Selena froze, her eyes devoid of panic. She smiled slightly, “I might have been too harsh. If I’ve alarmed you, please forgive me.” Lauren’s eyes remained cold. It’s impossible for a girl meeting her mother-in-law for the first time not to be conscious of her image. Lauren had seen Selena’s fierce side and heard her words, but Selena remained composed, showing no remorse or nervousness.
Two possibilities existed. Either Selena was confident that Osvaldo would support her, even rebel against his mother for her, or she aimed to redeem her image and please Lauren. The former seemed unlikely since they had just met. The only plausible option was the latter.
Selena didn’t harbor romantic feelings for Osvaldo. She was transparent with him, uninterested in spending her life with him or caring about his family’s opinion. Seeing Lauren’s cold demeanor, Selena assumed Lauren was upset about the scandal’s impact on Osvaldo. She expressed regret, “Madam, I’m sorry for what happened. You don’t have to feel embarrassed. He and I aren’t what you think. I’m neither domineering nor vicious. Even if you don’t believe in me, trust your son; his judgment isn’t that bad.”
Lauren stared at her, asking softly, “Is my son that undesirable? You truly have no feelings for him? You’ve never considered being with him?”
Selena smiled faintly, “Osvaldo is a good man. If I were just Selena of Creephia, maybe I’d consider it.” Suddenly, an uncontrollable thought crossed her mind, creating panic and unease. Suppressing her emotions, she continued, “Madam, I married him because I needed a husband, and he needed a wife. It had nothing to do with feelings. I never thought of entering the Anderson family or dominating him. I’ll resolve the scandal quickly. If it tarnishes the Anderson family’s reputation and jeopardizes Osvaldo’s position, I can terminate the marriage.”
Lauren’s fan fell on the table. She looked at Selena, ready to leave her son at any moment, and said, “I know your mother.”
Selena was stunned, realizing Lauren referred to the real Selena’s mother, Nevaeh. Lauren spoke of two famous beauties twenty years ago-Nevaeh in the south and herself in the north. Selena smiled, “If my mother heard you speak of her this way, she’d be happy. You’re beautiful too, Lady Lauren.”
“You’re a lot like her,” Lauren remarked. Selena wondered if she truly resembled Nevaeh. Lauren pushed an antique box toward Selena, a relic from Nevaeh. Selena felt a surge of emotion as she opened it to find a perfume recipe-a special item given to Lauren by Nevaeh.
“Many thanks, Madam,” Selena said, standing up and bidding farewell. As she left, Lauren mentioned, “Your mother was forced to leave the capital back then.”
Selena hesitated for a moment before stepping into the lift.
Downstairs, Leia worried about Selena’s mood and the potential fallout with Lauren. The lift door opened, revealing Selena in a bad mood. Luke frowned, Vivian sneered, and Leia asked, “Madam, are you all right?”
Selena shook her head, “It’s alright, let’s go back.” Leia shot a glare at Vivian, and they left together.
Luke pondered. Selena wasn’t easily influenced by others’ emotions. Did Lauren truly give her a hard time?
After a while, the lift descended again, and Lauren stepped out.