Cloudia''s breath hitched, a sign of her unease.


    Seeing Ste about to leave, ise panicked. "Star."


    "What are you still standing there for?" Noticing Cloudia frozen in ce, ise shot her an exasperated look.


    That snapped Cloudia out of her daze, and she hurried after Ste.


    Ste and Ronald were already at the doorstep.


    Cloudia rushed forward, grabbing Ste''s other hand. "Star, Mom and Dad want to talk to you."


    Ste nced sideways, a hint of sarcasm in her tone. "Mom and Dad?"


    In the chilly air, her words seemedced with irony.


    Cloudia felt a tightness in her chest. Her gaze inadvertently fell on the man beside Ste, sensing the dangerous aura surrounding him.


    Holding onto Ste''s hand, Cloudia instinctively tightened her grip. "I was wrong. I shouldn''t have treated you that way."


    Ste looked at her mockingly and tried to pull her hand away, but Cloudia refused to let go.


    Ste raised an eyebrow. "What''s this about?"


    Cloudia pleaded, "Can we talk, please?"


    She was frustrated. She couldn''t believe Ste could cause such a stir.


    ise and Jaxon had said thepany''s troubles were her doing, but how could she have such influence?


    Cloudia suppressed her difort. Trying to appear patient, she asked, "Is thepany''s situation really because of you?"


    Even though everyone said so, Cloudia found it hard to believe Ste wielded that much power.


    Ste replied, "What do you think?"


    Cloudia was at a loss for words.


    She thought...


    Regardless, she couldn''t let Ste continue wreaking havoc.


    "Tell me, what do you want me to do to make you stop?"


    ise had scolded her several times today, and she was desperate to resolve things quickly.


    But unfortunately the situation had spiraled far beyond her control.


    Ste said, "What to do? Two years ago, when I told you that car ident, the one that nearly killed me, was Urs''s doing, you asked me the same thing. You wanted to know what you could do to convince meit wasn''t her. It seems you''re repaying her debts."


    Ste''s innocent smile contrasted with her despairing words.


    Urs, clinging to life in the hospital, wasn''t even worth Ste''s effort anymore. But Ste was determined to reim what she had lost.


    Since the Larkin family cherished Urs so deeply, helping to "repay" a few debts seemed only fair, didn''t it?


    Cloudia gasped, "You mean..."


    Ste scoffed, shaking off Cloudia''s grip, and nced at Ronald, who was visibly colder. Ste announced, "Let''s go."


    Cloudia instinctively reached for


    Ste again, but two bodyguards et


    stepped in, holding her back. Her any attempts to approach Ste was now futile.


    As Ronald and Ste''s figures disappeared into the night, Cloudia''s desperation spilled over. "Star, you can''t do this. I know her presence bothers you. We promise, once she''s better, we''d send her away"


    Her anxious voice echoed into the darkness, swallowed by the cold night air. Ste''s only response was her resolute, silent departure.


    Not until Ste and Ronald hadpletely vanished did Idris and the bodyguards finally released Cloudia and ise.


    Yorick stood frozen, chilled to the bone. He watched the drama unfold, especially struck by Ste''s icy demeanor.


    He waspletely immobilized now!


    The group had gone, leaving ise and Cloudia inplete disarray. Especially ise, whose usually immacte hair now seemed disheveled.