Chapter 495: Chapter 495
—— At the Bernardo residence.
"Queen," Madam Bernardo smiled at her younger daughter.
"Go help your sister pick something out.
She’s always been indecisive since she was little."
"Come on, Queen," Juliet sat beside Harrison, gazing at Queen with a deceptively sweet smile.
"Come with me, won’t you?
I could really use your help."
She needed Queen to witness firsthand just how adored she was—otherwise, what was the point?
Queen observed that face, forever feigning innocence while barely concealing its greed, and let out an imperceptible smirk.
This wasn’t indecision.
It was sheer insatiability.
Harrison cast a casual glance at Queen, his tone dripping with indifference.
Truth be told, he had half a mind to drag her along.
Back when they were engaged, she had always treated him with lukewarm detachment, which, in turn, had sapped his enthusiasm.
Now, he couldn’t help but want her to witness just how devoted he was to Juliet—maybe then she’d regret her past indifference and reflect on her mistakes.
Juliet observed her younger sister, her clear, gentle eyes flickering with a trace of barely concealed mockery.
She’ll scrape the bottom of the barrel for excuses just to avoid me.*
Mr. and Mrs. Bernardo exchanged skeptical glances, their disbelief written all over their faces.
"Since when do you have plans, child?" Mrs. Bernardo chuckled, shaking her head at Queen.
"You barely even bother making friends."
"Face it, you’re just being lazy," she added with an exasperated sigh.
"Exactly," Mr. Bernardo chimed in, crossing his arms.
"If you don’t go with your sister, you’ll just end up bored out of your mind by yourself."
"Mom, Dad, don’t make it sound like Queen doesn’t have any friends at all," Bernardo Juliet spoke in her signature honeyed tone, feigning mild indignation.
"Maybe Queen really does have plans," As she said this, she turned her gaze toward Queen, her eyes glinting with faux innocence.
"Queen, go on, tell Mom and Dad—who did you make plans with?"
The question was, of course, designed to put Queen on the spot.
Queen’s long, thick lashes fluttered slightly, and she pressed her full lips together.
Her straightforward personality had always made it hard for her to blend into the pretentious social circles around her—not that she wanted to.
It wasn’t wrong to say she had no friends.
Her earlier claim about having plans had just been a flimsy excuse to avoid Juliet and Harrison.
She hadn’t expected her parents—and Juliet—to latch onto it.
Now, she had no idea how to keep up the lie. Watching Queen falter, Juliet’s eyes gleamed with quiet triumph.
She seized the moment before their parents could speak.
"Queen," She blinked, her dewy eyes brimming with exaggerated hurt as she stared at her sister.
"Are you just making excuses because you don’t want to accompany me?"
Juliet lowered her eyes, her voice soft and fragile as she continued,
"I don’t blame you, sister.
It’s my own fault—this weak body of mine always needs someone to look after me.
I’ve already troubled you so many times.
It’s understandable if you don’t want to come along."
The moment these words left her lips, the smiles on Mr. and Mrs. Bernardo’s faces faded.
Queen stared at her sister, who stood with her head bowed, looking pitifully frail, and felt her chest tighten with frustration.
The most infuriating part was that whenever Juliet played the "poor health" card, there was no way to counter it—because their parents would always, without question, take her side.
"Juliet, don’t say things like that," Mr. Bernardo said, his gaze tender as he looked at his elder daughter before turning to Queen.
"Queen, don’t be difficult.
She’s not well, and you can keep an eye on her."
Mrs. Bernardo sighed inwardly, her expression tinged with reproach as she regarded her younger daughter.
The doctors had been clear—during pregnancy, Queen had absorbed too many nutrients, leaving Juliet vulnerable when toxins entered their shared bloodstream.
Juliet had barely survived. Because of that, Queen should take better care of her sister.
Though this wasn’t the first time she’d faced this situation, Queen still felt the weight of her parents’ disapproval pressing down on her, making it harder to breathe.
"That’s not what I meant, it’s just—"
Her eyes flickered slightly as she spoke slowly.
"I already have plans with Taylor."
The moment the name left her lips, an inexplicable silence settled over the living room.
Harrison’s brow furrowed faintly.
Even though she was a woman he had cast aside, the thought of her meeting another man still left a sour taste in his mouth.
Juliet’s eyes narrowed as she recalled seeing Queen in a private conversation with Taylor the day before.
"You little brat, why didn’t you say so earlier?"
She lifted her gaze to Queen, her crimson lips curling into a soft, playful pout.
"You had me worried for nothing—I thought my little sister was avoiding me."
Her tone was light, teasing, the kind of affectionate banter only sisters shared.
No one else would have sensed anything amiss.
But Queen could feel the venom lurking beneath Juliet’s sweetness.
A faint smirk tugged at her lips.
"It’s not that I didn’t say anything—you were just too impatient, grieving too soon."
She spoke slowly, her words laced with subtle meaning.
"As the woman in this situation, I feel a bit awkward being the one to bring up the matter of meeting Taylor."
Just as Juliet was about to respond, the butler suddenly entered the room.
"Sir, Madam," he addressed Mr. and Mrs. Bernardo with a respectful nod.
"Mr. Taylor has arrived."
The name unmistakably referred to Taylor.
Almost instinctively, everyone in the room turned their gaze toward Queen—especially her parents.
Taylor hadn’t given them any prior notice about his visit.
Could he really have arranged to meet Queen without telling them?
Why hadn’t their daughter mentioned anything?
And what about the arranged marriage—did Taylor know, or was he still in the dark?
A flood of questions burned on the tips of their tongues, but with Harrison present and Taylor waiting outside, they swallowed their words for now.
Harrison sipped his tea quietly, a cold smirk flashing imperceptibly in his eyes.
So, this guy’s still clueless.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have the nerve to show up for a date.
*I can’t wait to see his face when he finds out about Sinclair’s downfall.*
This is going to be spectacular.
Queen maintained a flawless poker face under the weight of their scrutiny.
Only she knew how frantically her heart was pounding.
If her lie unraveled now, she could already picture the triumphant sneer on Juliet’s face.
What would her parents think about her not accompanying Juliet?
"Have someone brew another pot of tea," Mr. Bernardo shifted his gaze from Queen to the butler.
"Go quickly and invite him in."
"Yes," the butler nodded and turned to leave.
Just then, a composed female voice spoke up.
Queen rose from the sofa, offering her parents a faint smile.
"Taylor’s here to see me.
I’ll go greet him myself."
Without waiting for their approval, she walked away with seemingly light steps.
The lightness was merely how others perceived it.
Queen knew all too well—her pace betrayed nothing but urgency.
The butler glanced at Mr. and Mrs. Bernardo before following after her.
"That girl..." Mr. Bernardo watched his daughter Queen’s retreating figure and let out a faint sigh.
"Not a shred of restraint."
"They’re engaged—what’s the point of being restrained?"
Mrs. Bernardo shot her husband a disapproving glance.
"I just hope these two can get along."