From Ashes of Scandal to His Embrace (Laurinda) novel Chapter 499

“No, Kenny and Baily tricked me into going to Stonehaven. They were the ones who locked me up. What on earth does any of that have to do with Lucas?”

Laurinda felt even more lost at this point. She had no idea what York thought he knew, but whatever it was, he was way off.

“Who told you I made a scene at Stonehaven for Lucas?”

York looked stunned after Laurinda explained. He stared at her, almost like he didn’t recognize the words coming out of her mouth. For years, he’d believed he already knew the truth about what happened. He’d never imagined there was more to the story.

“Kenny told Jack,” York finally said. His hands were clenched so tight his knuckles went white. He spoke through gritted teeth. “He was the one who called Jack to tell us to come save you…”

Laurinda let out a chilly laugh and patted York on the shoulder.

“Now it finally makes sense. You and Jack always thought he was a good guy. Turns out, he fooled both of you.”

“Let it go,” Laurinda said, brushing it off. “Sooner or later we’ll get a chance to settle things with him. Come on, let’s get some food.”

Laurinda was determined not to let Kenny mess with her mood today. She took long strides toward the front of the house.

By the time she got to the dining room, Renata was flitting around Lucas, clearly fussing over him, while Egan just stood nearby, looking a little conflicted.

When Egan heard someone come in, he turned around and saw Laurinda walking in alone. “Where’s Adolphus?” he asked, sounding genuinely curious.

“He’s probably still in the shower. He’ll be here soon,” Laurinda answered, keeping it short. Thinking about Adolphus right now was a little embarrassing, so she didn’t say anything more. Instead, she just went to the table and sat down in her usual spot.

Egan studied Laurinda for a moment, checking her expression. She didn’t look upset or like she’d just argued with anyone. He relaxed and went to sit down on Renata’s other side.

Nobody said anything about it, not even Adolphus, who just frowned a little at York.

It was obvious York didn’t buy Lucas’s answer, but Lucas didn’t bother arguing or trying to explain. Years ago, he’d said things that had crushed all of them. No way could he expect their trust now.

Honestly, Lucas had never planned to see any of them again. The only reason he even came to Cabinda was so he could feel a bit closer to them, even if it was from a distance. If he hadn’t lost control after seeing Laurinda, he wouldn’t have disturbed her life at all.

Renata, meanwhile, was unimpressed. “If you’ve got something to say, just say it. You don’t have to act so mysterious. You’re not fooling anyone with the whole brooding adult thing.” Renata had always believed she understood Lucas, and she’d never bought the idea that he was ungrateful. Even when he left, she’d believed there was more to the story, that someone from the Ham family must have forced his hand.

Laurinda waited for a while, hoping Lucas would say something, but he kept quiet. She finally turned to the butler. “Josh, can you arrange for a car to take Lucas back to campus in a bit?”

The butler glanced at Lucas, a hint of reluctance in his eyes, but all he said was, “Of course. I’ll drive him over myself.”