Chapter 28: She Has Bad Intentions

"Really? Got it." Adeline received Bennett's call without a hint of surprise.

Molly trying to mess with her and Lauren? Yeah, that was old news.

On the other end, Bennett could tell Adeline was already braced for it. "Mommy, how's Lauren doing?"

Sure, he could reach Lauren through the necklace, but that was risky. Better to keep it low-key.

Adeline's face softened at the mention of Lauren. She squatted down and waved to Lauren, who was chilling on a mat, glued to cartoons. "Bennett wants to know how you're doing."

Lauren's eyes lit up. She dashed over and chirped, "Bennett, I miss you so much!"

"I heard you had a fever. You okay now?" Bennett asked, sounding worried.

Lauren beamed, "Mommy's been taking care of me, and I'm all better!"

They chatted for ages, with Adeline sitting nearby, smiling.

"Hey, Lauren," Bennett's tone turned serious, "watch out for that bad woman. She wants to hurt you and Mommy, so steer clear of her."

Lauren nodded quickly, then remembered Bennett couldn't see her and said firmly, "I'll protect Mommy and stay away from Molly!"

Bennett felt relieved. They talked a bit more before hanging up.

Lauren clung to Adeline's pinky and muttered, "I don't want anything to do with that bad woman. I hate her."

Adeline sighed. She wished Molly would just disappear from their lives, but that wasn't happening. They had to dodge her for now and take it one step at a time.

But something gnawed at Adeline, like a storm brewing. She hugged Lauren tight, kissing her soft cheek.

Lauren mimicked her, planting a kiss back. The warmth eased Adeline's nerves. She held Lauren close, vowing to protect her no matter what.

Meanwhile, Molly, after making sure her face was back to normal, headed straight to the Foster Group.

Everyone there knew she was the CEO's fiancée, so no one dared to stop her as she made her way to the top floor.

In his office, Jasper was going over the quarterly report when Molly barged in. "Jasper, I need to explain something."

Jasper's face was like ice, his voice colder than a polar vortex. "Go on."

He realized he'd been too soft on Molly, letting her storm in unannounced. It was fine now, but what if he had been in a meeting?

In a big company like the Foster Group, every meeting was crucial. And if even the CEO's office could be casually interrupted by Molly, what about the other departments?

Molly bit her lip, feeling the coldness in Jasper's stare. She hesitated, then stepped closer. "It's about what happened with Lauren. I heard the maid who used to take care of her is back at Blue Bay. Didn't you fire her?"

Jasper leaned back, his face unreadable. "Yeah, I brought her back."

"But she hurt Lauren!" Molly snapped. "And she's got her own agenda. Keeping her around is just asking for trouble."

"Lauren likes her. As long as she doesn't hurt Lauren, I don't care," Jasper said coolly. "Lauren just came back to me, and I need to make up for lost time. If she wants a maid who takes good care of her, she gets it. And about hurting Lauren... Have you forgotten there are cameras all over the villa?"

Molly's face went pale, but she pressed on, "I didn't mean to. It was a misunderstanding. If I'd known she was your and my sister's daughter, I wouldn't have hurt her. I'm Lauren's only aunt. Blood is thicker than water. Instead of some maid with hidden motives, why not let me take care of her?"

Jasper sneered. "Would Lauren even survive with you? You visited once, and Lauren ended up beaten and with a fever. If anyone has hidden motives, it's you."

Molly opened her mouth but couldn't find the words. Finally, she lowered her head, tears welling up. "If my sister were here, she'd want me to take care of Lauren. She loved me the most."

Jasper glanced at her. "She did love you. If Adeline saw the slap mark on Lauren's face, she'd make sure you never got near Lauren again."

Molly was stunned. "Jasper, I'm your fiancée. Are you really going to humiliate me like this?"

"I agreed to protect you because of Adeline's last wish. Now that Lauren is back, it means Adeline isn't dead. Since my wife is alive, I shouldn't have a fiancée. You hurt Lauren and then barged into my office demanding answers." Jasper crossed his arms. "So, it's time to change your status. I'll announce the cancellation of our engagement at Grandma's birthday party in two weeks."

"Jasper!" Molly looked at him in shock. "Are you really going to do this?"

"That's enough. Get out," Jasper said coldly.

Molly trembled with anger but knew she couldn't change Jasper's mind. She bit her lip and turned to leave, tears streaming down her face.

Just as she reached the door, she heard Jasper's voice. "Wait."

Molly's heart skipped a beat. Was Jasper going to take back his harsh words?

But before she could ask, Jasper continued, "In the future, if you come to the Foster Group to see me, make an appointment. The direct elevator isn't for everyone."