Chapter 3 Engagement From Out Of The Blue

"Dad, I'm sorry. I went out to play cards with my friends last night and totally forgot about the time. I didn't know when my phone ran out of battery. I'm really sorry that I made you worry about me."

Stunned, Benny's hand, which was holding the stick, froze mid-air. In the past, Lindsey would never yield to him, no matter what happened. She'd always argue with him over anything and everything under the sun, so his relationship with her had always been strained.

So, what was going on now?

Lindsey knew what she was doing. Kendra was good at manipulating Benny into trusting her, and moreover, Lindsey didn't have any evidence about Kendra's plot. Even if she told her dad everything that happened last night, he would take Kendra's word over hers.

Thus, she decided to pretend to be obedient and do nothing for the time being while waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.

"Dad, Kendra isn't my biological mom, so it's only natural that she doesn't know me that well. But you—you're my father. You should know me better, and I would never do anything that would damage our family's reputation!"

Tears welled up in Lindsey's eyes as she spoke, which made her look oh-so pitiful.

Although Benny and Lindsey's mother had been divorced for years, he had always been a dutiful father. So, when he heard Lindsey's sincere apology, his heart softened.

He put the stick away and said in a gentler tone, "Well, it's good that you've realized your mistake. Just don't do it again, okay? Now, get up."

Seeing Benny forgive Lindsey so easily made Kendra feel a tinge of displeasure. But now, she had to stick to the plan and pretend everything was fine, so she swallowed the resentment in her heart and forced a fake smile.

"See? I knew it was all just a misunderstanding. Lindsey is such a good girl; she wouldn't go about sleeping around like those slutty women. Right, Lindsey?"

Lindsey knew that she was implying something, but she managed to maintain her smile, though her eyes remained cold.

"By the way, Lindsey, your father wanted to tell you something." Kendra nudged Benny with her elbow and winked at him meaningfully.

Benny took a deep breath and sat back on the sofa.

Then he cleared his throat and said earnestly, "Lindsey, I've thought it through, and Kendra's right. I shouldn't force you to marry someone you don't like, nor should I keep you from marrying the man you do. Although Chayce comes from an ordinary family, you like each other. That's what matters."

Lindsey was stunned by her father's sudden change in attitude.

Her dad had always thought that Chayce was a man who would rely on powerful women to rise to the top, so he strongly opposed their union. Moreover, before she and Chayce even met, her dad had already selected a suitable husband material for her—the youngest son of the Ford family, Adrian Ford.

But Adrian was a playboy and was involved in a lot of gossip. Lindsey didn't want to marry someone like him and this had been a point of contention between her and her father.

"And just this morning, I heard that Adrian got into a fight with someone at a club—all for a prostitute. The scandal made headlines! I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I forced you to marry such a man." After letting out a sigh, Benny continued sincerely, "As long as Chayce treats you well, I'll no longer object to your relationship. When you have time, ask him to come over and we'll talk about the details of the engagement."

"What?! Engagement?" Lindsey was so shocked that she couldn't help but exclaim.

Benny nodded solemnly. "It's your birthday at the end of the month. Why don't you get engaged that day? We'll celebrate two things, and I'm sure the family will be so happy for you. You're not getting any younger. Hurry up and settle your marriage so that I won't have to worry about you all the time."

Then, it dawned on Lindsey. It seemed that Kendra had been planting seeds into Benny's mind whenever she was not at home.

Kendra seemed to be in such a hurry to make her marry Chayce, which couldn't be a good thing.

Lindsey mulled over the situation for a bit. She had been wondering how she'd find evidence against Kendra and Chayce, so why not play along until they made a mistake?

With a subtly smile tugging at the corners of her lips, Lindsey walked up to Benny, squatted in front of him, and held his hand.

"Thank you so much, Dad. I'm sorry that I always fought with you before. Don't worry. I will listen to you from now on."

Kendra breathed a sigh of relief when she heard Lindsey agree to get engaged. So far, it seemed that Lindsey had no idea that what happened yesterday was plotted by her and Chayce.

But... Where did Lindsey go last night? She managed to come home in one piece, which shouldn't have been possible after being drugged with such a high dosage. Kendra frowned, dubious as to whether she had spent the night with a man or not.

Suddenly, while Kendra was eyeing Lindsey, her gaze landed on a clear red mark on the side of Lindsey's neck. As an experienced woman, she knew clearly what it was.

Humph! Sure enough, her guess had been right.

Now, Kendra was certain that Lindsey ended up in someone's bed last night. She smiled as a plan formed in her mind.

As soon as Lindsey returned to her room, she rushed into the bathroom and tried washing off the marks on her body.

She felt unreconciled, having lost her virginity like this.

Damn it! This was all Kendra and Chayce's fault!

After taking a long shower, Lindsey settled down and started thinking about how to deal with the engagement party that'd be held at the end of the month.

She called a private detective that her friend had referred to her, asking him to secretly track Kendra's and Chayce's movements, collect evidence of their infidelity, and find out what they planned to do at the engagement party.

After arranging everything, she turned on her computer and posted a status message on her social media.

At the same time, in the Walsh Group's headquarters, Emilio rushed into Domenic's office excitedly.

"Domenic, I found her!"