The Billionaire's True Heiress: From Fake Jewel to Real Crown novel Chapter 443

Cindy’s heart fluttered, but on the surface she acted unsure, almost reluctant. Her words did make sense, though, and Octavia hesitated after hearing her. She was worried Claire might use whatever leverage she had to threaten her. Cindy could see her mom didn’t really want to go to bat for her, and it left her feeling just a little hollow. Didn’t Mom always say she loved her most? Why wouldn’t she do something so simple for her?

Cindy hid her disappointment and forced a smile. “I know this is kind of tricky for you, Mom. Claire might even make things hard on you. Just forget it, okay? I really don’t want you to go through all that because of me.”

But Octavia shook her head, suddenly determined. “No, that’s not happening,” she said, not about to let it go. Cindy’s playing-it-cool move worked. Octavia had been conflicted, but seeing her daughter act so mature and understanding made her feel this wave of motherly love.

“Whether she agrees or not, we should at least try,” Octavia said. “Hang on, I’ll call Lance.”

She pulled out her phone right then and dialed Lance, telling him to come over. “I just saw Claire get home. I heard she won first place in the selection trials and scored herself a guaranteed spot. We should celebrate. Come over. We’ll all have dinner together.”

Lance sounded skeptical. “Are you serious?” He didn’t trust his mom’s intentions, not one bit. After all, ever since Cindy started complaining about Claire’s good grades, their mom hadn’t exactly been nice to Claire.

Octavia forced a smile. “We’re family, right? No point holding grudges forever. I’m honestly happy for her.”

She could barely keep up the pretense, and she knew her own son didn’t buy it. The idea of being happy for Claire honestly felt like a joke.

“You’re right,” Lance finally said. “I’ll come over.”

Once she hung up, Octavia headed straight to Claire’s place. Claire was taking a shower. Shirley sat on the carpet, watching TV and munching on snacks. When she heard a knock, she rolled her eyes and reluctantly got up. “Coming! Who is it?” She peeked through the peephole, then jumped. Seriously? Octavia and Cindy? Was it too late to play dead and pretend no one was home?

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