"She was making moves on my fiance before, and I caught her. She almost fooled my fiance because she looks like me. Plus, she's been kinda flirtatious with Jason too. It seems like she's juggling several men at once. Her private life is a hot mess. I'm telling you this because you're a friend of my fiance, and I just want to give you a heads up, don't get played by her."
Nicholas had encountered some skilled pretenders before, but the extent of Penelope's disguise amused him. He hadn't liked her from the moment he laid eyes on her, perceiving her as a disingenuous woman.
Even though he'd only met Penelope a few times, he just can't stand her. He even found her resemblance to Allison irksome. The same features that made Allison appear gentle and sincere seemed overly cheap and garish on Penelope.
"Ms. Flanagan, I know what Allison is like. Plus, if so many great guys are into her, it only means she's remarkable. Your fiance... maybe he was attracted to her because he found her remarkable too. You should ask Luca what you're lacking compared to Allison instead of trying to rile me up."
Penelope was taken aback, clearly not expecting Nicholas to clap back like this. He had absolutely no respect for her, nor for Lucian.
"You!" she gawked.
Nicholas just shot her a look, full of disdain. Looking at her belly, he wondered how a woman like this could marry into the Lindberg family. Did she have some dirt on Lucian? Otherwise, why would Lucian be into her?
...
Inside the private room. Allison was sipping soup, trying out the restaurant's signature pastries. Her lips were full of the rich flavor.
Her phone suddenly buzzed. "Lucian" popped up on the screen. She raised an eyebrow and checked the message. The man sent a text: "Come here."
Allison didn't go. She just glanced at the message and put down her phone, continuing to eat.
Half a minute passed. The man seemed to realize she was ignoring him and sent another one: "Who allowed you to go out alone with Nicholas?"
This time Allison texted back: "Why can’t I?"
She sat down across from Lucian, her voice and expression becoming gentle, "Lucian, when I went to the bathroom just now, the baby kicked me. I'm really looking forward to the arrival of this child."
In two more months, if all went well, she could become the lady of the Lindberg family. However, the baby in her belly was a huge surprise.
"In two months, you're going to give birth. You need to take good care of yourself during these two months. I'll arrange for your regular prenatal check-ups," Lucian said.
Carter valued this child a lot. Lucian looked at Penelope, feeling complicated. He found his feelings for Penelope were no longer the same, as if he had lost all interest. This Penelope, she was really odd.
Sometimes, Penelope would attract him, and their brief interactions would make him feel happy.
But more often than not, he didn't like her. He could see right through the scheming in her eyes.
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