at Nina, who seemed like she had something on her mind. Cindy smiled and said, “So you asked me to dinner today because you have something to say, right? It’s okay, just tell me.”

Her ears felt hot as soon as she said it.

Nina gave an embarrassed smile. “Cindy, what do you think of Richie?”

Richie Garfield, the eldest son of the Garfield family, was their current head and had always been groomed as the heir.

He was eight years older than Cindy. Growing up, he never felt like someone from the same generation to her, more like an older uncle. He was always so serious and proper, which made Cindy want to avoid him. She’d always preferred hanging around Jon.

For a few seconds, her mind went blank. Then her eyes widened as a wild thought hit her.

Nina hadn’t invited her here to talk about Jon at all. She wanted her to marry Richie, to bring the Garfield and Duncan families together.

Nina noticed how stunned Cindy was and quickly moved to sit next to her, gently rubbing her back. “I know Richie is eight years older, and he’s busy, and yes, he can be a little stiff sometimes, but you can trust me when I say he’s a good man. He’s thirty-five now and only ever had one short relationship. He keeps his nose clean, none of those messy scandals you hear about in our circle. And if you marry him, I’ll treat you just like my own daughter. There won’t be any mother-in-law drama, I promise. Plus, our families are so close, you can come home to visit any time you want—even every single day if you feel like it.”