When The Family Reads The Fake Heiress Mind novel Chapter 209

“You’ll stay here,” Carl said, voice clipped and emotionless. He turned to look at the girl behind him, his handsome face cloaked in a cool, moonlit detachment. “The essentials are all provided.”

Jean instinctively glanced around the room-

Sure enough, nothing was missing..

Just then, the crisp sound of footsteps echoed. Jean looked up to see Carl already heading toward the door, silent and swift.

“Wait.”

Her voice called out before she could stop herself–just two words, directed at the man’s back.

Carl paused mid–step. Without turning fully, he cast a chilly glance over his shoulder. “What is it?”

It was a simple question, nothing more than routine. But when spoken in his voice, it carried an unshakable chill.

Jean blinked, her bright eyes locking onto his.

A beat of silence stretched between them.

Then, without warning, she laughed.

Her eyes curved like a crescent moon, glowing with starlight–warm, clear, almost dazzling.

“Regardless of everything, thank you,” she said, her brows lifting slightly, voice sincere and soft. “Carl.”

Carl didn’t respond.

He simply stared at her, expression flat and unreadable.

But his lips pressed tightly together, betraying a subtle flicker beneath the surface.

Why…?

Why would she thank him?

He hadn’t done anything worth gratitude.

He’d allowed Queenie to carry out her job, hadn’t intervened. Jean had endured the full force of that interrogation.

And she’s still thanking me?

What a strange girl.

“Why?” The word slipped from Carl’s lips before he could stop it.

“Huh?” Jean blinked, caught off guard. “While – 259

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“That you wouldn’t admit it,” she said, her grin bright as ever. “But my gut’s pretty accurate—”

“I can tell when someone’s being kind to me.”

Carl didn’t reply.

In that moment, the whole corridor seemed to fall silent. No background noise, no footsteps. Just her voice echoing in his ears.

Her words. Her eyes.

Just Jean.

He closed his eyes briefly, forcing the strange emotions to settle.

When he opened them again, his expression had returned to its usual icy calm, every angle of his face cloaked in distance.

“Don’t overestimate yourself.”

And with that, he turned sharply on his heel and strode out of the room.

As if the longer he looked at her, the more likely he was to get caught in something he couldn’t escape.