One Night Stand With My Ex's Uncle

Jack’s POV

I was nursing a drink in the study when my mother and Lucy burst through the front door of the Simpson mansion. Their faces were flushed, their gestures animated as they exchanged heated whispers. I knew instantly that the afternoon tea at Harper Watson’s hadn’t gone well.

Mother spotted me and made a beeline in my direction, her eyes flashing with indignation. "Can you believe the nerve of that woman?"

I didn’t need to ask which woman she meant. There was only one who could ruffle my mother’s feathers to this degree.

"Anna?" I asked, setting down my glass.

Mother collapsed into an armchair, her voice rising with each word. "She’s deliberately positioning herself as the gatekeeper to Skylake District.

Everyone was falling over themselves trying to secure her favor." She shot a withering glance at Lucy. "And you just stood there, letting her make a fool of you."

Lucy’s composure faltered. "I tried to put her in her place, but she turned my words against me."

"You weren’t assertive enough!"

Mother snapped. "She made you look like a social-climbing fool in front of everyone who matters in this city."

I watched the exchange with a growing sense of unease. My mother had never approved of Anna, even during our marriage. But her vehemence now seemed excessive, even for her.

"Mary, that’s enough," my father’s voice cut through the tension as he entered the room. "What’s all this commotion about?"