Chapter 91: Not His Sister at All
After saying goodbye to the manager, Jane Lancaster couldn’t help but complain to the system, "Sigh, people really are the biggest variable!"
The system was a bit confused. [What?]
"It’s nothing," Jane Lancaster said, nonchalantly ending the conversation.
’At least Caleb Lowell’s disappearance tonight wasn’t in the original plot.’
Footsteps approached from ahead. Jane Lancaster looked up, and her gaze met Beverly Lynch’s.
"Do you need something?" Jane Lancaster asked, breaking the silence after a moment’s thought.
Beverly Lynch asked, "...Are you still waiting for Caleb Lowell?"
When Pauline Shaw saw Beverly Lynch walking toward Jane Lancaster, she thought, ’This isn’t good,’ and rushed over.
"Beverly Lynch, what are you doing? You’ve already hurt Jay’s hand. Don’t take it too far!"
She had just seen the gossip in the group chat and was completely stunned. ’Has Beverly Lynch gotten this brazen? Has she resorted to physical violence now?’
Pauline Shaw had always despised violence. Although it was wrong for Jane Lancaster to steal someone’s man, it was even worse for Beverly Lynch to resort to physical violence.
For the past few days, Gordon Dawson had been urging her not to throw away her years of friendship with Jane Lancaster, and in the end, her heart had softened.
When she saw Jane Lancaster sitting there all alone just now, she couldn’t help but ask Gordon Dawson to turn back for her.
Beverly Lynch’s gaze fell on Jane Lancaster’s hand, and her expression stiffened.
"Mandy!" Shawn Sutton rushed to his girlfriend’s defense. "Aren’t you the ones who went too far? You’ve been targeting Mandy all night!"
Gordon Dawson pulled out his car keys, walked over, and sneered, "Get lost, pretty boy!"
The atmosphere instantly became charged.
Jane Lancaster wanted to facepalm. ’What is all this nonsense? Can’t everyone just let me go home and sleep?’
Beverly Lynch pursed her lips. "Be careful of Caleb Lowell. He’s not a good person."
’What’s that supposed to mean?’ Pauline Shaw almost wanted to laugh. ’This is just a classic case of sour grapes.’
Jane Lancaster looked at Beverly Lynch and offered some sincere advice of her own. "Thanks, but your boyfriend isn’t a good person either."
Shawn Sutton was dumbfounded. ’Who badmouths someone right to their face like that?’
"Just because Mandy said Caleb Lowell is no good, you can’t get mad and retaliate by saying I’m no good too!"
Beverly Lynch, however, didn’t seem angry. "It’s getting late, Shawn. Let’s go."
As Beverly Lynch walked away, Pauline Shaw turned to Jane Lancaster. "What’s the point in saying that to her? She won’t listen to you."
’Besides, how is that any different from trading insults?’
"Forget it. It’s late. Get in the car; I’ll have Ian take you home."
"That’s okay, my older brother sent a car for me." Jane Lancaster took a few steps toward the curb.
A car had been parked quietly by the roadside for some time.
"Young Master, should we follow them?" the driver ventured.
’The girl was attending her family elder’s banquet, yet not only did his young master show up unannounced, but he was also waiting by the roadside. How was that any different from being a stalker!’
Jasper Sterling said, "Follow them. We’ll turn back once she’s home safe."
The car made a U-turn and followed. His gaze swept over the building, a chill flashing in his charming eyes.
He hadn’t seen Caleb Lowell come out the entire time.
—
That night, lying in bed, Jane Lancaster opened Caleb Lowell’s character panel.
The corners of her lips curled up when she saw his favorability score had dropped by another two points.
’How is this any different from finding money on the street? What a wonderful day.’
But that was only Jane Lancaster’s opinion. Others certainly didn’t feel the same way.
The next evening, when Julian Lancaster returned home from work, he immediately asked her about the banquet.
"A lot of rumors are circulating. They’re saying you interfered and stole Caleb Lowell from Beverly Lynch, and that you two had a big fight at the banquet."
