The Cold Surgeon's Contract Bride novel Chapter 19

I sat next to Lucille, directly across from Vivian.

As soon as I sat down, I shot Lucille a desperate, questioning look.

Lucille casually poured the wine and declared, "You got hired at Capital General, right? Such wonderful news deserves to be shared with our extended family!"

She flashed Vivian a look of blatant, triumphant arrogance.

I should have known. With Lucille's personality, there was zero chance she would sit back and do nothing.

I just never expected her to drag my mother-in-law into this.

Vivian, who was no stranger to high-society power plays, maintained an unimpressed expression. "She's just a lowly anesthesiology intern. What's there to brag about?"

It seemed Vivian already knew the details.

"Oh, don't be like that, Vivian," Lucille fired back, entirely in her element. "Our Selena has a dual degree. The anesthesiology department saw her exceptional talent and made a special exception just to hire her."

Vivian rolled her eyes, looking visibly annoyed. "And? You dragged me all the way out here just to gloat about that? Need I remind you that my son is the poster boy of Capital General?"

The sheer arrogance momentarily choked Lucille, but she quickly recovered, pasting on a bright smile. "Vivian, you misunderstand me. We all know how brilliant your son is. That's exactly why Selena is more than happy to abandon her incredible opportunity at Capital General, so she can fully dedicate herself to giving the Sterling family an heir."

She shot me a sharp look, silently commanding me to swear my loyalty right then and there.

I clenched my hands in my lap, hesitating for a long moment before remaining completely silent.

Vivian, however, seemed incredibly satisfied with this narrative. She nodded approvingly. "Knowing your priorities is a good thing."

Lucille kept up her sycophantic smile, gently pressing on. "Vivian, you've seen Selena's devotion over the last three years. And now, she's throwing away a massive career for the sake of your family's future. Her sincerity is undeniable."

Vivian glanced at me, her rigid expression finally softening a fraction.

Vivian remained stubbornly silent. Lucille struck while the iron was hot. "Or does the Sterling family have other plans?"

"I'll discuss the wedding with Alastair when I get home," Vivian mumbled dismissively. "But the prerequisite is that she gets pregnant first."

"We just want to see the Sterling family's sincerity," Lucille said, gleefully digging into her designer handbag. She pulled out a thick, detailed registry list. "Since we're discussing it, let's go over the wedding arrangements right now."

Lucille had actually gone to a wedding planner and compiled a massive list based on the lavish traditions of Port Capital.

Vivian didn't explicitly refuse, but she reached for the list with agonizing slowness, making sure to project absolute superiority.

Right at that moment, a large, immaculate hand reached over and snatched the registry out of the air.

All three of us whipped our heads up to see a furious Ferris towering over the table.

He scanned the wedding demands, his brows pulling into a violent scowl. He waved the paper in the air and sneered. "You fought so hard to get into Capital General, just so you could sell yourself for a good price?"