Accidentally Crossing the Tycoon Chapter 154

Ethan's POV:

The sun had barely risen when I got up, finding my mother already pacing the front hall.

She was frantically adjusting flower arrangements, smoothing invisible wrinkles from her cream Chanel suit.

"Ethan, thank goodness you're here early."

She rushed toward me, hands fluttering anxiously.

"Do I look presentable? Your father insisted this suit was appropriate, but now I'm second-guessing everything."

"You look perfect, Mom," I assured her, catching her restless hands in mine.

"Take a breath. This isn't a state dinner."

"It might as well be," she muttered, pulling away to adjust a vase of lilies for the third time.

"We're meeting our *daughter* for the first time in twenty-seven years. "

Dad appeared from his study, looking equally uncomfortable in a tailored suit that seemed to constrain him.

He placed a steadying hand on Mom's shoulder.

"Sara, try to stay calm," he said, forcing his voice to sound composed despite the obvious tension in his jaw.

"We don't want to overwhelm her or scare her away."

My mother's face softened momentarily before anxiety reclaimed it.

"What if she hates us, Robert? What if she takes one look at us and walks right back out?"

"She won't," I interjected firmly.

"But you need to dial it back about ten notches. Audrey isn't one for emotional displays. If you come at her with all..."

I gestured at my mother's obvious distress, "...this, you'll overwhelm her."

William appeared at the top of the stairs, his expression somewhere between boredom and disdain.

"Are we really making this much fuss over someone who didn't even want to meet us initially?"

"Will," I warned, "don't start."

He descended the stairs with deliberate slowness.

"I'm just saying what everyone's thinking. She's only interested now because she knows who we are."

Dad turned sharply, his expression hardening.

"William, that's enough! Put a smile on your face. I won't have Audrey thinking the Cole family doesn't welcome her."

William muttered under his breath, "I *don't* welcome her. I already have one sister."

His eyes drifted meaningfully toward Daisy.

Before the tension could escalate into another argument, the sound of tires on gravel reached us from the front drive.

Everyone's posture straightened instantly.

"They're here," Dad announced, his voice tight with emotion.

We all hurried forward toward the gates.

Through the window, I watched as a sleek black Range Rover pulled up.

From my angle, I could see Audrey in the passenger seat, her profile eerily similar to my mother's when she was younger.

The car came to a stop, and Caspar Thornton quickly exited the driver's side, circling around to open Audrey's door with a gentlemanly gesture.

Everyone present could sense the seriousness of his attachment to her.

I understood immediately what message he was sending us: Audrey might be a Cole by blood, but she was under Thornton protection now.

Mom stepped forward immediately, tears welling in her eyes and beginning to spill down her cheeks.

Her hands trembled as she approached Audrey, emotion making her normally composed demeanor crumble completely.

Dad quickly moved to Mom's side, placing a steadying arm around her shoulders.

"It's wonderful to finally meet you, Audrey," Dad managed, his voice thick with suppressed emotion.

The simple greeting seemed to contain decades of longing.

"Likewise," Audrey replied politely, her expression carefully controlled.

Mom dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief, clearly embarrassed by her overwhelming reaction.

"I'm sorry," she said, attempting a smile.

"I need to... I think I'll go upstairs and freshen up a bit."

"I'll come with you," Dad said gently, giving Audrey an apologetic look before guiding Mom toward the house.

As they disappeared inside, I turned to Audrey.

"I'm sorry about that. They've been waiting for this moment for so long. It's a bit overwhelming for them."

Audrey shook her head. "No need to apologize. I understand."

"Let's head inside," I suggested, gesturing toward the front door. "I can offer you something to drink while my parents collect themselves."

Sara's POV:

I collapsed onto the edge of the bed the moment Robert closed the bedroom door behind us.

My hands trembled as I buried my face in them, unable to hold back the sobs any longer.

"What kind of mother am I?" I choked out, looking up at Robert through tear-blurred vision.

"We abandoned her for *twenty-seven years*, Robert. twenty-seven years! And before that, we never even knew she existed. Our own daughter..."

Robert knelt in front of me, taking my hands in his.

His eyes were red-rimmed, his usual composure cracked wide open.

"This wasn't your fault, Sara," he said firmly.

"If anyone's to blame, it's me. I let you mistakenly believe that Daisy was our daughter."

I shook my head, wiping away tears that wouldn't stop flowing.

"After all these years...you must be having a hard time too. We should be celebrating. We have two daughters now."

I attempted a smile, though it felt fragile.

"We should be happy, shouldn't we?"

"We'll make it right," Robert nodded, squeezing my hands. "We have that chance now."

Robert took a deep breath, straightening his tie and composing himself.

"Alright, let's pull ourselves together and get back downstairs. We shouldn't keep them waiting any longer."

I stood up abruptly, moving to the ornate vanity mirror.

My makeup was ruined, mascara streaked down my cheeks, eyes puffy and red.

I looked every bit the emotional wreck I felt.

"I need to fix my face," I said, reaching for my compact.

"I don't want Audrey to see me like this."

Ten minutes and a generous application of concealer later, I descended the grand staircase with Robert by my side.

From the landing, I could see Audrey sitting in our formal living room, engaged in what appeared to be polite conversation with Ethan.

Caspar Thornton sat beside her, his posture protective.

*Stay calm, Sara,* I coached myself silently.

*You've already made enough of a spectacle of yourself for one day. Pull it together.*

I took a deep breath, fixed a warm smile on my face, and continued down the stairs.

"I hope you haven't been waiting long," I said, my voice pleasantly modulated as I entered the living room.