Next Man, Better Plan novel Chapter 210

Her expression tightened as she dodged the dirt again.

Seeing her scramble, the boy burst out laughing. "This is fun! So much fun!"

Stephanie frowned. Whose spoiled brat was this?

Verna, who was walking ahead, noticed the commotion and hurried back. "Ma'am, this is Mr. Mark Vasquez."

Mark Vasquez. York's illegitimate son, Jonathan's half-brother.

Since it was her first time here, Stephanie didn't want to make a scene and simply followed Verna.

But Mark wasn't finished. He let out a whoop and charged at Stephanie, his shovel full of dirt, a gleeful smile on his face. It was clear he planned to collide with her and smear the dirt all over her clothes.

Even with her patient nature, Stephanie had had enough.

She glanced around quickly, and seeing that no one was watching, she subtly stuck out her foot and then pulled it back in an instant.

"Ah!"

Mark stumbled and fell onto the lawn. A gust of wind blew the dirt from his shovel right back into his face, giving him a mouthful.

"Ptooey, ptooey! You stupid witch!"

Mark was the son of York's later years, and Patricia had doted on him endlessly, raising him to be a spoiled, lawless terror.

His shout immediately brought Patricia, who had been nearby, rushing over.

"What's wrong, my dear? How did you fall?"

Covered in dirt, Mark immediately pointed at Stephanie and whined, "Mom, that ugly hag bullied me!"

Patricia's eyes landed on Stephanie, and seeing her beautiful face, a flicker of hostility ignited within her.

"Who are you? Are you here to see Mr. Vasquez?" There were already enough rivals in the house; Patricia didn't want another one.

Verna quickly interjected, "This is the young madam."

Patricia paused, taking in the information. She'd heard that the matriarch had arranged a wife for Jonathan. So, this was her?

But she was just an orphan from the Jackson family, with no connections or support. Shouldn't someone like that be timid and eager to avoid trouble?

Not knowing the full measure of this woman on their first meeting, Patricia quickly turned to her son. "You naughty boy! Hurry up and apologize to her!"

Of course, Mark refused. He twisted away and ran off, and Patricia turned to chase after him.

Verna led Stephanie into the main sitting room to meet Mrs. Vasquez Sr.

They hadn't seen Jonathan anywhere along the way.

Stephanie was about to ask his grandmother where he was when a woman in her early fifties entered the room.

Elva beamed at Stephanie as she came in. "You must be Stephanie. I'm Elva."

As she spoke, Elva quickly slid a bracelet from her own wrist and tried to place it on Stephanie's.

"I raised Jonathan since he was a boy; he's like a son to me. This was a birthday gift from Mr. Vasquez years ago. I'd like you to have it now, as a welcoming present…"

Before her relationship with York, Elva had been married, but her first husband had died young, leaving her with a son about Jonathan's age, who was now York's stepson.