Jane Lancaster was exasperated. "Those are just rumors! Beverly Lynch and I did not get into a fight!"
"I’m not worried about you fighting. I’m worried you’d be the one getting bullied." Julian Lancaster took her hand, his brow furrowing as he examined it. "Why didn’t you mention this when you came home last night? You should have had the family doctor treat it."
Mama Knight had already brought some iodine, and Julian Lancaster rolled up his sleeves to disinfect the wound for Jane Lancaster himself.
"Oh, Miss, you should have told me," Mama Knight said, full of concern. "It would be a shame if such beautiful hands were left with a scar."
Jane Lancaster casually replied, "I forgot to mention it. It doesn’t hurt, though."
’This is nothing. When I was a child, someone cut my palm and drained almost half a bowl of blood, and that didn’t even leave a scar.’
’A small cut like this will probably be healed by tomorrow.’
Julian Lancaster’s grip might have been a little too tight; the largest cut split open, and beads of blood welled up.
Jane Lancaster fell silent.
"Sorry," Julian Lancaster said, quickly dabbing it with iodine before finding some gauze to wrap her hand.
As he was about to close the first-aid kit Mama Knight had brought over, his gaze froze.
Jane Lancaster followed his line of sight. "Luna gave me that bottle of medicine the other night. I have no use for it, so why don’t you take it, brother?"
"I don’t take unregulated medicine," Julian Lancaster said.
Jane Lancaster took the bottle and pressed it into his hand. "It might help with your stomach problems. Just take it."
After watching his sister head upstairs, Julian Lancaster remained seated for a while before looking down at the small bottle in his hand.
He got up and pushed open the door to the parlor. Lucy Finch was inside, working late.
He walked straight to her and poured out a few pills. "Get these analyzed for their components."
Lucy Finch paused for a moment. She had performed the same task not long ago, so she knew exactly what to do.
Julian Lancaster had traveled all the way to Solara for a medical consultation. Upon his return, the very first thing he did was have the traditional doctor’s prescription analyzed, refusing to take it until he confirmed it was safe.
And he had insisted on absolute secrecy, allowing no third party to know about it.
Lucy Finch quickly placed the pills in a small bag, immediately packed up her work, and left the Lancaster residence.
She was meticulous and cautious, never delaying in a way that could introduce new variables. That was why Julian Lancaster trusted her implicitly.
’It was just... she felt that while the Young Master had always been hard to read, he was now more inscrutable than ever.’
In the empty parlor, Julian Lancaster gazed out at the nightscape through the floor-to-ceiling windows, his eyes dark and deep.
’Her palm cut to let blood as a child? The story was too bizarre. It was something that wouldn’t happen to an ordinary person, let alone his sister, whom their father had doted on and cherished.’
’Either my sister suffered some kind of trauma that scrambled her memories, or...’ The spot between his brows twitched violently.
’...this person isn’t his sister at all.’
—
Jane Lancaster had underestimated the speed at which rumors spread.
She was having afternoon tea with Willow Summers when the news broke.
"Mama Knight, you have to try this. What do you think? I think it’s delicious." Jane Lancaster was still on her traditional medicine and couldn’t have too many sweets, so she enthusiastically offered some to Mama Knight.
Mama Knight felt it was improper to sit and eat with them, but she couldn’t refuse an offer from the young miss.
"It’s delicious, Miss!" Mama Knight confirmed after taking a bite.
Seeing that Willow Summers had gotten a small smudge on her sleeve, she quickly grabbed a wet wipe and carefully cleaned it off for her.
Her actions were completely natural—not forced, nor fawning. Once she was done, she simply returned to her seat.
Willow Summers was taken aback for a moment. "Thank you, ma’am."
"Don’t mention it, you’re the young miss’s friend," Mama Knight said cheerfully. "But you’re too thin. You need to eat more. Your hands feel a little cold, too."
It was a clear case of "love me, love my dog." As she spoke, she took Willow Summers’s hands in her own to warm them.