Upstairs.


    Urs was standing at the top of the stairs, her ankle swollen visibly. The fleeting glimpse of disappointment in her eyes was unmistakable as she overheard ise''s care for Ste. Blood was thicker than water after all...


    ...


    An hourter, ise showed up at Silk-River Residences.


    He took a seat on the sofa, his gazending on Ste. He didn''t berate her for not answering her phone earlier.


    Ste, expressionless, poured him a ss of water.


    ise invited, "Stop fussing around,e sit."


    Interacting with this daughter of his was somewhat a puzzle. She hadn''t grown up by his side, and he didn''t really know her.


    Ste directly took a seat across from him.


    ise, sitting upright with his hands sped over his knees, broached the topic, "Had a spat with Urs again?"


    Ste asked, "Are you here to scold me too?"


    Scolding seemed to be a norm ever since she became part of the Larkin family.


    Hearing her icy tone, ise sighed, "Because of her, you''re calling off the wedding with Yorick?"


    Ste remained silent, merely taking a sip from her ss.


    The people of the Larkin family weren''t exactly those she''d open her heart to. If not close, Ste preferred not to divulge too much.


    Seeing her silence, ise felt a tad helpless. No wonder Cloudia got angry all the time. This child hardly seemed willing to connect with them.


    "You shouldn''t let her get to you. She''s just here to see a doctor this time. Yorick apanied her to the hospital. I''ve even spoken to your mother about it; this won''t happen next time." Ste set her ss down, looking over at ise.


    "Their ''next times'' have nothing to do with me anymore. You don''t have toe all the way here at night to tell me this."


    ise retorted, "What do you mean, ''nothing to do with you''? Star, marriage isn''t child''s y. You and Yorick havee this far; there''s no turning back."


    Turning back would be a joke! A jest at the expense of the entire Larkin family.


    Ste replied, "Exactly because it''s not child''s y, I see no point in delving deeper into a mistake."


    Her words seemed to hold some merit.


    "But you and Yorick..."


    "You''re worried about the family''s reputation, right? This is easily settled."


    Ste cut him off sharply.


    ise, feeling exposed, looked a bit sour, "How so?"


    As if it were about the embarrassment all along.


    The news had barely broken out that morning, and he had been in turmoil all afternoon.


    Ste advised, "Just announce that you mistook me for someone else and that I''m not really a part of your family. That''s it."


    "You...this is absurd!"


    This wasn''t solving an embarrassment; it was inviting a greater one.


    Not only did she want to cancel the wedding with Yorick, but she also wanted to sever ties with the Larkin family?


    ise''s expression darkened.


    Ste stood her ground, "Anyway, what''s between Yorick and me is over."


    "Without Yorick, who would you marry then? In a week, you and he are about to get married. Making such a scene with the Quarries, no one would marry you in the future. Remember the affection between you and Yorick." Hearing the one-week-after marriage, Steughed, her smile tinged with scorn.


    "You probably don''t know. This morning, Yorick told me that Urs''s back and that our wedding should be postponed."


    "What?"


    ise looked shocked, clearly he wasn''t aware of the news through his expression.


    Ste went on, "Just because the Larkins need depend on the Quarry family, you acting so self-abased, and you want me to behave the same as you do?"


    ise was rendered speechless. A single "self-abased" made him livid with fury.


    However, Ste''s words were right to the point. During those years, the Larkin businesses were supported by the Quarries.


    "You..."


    "I''ve said my piece anyway. The rtionship between me and Yorick ends here. There''s no going back."


    At this point, Ste held her ground firmly.


    ise was genuinely angry now.


    "There''s no ''no going back''. I won''t consent to you calling off the wedding."


    If they truly angered the Quarry family, their Larkin family would face tough times ahead. Though Yorick had a soft spot for Urs, the Quarry family wouldn''t approve.


    The elders behind the scenes had shown their capabilities two years ago. Back then, even if the Larkin family had gained benefits through Yorick, they would''ve lost it all because of those elders in the Quarry family. ise stated, "I''ll discuss this with the Quarry family. Don''t be so headstrong."


    Ste, unwilling to engage further, walked to the door and swung it open, silently issuing him to leave.


    Seeing her act this way, ise felt a surge of frustration, "So, you''ve hit Urs, humiliated Yorick, what else is bothering you? Right, I''ve already asked your mother to reinstate your card. She''s calling the bank tomorrow." Ste uttered, "The thing with Yorick is impossible!"


    Again, she reiterated her stance.


    "You..."


    Her defiance was thest straw for ise.