Ready to Rule The Real Heiress Strikes Back (Lydia and Connor) novel Chapter 1280

Peyton nodded, her heart sinking. “Okay.”

The group sat together, figuring out how they could get into the Reynolds’ house to check on Alyssa and give her the injection. Peyton looked uneasy as she spoke up. “The problem is, my sister barely comes home these days. She’s always working or traveling for business. Some months, she only comes back once or twice. I…” Her words faded, and she fell quiet.

The realization hit her hard. Alyssa had started to drift away without anyone really noticing. Maybe she was staying away on purpose, just so the family wouldn’t pick up on anything strange. And when she was at the office or out of town, she could keep a close grip on the Reynolds family’s finances.

Juna frowned, thinking it through. “Do you guys have any family events coming up? Something she can’t skip?”

Suddenly, Peyton remembered. “Oh. My parents’ thirtieth wedding anniversary is coming up soon. They mentioned planning to get everyone together for a family dinner. I just don’t know if my sister will actually come home for it.”

Her parents, Adrian and Ivonne, had been together for thirty years and were still going strong. That kind of love was rare. It made sense her dad wanted everyone together to celebrate.

Juna’s eyes lit up. “You should go for it. Make it a big deal.”

Peyton looked confused. “A big deal?”

Juna nodded. “Yeah, if it’s just a family dinner, Alyssa can easily say she’s too busy with work. But if you throw a real party and invite other people, she’ll have to show up. She’s the Reynolds heir. For her reputation, she won’t be able to skip it. That gives us our chance.”

Peyton thought about it. The plan made sense, but she hesitated. “But my parents… They’re not the type to throw big parties. They don’t even celebrate their own birthdays.”

“It’s their thirtieth anniversary. That’s huge. You just need to talk to them. It’s not something that comes around again. I think you can convince them.”

Connor decided to play chef and started grilling food for everyone. Juna could barely contain her excitement. She never thought she’d ever get to eat something actually cooked by the legendary Connor. She felt like the luckiest person alive. This was definitely going to be her go-to story for a while.

Lydia leaned back in her chair, facing the ocean, listening to the waves crash in the distance. For once, everything felt peaceful. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d been this relaxed. With her eyesight gone, a lot of her work had been passed on to others or put on hold. For now, she was just… free.

“Try this chicken wing.”

Connor’s voice was right beside her, and a moment later, he held out a piece of grilled chicken, crispy on the outside and juicy inside, right to her lips. She took a bite, savoring the taste. “It’s really good.”

Honestly, Lydia had never been picky about food, even when she was little.