A Night of Desire

Chapter 425: Chapter 418: All I Can Say Is I Care Too Much About Seth and Love Him Too Much

For some reason, the sight of Evan Shelby’s back made Cherie Rhodes’s heart flutter with panic. She frowned, racking her brain. She knew she was always careful and hadn’t done anything wrong, yet something about their attitude was clearly off.

Her thoughts suddenly turned to Sarah. ’Could she have done something?’ At the thought, her heart began to race.

Cherie hurried upstairs to call her daughter.

Only when Sarah Shelby assured her over the phone that she hadn’t done anything and told her not to worry did Cherie finally relax, convinced she must have been overthinking things.

Sarah Shelby hung up. Clara Grant looked at her and asked, "Was your mom worried?"

Sarah gave a wry, helpless smile. "Yeah. My mom is terrified I’ll offend them. That’s why I lied—to keep her from panicking."

After a pause, she added in a low voice, "The truth is, my mom walks on eggshells in the Shelby household. Every day is like treading on thin ice, terrified of offending Yvette Zimmerman and Autumn Shelby. I know she does it for me, but... I hate that she has to live that way."

Clara Grant understood her friend’s frustration and her mother’s plight. She put a comforting arm around Sarah’s shoulders. "That’s why you have to be extra careful not to provoke Autumn Shelby. You don’t want to make your mom’s life even more nerve-wracking."

...

Theodore Quinn was with Sienna Hale when the call from Autumn Shelby came. Clutching the phone, Sienna made an excuse and found a more private place to answer.

"Autumn? Is everything alright?"

"Everything’s fine, Auntie," came Autumn Shelby’s sweet voice. "I just wanted to come see you. My visit yesterday was so sudden, and I didn’t have a chance to bring a gift. I was hoping I could come by again today to properly pay my respects to you and Uncle."

Sienna Hale glanced over her shoulder before turning back. "That won’t be necessary, Autumn. It’s the thought that counts. You don’t need to bring any gifts."

’How could I possibly let her come to the house again!’

"Auntie, please let me do this for you and Uncle," Autumn pleaded. "Besides, we haven’t seen each other in over a year, and we didn’t get a chance to really talk yesterday. Auntie, I’ve really missed you so much." As she spoke, her voice grew heavy with emotion.

Sienna Hale hesitated. After a moment, she said, "Alright then. Why don’t we meet somewhere?"

Autumn Shelby’s voice immediately brightened. "That’s a great idea! I’ll text you the address."

"Alright."

Sienna Hale hung up, made an excuse to Theodore Quinn, and headed out.

...

Autumn Shelby had chosen a coffee shop. By the time Sienna Hale arrived, Autumn was already seated and waiting, having just ordered two coffees.

As Sienna Hale took her seat, a waiter arrived with their coffees. Autumn Shelby smiled. "Auntie, I remember this was always your favorite. Your taste hasn’t changed, has it?"

Sienna Hale smiled back. "It hasn’t. You’ve only been away for a little over a year. It’s not long enough for things to change."

Autumn Shelby nodded. "You’re right. Even after suffering through an illness for over a year, so many of my old habits haven’t changed at all."

Hearing this, Sienna Hale’s face filled with sympathy and guilt. She reached across the table and took Autumn’s hand. "Oh, Autumn, you’ve suffered so much. I am so sorry." freewēbnoveℓ.com

Autumn Shelby lowered her gaze. "Auntie, what are you saying? It’s not your fault... and it’s not Seth’s fault, either, of course. I suppose it just means I cared too much about him. That I loved him too much."

Then she looked up, a smile on her face. "But let’s not talk about that, Auntie. It’s all in the past."

Then, as if the thought had just occurred to her, she asked with an air of concern, "Oh, by the way, what happened with Seth and Clara Grant after yesterday?"