Never Mistake a Queen for a Lapdog novel Chapter 485

"Oh, so the secret's out?" Claire's voice boomed, louder than Lana's. "Alright, game over. Might as well get used to calling her ‘Mom'!" She smirked. "You should probably curtsy, too. After all, you'll need the stepmom's approval to marry into the family, right?"

When it came to verbal sparring, Claire never lost.

Her retort struck home. All three women's faces paled. Yvonne, as if physically struck, began retching again. Bianca frantically tended to her.

Only Lana, seething, fought back. "How can you say something so shameless? A young girl like that, plotting to be someone's stepmother! Mr. Harcourt is old enough to be her father! How could she even stomach it?"

Claire laughed. "Please. You're only saying that because you don't have the chance. If you did, you'd be shoving your own daughter into his bed." She rolled her eyes. "And if you really want to know how she ‘stomachs' such a big age gap, why don't you ask Miss Lowell? I'm sure she has some experience in that department."

Bianca's hand tightened on Yvonne's arm.

Before Lana could reply, Yvonne snapped, "That's enough! I don't feel well. Take me back to my room."

Though reluctant, Lana fell silent and helped escort Yvonne away. The three of them beat a hasty retreat.

Claire tossed her hair back with a triumphant flair. "A bunch of lightweights."

Seeing her smug look, Noreen could only shake her head and smile. "Feel better now?"

"Much better!" Claire grinned.

"Good."

"I thought you might be mad at me," Claire admitted.

"Anyone who's friends with Noreen can't be a person of quality. Arguing with her is beneath you," Yvonne declared. Lana finally shut her mouth. "Now, I'm hungry. Go buy me something to eat." Though it wasn't mealtime, Lana obediently left. Years of being ordered around by Yvonne had made it second nature.

As soon as Lana was gone, Yvonne's expression darkened. "Do you think Noreen knows something?"

Bianca's hands clenched. "I doubt it," she said, her own face tight. "If she knew, she would have told Seth immediately. She wouldn't just sit on it." After all, Bianca reasoned, Noreen was still hung up on Seth; she'd never pass up an opportunity like that.

Yvonne agreed, breathing a small sigh of relief. Still, she couldn't help but warn her daughter, "I've told you before, this isn't like being overseas. You need to be more careful."

"I know." For a moment back there, Bianca's heart had been pounding in her chest. It was only after thinking it through on the way back to the room that she had finally calmed down.

Later, Claire and Noreen were having dinner at a restaurant near the hospital. The memory of Bianca's guilty, panicked expression made Claire burst out laughing. "I was going to send that photo to Seth just to mess with him, but now I don't think I need to. It's better this way. Let him keep eating a pile of shit every day without even knowing it."