Chapter 64: Chapter 64: Brianna Hudson

Lynn Jennings had already ended her call and was walking over. When she saw Brianna Hudson, her face was devoid of expression, and her tone was cold. “Well, if it isn’t Brianna. What are you doing here in Southaven? Shouldn’t you be in Port Caldoria?”

Lynn Jennings owned stables in Port Caldoria. Her mother hailed from a wealthy Port Caldoria family, and the stables were a gift from her maternal grandfather at her birth.

For a time, Lynn had also been fond of horse racing and had bought several Thoroughbreds of her own. On one occasion in Debshire, she and Brianna Hudson had set their sights on the same Thoroughbred. Neither of them was the type to back down, and their fight for the horse nearly drew blood.

Ultimately, Lynn’s deeper pockets won the day. She bought the English Thoroughbred, which went on to steal the show in several flat races and earn her a small fortune.

And that was how the feud between Lynn Jennings and Brianna Hudson began.

However, with one in Southaven and the other in Port Caldoria, they didn’t run into each other that often.

A gleam of amusement flashed in Brianna Hudson’s eyes. “I have my reasons for coming to Southaven, of course, but…” She paused. “It’s understandable that you wouldn’t know. After all, I hear you’ve been kicked out of your family home?”

Brianna Hudson raised the hand holding a glittering, round diamond clutch to her lips and gave a mock-embarrassed laugh.

Lynn Jennings’s expression didn’t falter. “You’re quick to believe baseless gossip, aren’t you, Brianna? Then again, it’s not surprising. After all, the gossip is that you’re the illegitimate daughter Mrs. Hudson is fostering. So I suppose that rumor must be true?”

Brianna Hudson’s background was hardly a secret in their social circle. The Hudson family of Port Caldoria was large and influential, a truly prominent name.

And it was no secret that Brianna’s father was a notorious philanderer.

He was known to have three concubines in Port Caldoria.

Mrs. Hudson came from a respectable family and was a capable woman in her own right. She rarely interfered with her husband’s philandering, but she maintained a tight grip on the Hudson family’s fortune.

She had one son of her own, who was equally formidable and kept his many half-siblings so thoroughly suppressed they couldn’t dare to challenge him.

Brianna Hudson, however, was an anomaly.

Brianna Hudson had sharp, defined features that made it obvious she had some foreign ancestry.

Lynn Jennings and Jessie Sterling didn’t know many details about the older generation’s affairs, only that the Hudson family had been embroiled in a legal case involving a death, and Brianna’s mother was part of it. Mrs. Hudson taking Brianna in was seen as her way of cleaning up her husband’s family’s mess.

But even with Mrs. Hudson raising her, Brianna’s obviously mixed heritage was impossible to hide.

Brianna Hudson’s expression instantly soured. The one thing she couldn’t tolerate was people using her birth to attack her.

’I was raised by the official matriarch since I was a child. How am I not a legitimate daughter of the Hudson family?’

“You can run your mouth all you want now, Lynn Jennings, but you’ll be bowing your head to me soon enough.” Brianna seemed to recall something, her confidence returning. “Weren’t you asking what I’m doing in Southaven? Someone like you, who’s been abandoned by her family, probably wouldn’t know. I’m here this time to meet your older brother.”

At this, Lynn Jennings raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Brianna, on the other hand, was looking quite smug. “Aren’t you curious why I’m meeting your older brother?”

“Anyone with a brain doesn’t need to ask,” Lynn Jennings shot back. “A blind date with that old bachelor brother of mine?”

Brianna stammered, “…You—you’re a Jennings, for crying out loud. How can you be so vicious with your words?”

“Am I wrong?” Lynn Jennings asked, her expression a mask of innocence. “My brother’s more than ten years older than you, isn’t he? Tsk. You can actually stomach him?”

Lynn Jennings shook her head repeatedly as she spoke. ’He’s like a tough old piece of jerky,’ she thought. ’Hard to believe someone’s actually willing to try and chew on that.’

Brianna’s face turned pale with anger, but by this point, Lynn Jennings couldn’t be bothered with her anymore. As for Cheryl Stuart, who was standing beside Brianna, Lynn didn’t even spare her a second glance. She grabbed Jessie Sterling and headed toward their private room.

Jessie Sterling was still reeling from the exchange between Lynn and Brianna. Once they were inside the private room with the door shut, Jessie finally spoke up in astonishment. “Is your older brother really going to marry Brianna Hudson?” She blinked. “And Brianna actually agreed?”

Lynn Jennings scoffed. “Who knows? I haven’t been back to the family house recently. How would I know what they’ve arranged?”

“But that’s just unbelievable, isn’t it?” Jessie had already lain down as the therapist for their scalp treatment came in. “Isn’t your brother almost forty?”

More importantly, Jessie knew that Lynn’s older brother had an illegitimate child.

If not for that, given her brother’s status, plenty of young ladies from prominent Southaven families would have been willing to marry him.

But with an illegitimate child in the picture, who would want to become a stepmother at such a young age?

Because of this delay, Lynn’s brother had reached his current age without a proper wife by his side.

Lynn said, “Hmm? And why shouldn’t he? I think they’re a perfect match.”

On second thought, Jessie realized Lynn actually had a point.

“Before I moved out, my mother and the others brought up splitting the inheritance, so of course my eldest and second brothers are making their moves. None of us three siblings are married. If my eldest brother marries now—even if it’s to Brianna Hudson—it means an alliance with the Hudson family from Port Caldoria. The pros far outweigh the cons. As for Brianna’s background, who cares? In these alliances, it’s the family that matters, not the individual, right?”

Lynn said languidly, then added in a tone that suggested she was thoroughly enjoying the drama, “See? My second brother won’t just sit back and let this happen. Right now, I’m just a little curious why Cheryl Stuart is hanging around with Brianna Hudson. Those two have nothing to do with each other, right?”

This time, Jessie chose a white peach and jasmine fragrance for her treatment. The sweet scent quickly enveloped her, its pure notes of fruit and tea bringing a wave of relaxation.

“Who cares about them? Does this mean you get to sit back and watch the tigers fight? Since your eldest brother is forming an alliance with the Hudson family, your second brother must be getting restless, right?” Jessie asked.

Lynn chose a woody fragrance and, upon hearing Jessie’s words, replied, “In that case, I think my second brother is going to lose this round.”

The Hudson family was the biggest jeweler in Port Caldoria and considered top-tier within their circle. It would be nearly impossible for Mason Walsh to find in-laws powerful enough to surpass the Hudsons.

“What about you?” Jessie couldn’t help but ask. She hadn’t forgotten that Lynn was still working at a research institute. If she wanted to fight for a piece of the Jennings family inheritance, and both her brothers were using marriage to secure allies, wouldn’t Lynn be at a serious disadvantage on her own?

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