Chapter 14 Is French That Hard?
A piercing gaze locked onto her, almost tangible in its intensity.
Lilah instinctively looked up, catching Gabriel's eyes mid-air.
Only this time, his stare wasn't laced with its usual disdain.
"Aiden!"
Verity's shrill voice sliced through the moment, shattering the subtle tension like glass.
She yanked Aiden over, barely giving him time to react. Her voice carried an edge of impatience. "Craft time's done. Time for language practice. We're doing French today—how about I read the picture book with you?"
Lilah frowned. That wasn't part of today's schedule—Verity clearly threw that in on the spot, banking on her to trip up.
Aiden had been having fun and clearly wasn't too thrilled, but obediently set his things down.
"Mommy..." he gave Lilah's hand a reluctant tug.
That small act of clinging to his mother only made Verity's face tighten even further.
Lilah gently patted his hand, calming him before slowly standing up.
"Kids this age do get attached to their moms. But Verity, what's the rush?"
Verity crossed her arms, flashing a faint, smug smirk. "You're not wrong, Lilah. Since Aiden's not up for it, why don't you take over French practice today? I recall you've studied it before... right?"
She didn't believe for a second Lilah could speak proper French, let alone teach it. This was designed to humiliate her in front of Gabriel and Aiden.
Verity's lips curled in mockery.
Lilah, inwardly amused, kept her cool.
"Sure," she replied without missing a beat, her voice calm and crisp.
No hesitation. She gracefully sat back beside Aiden, movements collected and poised.
Verity blinked—clearly not the reaction she was expecting.
Then, with a tight smile, she stood aside, watching coldly.
Lilah went abroad and still didn't pick up French. Plus, she'd been unstable for years.
She only got into this house thanks to her family name. What did she have over her?
Let Gabriel see what a joke you really are.
Aiden watched her with wide eyes, admiration lighting up his face like a sparkler.
So Mommy knew French too?
"Let's read together, Aiden."
Lilah scooped him up and walked them both over to the little study desk.
Gabriel sat across the room on the couch—close enough to see, far enough to feel unreachable.
His face was unreadable, like always, never inviting anyone in.
Verity had wanted to sit next to him earlier, but thought better of it and stayed stiffly off to the side.
Lilah picked up a vividly illustrated children's book, flipped to a page, and began to read aloud.
Her French was flawless—smooth, clear, almost musical. Every word rolled off her tongue naturally.
As she read, she pointed to the drawings, explaining each one to Aiden in simple terms, using French that any kid could follow. Her tone was soft, her gaze focused.
The whole process was effortless, confident—she didn't stumble once.
The smug look on Verity's face froze. Her eyes went wide, like she'd seen a ghost.
Lilah was completely absorbed in the language.
She'd studied it seriously before. Despite not speaking it for years, the words still flowed.
Though oddly, right before she spoke, she'd felt a twinge of nervousness.
Maybe because Gabriel was watching her so intently...
His eyes, deep and unreadable, never left her for a second.He tilted his head slightly, as if fully immersed in the fluent French flowing from her lips, his gaze lingering between her calm profile and the quiet confidence playing at the corners of her mouth.
The lighting hit just right at this angle.
Lilah's updo was immaculate, a few playful strands resting by her ears.
Gabriel's throat moved as he swallowed unconsciously—his mind clearly elsewhere.
Verity stared at Lilah with clenched jaw, nearly breathing fire.
Since when did Lilah know French?
And speak it even better than her?
She could've sworn Lilah only knew a few basic words before...
But now she was speaking so smoothly it was impossible to deny.
Verity's eyes darted to Gabriel, whose expression stayed focused—making her stomach knot tighter.
Damn it! Lilah had been secretly learning French?
And she'd stupidly handed her the perfect stage on a silver platter?
Lilah soon wrapped up the makeshift lesson, closed the picture book with a smile, and gently ruffled Aiden's hair.
His little cheeks were flushed with excitement as he threw himself into her arms, eyes shining with admiration.
"Mama, you're amazing! Can you be the one to teach me French from now on?" His voice was soft but filled with eagerness.
"Of course, sweetheart. But you've got to promise Mommy you'll take it seriously, okay?"
Lilah replied warmly and turned to meet Gabriel's eyes. She smiled with quiet pride.
Gabriel didn't say a word, just kept looking at her intently.
Families like the Harts and Wallaces had known each other for generations. Over all those years, this was probably the first time he really saw Lilah.
He didn't dislike her, but he didn't care for her either. If it weren't for the arranged marriage, none of this would've even happened.
Verity snapped, barely able to keep her tone steady. "That's not a good idea. Aiden needs stable, consistent support to learn a language, and considering Lilah's mental state..."
The implication was obvious—she was suggesting Lilah could spiral at any moment.
But before she could finish, Gabriel cut her off.
"It's fine."
His focus never wavered from Lilah, the look in his eyes still holding a trace of admiration.
Verity froze as if someone had hit pause.
Did he really just say yes?
If more responsibility for Aiden kept going to Lilah, what would that mean for her?
And just as she was trying to make sense of it, Gabriel added casually, "The family birthday party's this weekend. If you want to come, just let Mr. Reed know."
The words hit like thunder, leaving not only Verity stunned but also catching Lilah slightly off guard.
"You're really coming to the party with me, Mama?" Aiden cheered, hugging her tightly.
Since he could remember, his mom had never once gone back to the family estate with him.
Now that his dad finally agreed, his joy felt so big it almost shimmered.
The picture of mother and child, so openly happy, felt like a slap in the face.
Verity bit into her lip so hard she tasted blood.
What had gotten into Gabriel? Why would he suddenly let Lilah go to the estate?
Lilah gently responded to Aiden's happiness.
"Alright then, let's pick out a sharp little suit for you, hmm?"
"Lilah, since when do you speak French?" Verity suddenly threw out coldly. "You've been hiding it this whole time?"
Lilah looked right at her, calm and composed. "Yeah, seems like there's quite a lot I haven't told you."
"Who knows, maybe there's more to come?"
With that, she took Aiden's hand and walked off.
Verity stood frozen, fists clenched so tight her nails dug into her palms.
Lilah, just wait.
You're walking straight into a trap at that party.
When you lose it in front of the whole Wallace family and every big shot in town...
No one's gonna forget.