The Mistress Is Reborn As The Fiancée
Chapter 41: Preparing For Her Great Grand Children

Chapter 41: Preparing For Her Great Grand Children

Grandma Jia, her footsteps light and purposeful, rounded the corner of the hallway, her eyes scanning the scene before her. She paused, a mischievous glint in her eyes, as she observed Flynn and Noelle, their faces flushed, their postures stiff, their eyes wide with a mixture of surprise and guilt.

She had caught them in a moment of... something. An unspoken connection, a subtle intimacy that belied their arranged marriage. She had seen the way Flynn’s gaze softened when he looked at Noelle, the way Noelle’s eyes lingered on Flynn, a flicker of warmth in their depths.

After she had made her excuses, she turned and walked away, her footsteps light and quick, her mind buzzing with excitement. She could not wait to see Rose so that she could tell her all about what she had just seen.

She rushed back to her private wing, her heart pounding with anticipation. As she entered her sitting room, she found Rose waiting for her, a cup of tea in her hand.

"Rose, you are not going to believe what I just saw," she exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement.

Rose raised an eyebrow, her expression amused. "What is it, Mistress?" she asked, her voice calm and soothing.

"Flynn and Noelle," Grandma Jia said, her voice barely above a whisper. "They were... they were looking at each other. Like... like lovers."

Rose chuckled, a soft, melodic sound. "Mistress," she said, her voice laced with amusement. "You are seeing things. They are probably just getting along."

"No, Rose," Grandma Jia insisted, her voice filled with conviction. "It was more than that. It was... a connection. A spark."

Rose smiled, her eyes filled with gentle amusement. "Mistress, you are getting ahead of yourself," she said, her voice laced with a hint of warning. "Don’t spook the young couple. Let them find their own way at their own pace, you don’t want to interfere and ruin things do you?"

Grandma Jia shrugged off Rose’s warning, her mind filled with visions of grandchildren and the happy family. She was certain that she would not have to do too much to encourage Noelle’s feelings for Flynn. The connection was already there, simmering beneath the surface. All she had to do was fan the flames.

And Flynn seemed to be doing most of the work already. If he kept at it, he would be able to break down those tall walls in no time.

"Nonsense," she said, her voice filled with playful confidence. "They just need a little... nudge. If I wait for their pace there wont be grandchildren until after I am 6 feet underneath."

She paused, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "In fact," she said, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, "I think I will start shopping for baby clothes."

Rose’s eyes widened in surprise. "Mistress!" she exclaimed, her voice laced with disbelief. "Are you being serious?"

"Of course, I am serious," Grandma Jia said, her voice filled with enthusiasm. "I want to be prepared. I want to have everything ready for my great-grandchildren."

She paused, her eyes filled with a dreamy expression. "I hope they have twins," she said, her voice barely audible. "Wouldn’t that be just wonderful? I can hear the pitter patter of the little ones as the run along the house."

Rose shook her head, her expression a mixture of amusement and exasperation. "Mistress," she said, her voice laced with gentle reprimand. "You are jumping the gun. They are not even properly in love yet. Who knows, you eyesight is old and maybe you saw something that was not there."

"I know exactly what I saw!" Grandma Jia said as she waved off her concerns, her mind filled with visions of chubby babies and happy families. "Nonsense," she said, her voice filled with playful confidence. "Love is sure to follow. And I want to be ready."

She stood up, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Rose," she said, her voice filled with enthusiasm. "Go get me some catalogues from baby boutiques. I want to start shopping."

Rose sighed, her expression a mixture of amusement and resignation. She knew that there was no arguing with Grandma Jia when she had made up her mind. She nodded, her expression resigned. "As you wish, Mistress," she said, her voice laced with a hint of amusement. "But don’t say I didn’t warn you."

Grandma Jia smiled, her eyes filled with anticipation. She could not wait to start shopping for her great-grandchildren, to fill her home with the sounds of laughter and the sweet scent of baby powder. She was certain that Flynn and Noelle would make her dreams come true. She was certain that they would find love, build a family, and make her happy. She was certain that her plan was working perfectly.

*

Areum, her face flushed and her movements jerky, abruptly pushed Flynn away, creating a noticeable distance between them. She stood up, her posture rigid, her eyes darting around the room as if searching for an escape route. Flynn, perplexed by her sudden change in demeanor, watched her with a mixture of confusion and amusement.

"Areum," he said, his voice laced with gentle inquiry. "What is wrong?"

"What is wrong?" she snapped, her voice sharp and accusatory. "What is wrong is that my grandmother just walked in and saw us... like that!"

She gestured vaguely between them, her face flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and anger. "Who knows what she is going to think?"

She trailed off, unable to articulate her discomfort, her eyes filled with a mixture of frustration and mortification. "We looked like we were about to... to..."

"To what?" Flynn asked, his voice calm and even. "To talk? To have a conversation?"

"Don’t be ridiculous," Areum retorted, her voice laced with exasperation. "We looked like we were about to... to kiss!"

"And is that so terrible?" Flynn asked, his voice laced with a hint of amusement. "We are married, after all."

Areum glared at him, her eyes flashing with anger. "That is not the point," she hissed, her voice barely above an embarrassed whisper. "The point is that we need to be more careful. We can’t let people see us like that. It will raise suspicions."

"Suspicions?" Flynn asked, raising an eyebrow. "Suspicions of what? That we’re a married couple who are... affectionate?"

He raised his hands in mock surrender, his expression a picture of innocent surprise. "Isn’t that what you want, Areum? For people to believe that we are a happily married couple?"

Areum gaped at him, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. She was caught off guard by his directness, his blunt questioning of her motives.

"That is... that’s not..." she stammered, her voice faltering. "That’s not the point."

"Then what is the point, Areum?" Flynn asked, his voice gentle but firm. "What exactly do you want?"

Areum hesitated, her eyes darting away from his, her face flushed with a mixture of anger and confusion. She couldn’t articulate her feelings, her conflicting desires, her fear of admitting the attraction she felt towards him.

"Just... just be more careful," she mumbled, her voice barely audible. "Don’t... don’t make it so obvious that you are forgetting that our marriage is nothing but a contract."

She turned abruptly, her movements jerky and uncoordinated, and stormed off into the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

Flynn watched her go, a slow smile spreading across his face. He was amused by her reaction, her attempt to deny the obvious attraction between them. He knew that she was fighting her feelings, trying to maintain the facade of their arranged marriage. But he also knew that she was drawn to him, that she could not deny the connection that was growing between them.

He chuckled softly, his eyes twinkling with amusement. He was certain that even if she didn’t like him, she was attracted to him. And attraction was good. He could build on that.

He knew that Noelle was a complex woman, guarded and fiercely independent. He knew that she had built walls around her heart, protecting herself from the pain of past betrayals. But he also knew that she was capable of love, of deep and abiding affection. He had seen glimpses of her vulnerability, her tenderness, her hidden warmth.

He was determined to break down those walls, to show her that she could trust him, that she could love him. He would be patient, he would be persistent, he would be the man she needed him to be.

He knew that their marriage was a game, a carefully constructed illusion. But he also knew that it could be more. It could be real. It could be love.

He picked up a stray report from the table, and looked at it, but his mind was on Areum. He knew that she was angry, frustrated, and confused. But he also knew that she was attracted to him, that she could not deny the feelings that were growing between them. And that was enough for now. He could work with that. He could build on that. He could make her love him, soon enough she would be his.