The Day I Kissed An Older Man

Lucas frowned, and his eyes darkened with annoyance. “So you resorted to hysterics once you ran out of counter-arguments?
Do you think this will make you look innocent?”
‘Hysterics? Did he really use that word on me? No! I’m Anya Rivera, the second daughter of Maxwell Rivera. I’m not the one for
hysterics! Plus, I was forced by Corinne to do this ’cause only by doing this can I get Grandpa, Grandma, and Lucas to stand on
my side.’
It might have worked on Cedric and Beatrice, but what Anya did not expect was that Lucas had changed. He no longer loved or
accepted her unconditionally anymore.
Tears poured out from Anya’s eyes. “Lucas, I don’t mean to behave this way, either... But Corinne left me with no choice. You
were there when she insisted on calling me the mastermind behind her online scandal. I... I just feel so wronged...”
Lucas’ expression hardened. “It’s not like she’s throwing baseless accusations at you.”
Anya looked hurt. “Lucas, how can you not believe me? How can you believe her instead?”
“The traffic surveillance footage proved you went out this morning when you say you didn’t. Based on this alone, it makes it very
hard for me to believe everything you told us just now,” replied Lucas.
Anya blinked a few times out of guilt. She then implored Lucas, her eyes akin to a sad puppy, “What’s so wrong with me wanting
to go out for a drive? And I’ve told you, I’ve never met Corinne’s stepmother in my life. That photo she showed us must’ve been
Photoshopped! I swear that wasn’t me in the photo.”
Lucas narrowed his eyes in annoyance. He was frustrated at how unrepentant Anya was. He was that close to giving her a
beating or kicking her out of the house, but alas, he knew he should not do that.
At that moment, Vicky checked the time on her watch. “Mister Lucas, my stepmother and her daughter should be here by now.
Can you please ask someone to bring them in?”
Lucas was stunned for a couple of seconds, but he nodded after guessing what Corinne was about to do. He then gestured with
his eyes for a servant to bring Lilliana and Sherlyn into the living room.
Anya’s turned even paler than before when she heard Lilliana and Sherlyn were coming. ‘Corinne got them to come? But Lilliana
already took my money! Is she trying to betray me?!’

She looked pleadingly at Phoebe, but her mother was at a loss for what to do as well.
Corinne suddenly got up before Lilliana and Sherlyn came in. “It’s no secret I don’t have a good relationship with my stepmother,
so I took the liberty to use Miss Anya’s name to invite them here. We should all leave the room and leave her here alone. This
way, we’ll be able to find out whether my stepmother knows Miss Anya or not. What do you all think?”
Lucas got up too and said to the servants standing by, “Help Grandpa and Grandma back to their room.”
Cedric and Beatrice exchanged glances. They found it very odd that their usually cold and aloof grandson would so easily go
along with everything Corinne said. It was out of his character!
However, they both thought Corinne’s request sounded reasonable. If doing so could rule out the suspicion Anya knew Lilliana,
then it was not too much trouble for them to do what Corinne said.
Thus, they both got up with the help of the servants and went back to their room, which was only just a little distance away from
the living room.
Corinne glanced at the pale-faced Anya before saying to Phoebe, “You should go too, Miss Phoebe. Both Grandpa Cedric and
Grandma Beatrice had gone back to their room, so it’d be rude of you to stay here too.”
Phoebe wanted to stay to help Anya, but she had no choice but to leave the living room after Corinne said that.