The Years Between Signing and Seeing novel Chapter 199

Behind Margaret stood David Sterling. And… her supposed twin brother and sister, Ruby and Stewart Sterling.

“Suzie, what are you waiting for? Tell the butler to open the gate for us!” Margaret shouted, her voice grating.

Suzie gave them a single, detached look before turning back toward the house. Behind her, Margaret’s pounding on the gate grew even more frantic.

Lucy kept glancing back, unable to hide her curiosity. “Mrs. Baylor, who are those people?”

Suzie didn’t answer. She had only taken a few steps when the racket from the gate abruptly stopped, replaced by Margaret’s overjoyed voice.

Sensing something was amiss, Suzie paused and looked back again. The family of four was now clustered around Jamie, who had just stepped out of his car. But Jamie’s gaze went past them, locking directly onto Suzie.

Suzie’s brow twitched. Besides her, Stella, and Oliver, no one else knew she wasn’t a biological member of the Sterling family. Had Jamie invited them here?

She quickly dismissed the thought. It seemed unlikely. Even in Jamie’s eyes, they were her family, but he had never so much as hosted them for a meal as their son-in-law. He had long grown tired of them, viewing them as pests he couldn’t shake off.

Suzie watched the group at the gate, but they were too far away for her to hear what they were saying. After a moment, she saw Jamie nod at a guard, and the iron gate slowly swung open.

Margaret and the others scrambled into the courtyard, with Ruby and Stewart racing ahead toward her.

Confused, Suzie looked them over. From head to toe, they were still dressed in designer brands. They hardly looked as miserable as Margaret had repeatedly claimed in her tearful visits.

Remembering what Stewart had said about just returning, she glanced toward the far end of the courtyard, where Margaret and David were flanking Jamie as they walked toward her.

Suzie quickly lowered her voice. “But didn't you drop out of school and come back a long time ago?”

Ruby, who had been admiring the luxurious villa, chimed in. “Hah, I wish we could have dropped out, sis. But Mom wouldn’t let us come back. I was so tired of school; it wasn’t fun at all. This time, our brother-in-law sent for us.”

Her words only deepened Suzie’s confusion. Could it be that Margaret had been lying all along just to squeeze money out of her?