After hanging up with Orion, Yorick sat in his car, his mind a jumbled mess.


    The studio had been up and running for a year, right under his nose, and it had grown beyond his control.


    His fiancée, in a single moment, had destroyed everything with just a few words.


    Who on earth was the man behind her?


    ...


    At noon, Susanna finally managed to grab lunch with Ste.


    "What happened to your lips? Why are they so swollen?"


    Ste muttered, "Bug bite."


    Today, everyone seemed to ask about her swollen lips, which was really annoying.


    Hearing "bug bite", Susanna couldn''t help but wonder, "What kind of bug did that? Impressive."


    Ste remained silent; how could she exin?


    Seeing a "wooden post" not far away, Susanna felt a mix of emotions, "Your brother really goes overboard, doesn''t he? Just to ensure you have a meal out without eating something like hot wings, he even has someone watch over you the entire time." Ste replied, "Don''t you think that''s just him being overly controlling?"


    "I''d love a brother like that; overly controlling or not, it sounds wonderful to me."


    Ste rolled her eyes, "Someone actually likes being monitored."


    Many would rebel for a fraction of that freedom. Ste knew a few close friends back in Ferrond who did just that, rebelling against their parents'' tight grip.


    "You wouldn''t understand. I''ve always been on my own, always missed having someone nag me," Susanna reflected.


    Ste''s hands, gripping the cutlery, paused; she looked at Susanna with empathy. Different from her, Susanna''s life began with roughness.


    Ste was mistakenly left by a nanny but was taken back by the Quinn family, who never let her feel neglected.


    Susanna''s life was tougher. Her father vanished right after she was born, the epitome of irresponsibility, Raised in a single-parent household, her mother, busy with work, left her in the care of an aunt, providing monthly living expenses.


    Although her motherter became one of Portis City''s top figures, Susanna grew up feeling a void where family affection should have been. Until now, she hadn''t lived together with her mother.


    "Having someone always around might be more annoying than you think," Ste tried to console her.


    Susanna wasn''t convinced, "You don''t know how lucky you are."


    She still envied the idea of having a caring brother, even a dozen of them wouldn''t be too much.


    "But at least I don''t have to worry about you anymore. I was genuinely concerned the Larkin family might starve you at some point."


    Ste chuckled, steering the conversation away from the Larkin family. That bunch of people, she just couldn''t find the exact words to describe their absurdity. "How''s your mom doing?"


    "She''s perfectly fine."


    Susanna wasn''t sure how to feel


    about her mother. Though devoid of emotional closeness, her mother always sent her quite a sum of pocket money monthly. She had never skimped on allowances, but had never spent adequate time with Susanna either.


    "She''s always chasing money. Already had enough and yet still striving for it, as if trying to outdo someone and crush them underfoot."


    Ste queried, "Did she seed?"


    Susanna nodded, "Seems like it. She acts as if there''s someone she''s desperate to surpass.''


    That drive of her mother''s was something Susanna couldn''t fully grasp, sensing a hint of resentment in her mother''s tone whenever money was discussed. "Has your mom ever looked for your dad?"


    "I wouldn''t know. She keeps me out of that part of her life," Susanna shook her head.