Demon CEO's Hidden Love: Mr Grayson Stole Me From My Abusive Husband-Chapter 173: An Unexpected Fiancé

Sloane lifted the corners of her mouth into a wide grin. "Well, that is interesting. Those sisters, Amanda and Rachelle are something else."

Joan nodded, pouring herself more wine. "Ever since the accident and the death of Vance’s parents, no one has dared to raise questions about them. It would’ve been too tasteless." Joan explained

"I don’t buy that. I’d say they tied up their loose ends rather nicely. But tell me, if what you said is all true then doesn’t that imply that Amanda is a-" in the middle of her speech, Tara walked into the room, holding a duffle bag in one hand and a passport in the other.

Sloane forced a polite smile when Tara came over to her for a hug.

"Auntie Sloane, I didn’t know you’d be here, I would’ve come over sooner." She greeted into the hug.

Sloane lip twitched, ’Auntie?’ she wondered when Tara and her had gotten so close. Wasn’t Tara the stuck-up arranged fiancé for her nephew?

"It’s fine, I just came to catch up a bit. I’m leaving soon." Sloane said, staring at the passport in her hand. Calmly she observed, "I see you’re leaving too. Is it a business trip?"

Tara sat next to Sloane, ignoring the hairs standing on the woman’s skin. She even went as far as to latch onto Sloane’s arms, hugging it tightly as she answered, "I’m actually going to see Thane."

Joan frowned, Sloane noticed and deduced that this news must’ve come as a shock to them both.

"What are you talking about?" Her mother questioned. "Hasn’t he already told you he isn’t interested?"

"I’m going to see him strictly on business mother, it’s about Brooke’s prosthetic." She informed them.

Joan was unconvinced, "Your grandfather and your father are already having heat at the company. Don’t do something foolish and cause some more damage."

Sloane noticed the crack in Tara’s smile.

"Don’t worry mother, I know that Thane has no interest in me. As long as he’s with his wife he’ll never look another woman’s way." She flattened her lips into a twisted grin, "I’m well aware of that fact."

Joan huffed, "I hope you really do know that. The last thing we need is to be in the Grayson’s bad graces. Right, Sloane my friend?"

Sloane broke her gaze from Tara’s sinister smile to Joan’s overly forced grin. "Ah, you’re right." Maintaining her pitch she went on, "Father-in-law is not in a gentle frame of mind right now, anyone who isn’t useful to him is doomed to suffer." She freed her arm, then looked at Tara fiercely.

"I hope for your sake you never forget that." She said.

Tara sensing her undertone got up, looking pissed. "Mother, I’m going, I have a flight to catch."

"Alright, but make sure your father-" her words fell to the wind when Tara marched furiously out of the room and slammed the door behind her.

Once her daughter was gone, Joan let out an angry sigh. "These kids, they’re always getting into something without telling anyone."

Sloane discreetly wiped off Tara’s touch. "They’re young, it’s excusable." She said, but in her head she could barely imagine either Maverick or Anna acting out.

Joan shook her head, "Tara is too stubborn to listen and Jacob is always getting me worried." Her eyes lit up as a thought entered her head. She dropped her glass and leaned in closer, bringing her knees together.

"Do you know what a maid found in Jacob’s room the other day?" She asked.

Sloane shook her head, "Do tell." She said with fake enthusiasm, she had already asked about the Rosamunds and was satisfied enough to want to leave. She had no real interest in hearing about Joan’s children.

But Joan went on regardless of the bored look in Sloane’s eyes. "It was a pendant and my son isn’t someone who has an eye for that kind of jewelry."

Sloane chipped in, "Well maybe he has a girlfriend he plans on giving it to."

Joan clicked her tongue, "My son isn’t the stable kind in a relationship and even if he was he wouldn’t know good jewelry. Wait, I think I took a picture of it because I sent it for appraisal."

"This sounds serious if you want it appraised. Let me take a look."

Sloane retained her calm demeanor, up until the picture was placed before her eyes and the first thing that caught her eye was the initials M.R.

"This does look expensive. If I’m being honest, I think you’re right, I doubt Jacob would spend this much on a girlfriend."

"Unless it’s a fake?" Joan suggested.

But Sloane shook her head, "I have been in the jewelry game for over two decades, I can tell a fake at first glance. I think, that you need to let the appraisal finish and then let me know the result. If you’re interested I can show you how to properly invest this and make a lot of money."

Joan’s ears stood up, "Can I really make that much from this trinket?" She asked staring at the emerald pendant in disbelief.

Sloane nodded, "Just leave it to me." She said then got up to leave. Joan got up to walk her outside, but Sloane’s phone began to ring. She took it out of her bag and saw that it was her daughter calling.

"Give me a second." She said walking forward to answer.

"Yes baby." She cooed into the phone.

Anna responded, "Mom, you have to come back home."

"Why? What happened?" Sloane questioned, her eyes widened in fear of what could’ve occured in her absence.

"Matthew is back-"

Sloane sighed in relief, "That’s good news, we’ll get the compensation money-" she was saying only to get cut off by her daughter.

"Mom, he’s come home but with his fiance and the money to pay the debt he owes." she cried into the phone.

Sloane couldn’t believe her ears. "Fiance?! Who the hell is his fiance?!"