Zoeâs eyes burned with anger, and she trembled as she shared, âLandon hasnât been around for a long time because heâs living with Lauren Beckett! Heâs even bought a place for her!â
Penelope felt like a bolt of lightning had struck her, and her face paled.
âI hate Sophia and Betty, and I wouldnât want Lauren as my future sister-in-law. But London is Infatuated. with her! He raised his voiceát me for that woman, and he even- Zoe deliberately paused for suspense.
âWhat else did he do to you?â
âHe hit me!â Zoe said, tears rolling down like a waterfall.
âWhere did he hit you?â
âMy face! He slapped me in front of his staff and that Beckett bitch! Mom, my face hurts!â Zoe moaned.
and reached for a hug as she cried her heart out.
Penelopeâs heart ached for her beloved daughter. Her eldest son, who had always been obedient, had had the audacity to fight with his sister over Sophiaâs daughter She couldnât help but wonder if Landon might one day sever ties with her, his own mother, as well, âMom, you need to put a stop to Landon and Laurenâs relationship. If he marries her for real, itâll bring disgrace to our family! Landon will be a laughingstock in Harper Group,â Zoe choked out with urgency.
âW-What do you mean?â Penelope sounded perplexed.
âLauren Beckett is mentally challenged! Sheâs an autistic patient!â
Upon hearing this, Penelope felt her world spin. She believed Landon was good enough for even Alyssal and couldnât fathom him marrying an autistic woman.
She would never agree to it!
âMom, Lauren might be a Beckett, but Iâm concerned that her offspring might be autistic as well! Who knows if itâs hereditary?â Zoe cautioned.
Zoeâs words struck a nerve with Penelope. She declared, âZoe, thank you for sharing this with me. I know.
what needs to be done now.â
Penelopeâs warm gaze had turned icy as she vowed, âDonât worry. I will take care of both of you. I wonât allow Landon to jeopardize his future with someone like Lauren Beckett.â
Snuggled against Penelope, Zoe broke out into an evil grin upon hearing those words.
Time flew by, and it was soon the day of Lyla and Sophiaâs birthday event.
Due to Javierâs disapproval, Sophia hadnât publicized her birthday party extensively. However, she had distributed invitations to the esteemed members of Solana Cityâs high society and quietly spread the word through other means.
Although her reputation in the city had taken a hit, she remained confident that her celebration would be merrier than Lylaâs, given her title and status as Mrs. Beckett.
Conversely, the Taylors had also refrained from publicizing Lylaâs birthday party. They had been planning.
for it quietly.
Lyla wasnât a celebrity anymore-she didnât need the publicity for the clicks and attention.
The night before the birthday party, Lyla found herself blindfolded and guided into a room by Mandy, Colene, and Alyssa.
With a curi a curious smile, she pondered, âWhatâs the surprise?â
Alyssa began the countdown. âThree, two, one!â Then, she removed Lylaâs blindfold.