Ready to Rule The Real Heiress Strikes Back (Lydia and Connor) novel Chapter 1158

Connor was quiet for a long time, clearly wrestling with something, but in the end he just couldn't spit it out. He wanted to ask Lydia how she knew Carter, when they’d met, but he was worried she’d get upset if he brought it up. She might think he didn’t trust her. Still, if he didn’t ask, the question just kept gnawing at him. It was driving him crazy.

Of course, Lydia could easily tell what he was thinking. She let out a soft laugh. “Brody had a birthday party, remember? Mrs. Shaw asked me to paint something for her. Carter came by to pick up the painting, I didn’t take any money, so he offered to treat me to a meal to say thanks. That’s all there is to it, believe it or not.”

Hearing that, Connor couldn’t help but grin, relief flooding through him. “Of course I believe you. I trust you completely. Well, I don’t even know what Rosie was thinking. There’s no way Carter could ever compare to me. Why would you even be interested in him?”

He barely finished talking before Lydia shot back, “Well, he is younger than you. He looks a bit fresher, too.”

Connor stared at her, lost for words. Sure, he used to be young and fresh, too. Now he was just… matured.

“Lydia, I miss you,” he said.

She just raised an eyebrow. “Then keep missing me.”

Connor laughed under his breath, about to say something else, but someone knocked on Lydia’s door. They had to end the video call, and Connor was left staring at his phone, wishing whoever interrupted would have picked a better time.

“Lydia, the Gibson family is here,” Tina called from outside.

Lydia’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. She’d expected the Gibsons to come around eventually to ask for forgiveness, but she didn’t think they’d show up so soon. Guess their nerves weren’t as strong as she’d thought.

Benjamin quickly stood as well, bowing his head with a respectful attitude. “This entire situation is the Gibson family’s fault. Rosie has realized how wrong she was. We hope you can forgive us and let’s settle this privately.”

The meaning was obvious. They wanted to avoid any legal consequences and were hoping the Norwoods would agree to settle things quietly.

Cameron’s face was icy, completely unmoved. “An apology? You think a few words can erase all the slander Rosie spread about Lydia online?”

Kylie’s voice was just as cold. “The Gibson family is supposed to be respected in our community. How could you let your daughter get away with something like this? The internet isn’t some lawless place. Have you thought about how much damage this kind of talk does to a young girl’s reputation? People need to know the difference between right and wrong, and respect some basic boundaries.”

Mandy’s face kept shifting from red to pale. She squeezed her hands together, struggling to keep her composure. “We know we’re at fault. We’re devastated by the trouble Rosie’s caused. Please don’t worry, Rosie has already recorded an apology video, and we’ll be posting it online soon to show how sorry we are.”