Cloudia was gone. She had desperately wanted to help Urs. But seeing Ste''s ruthless decision to cut off Jaxon''s medical care left her too afraid to continue.
If ise ever found out she had approached Ste and Jaxon was harmed as a result, it would be the end for both her and ise.
Ste turned to her butler. "Take care of it."
The butler nodded. "Yes, Miss."
As for Jaxon, Ste had wanted to deal with him for some time. With Ronald making his move, this was the perfect opportunity for her to act decisively.
The Larkin family had med their downfall entirely on her, showing no sign of self-reflection. Since they refused to take responsibility, she saw no reason to hold back.
...
Cloudia had just driven out of Mist Bay when her phone rang.
It was Urs, her voice weak and frail. "Mom."
Hearing that fragile voice made Cloudia''s heart twist with pain.
In no time at all, the entire Larkin family had be vulnerable and powerless, unable to stand up to someone like Ste.
"Mom, please help me. It hurts so much," Urs pleaded.
Lying alone in her room at the Larkin estate, with only the maids forpany, Urs was suffering terribly. Her illness had taken her hair, and relentless pain consumed her body, leaving her twitching and unable to sleep. Each passing moment was a fresh agony. "Did Star agree to let me go abroad?" Urs asked, feeling a level of despair she had never known before. She could feel her life slipping away. Last night had been unbearable. Sleep evaded her, leaving her trapped in a haze of nightmares. Ste-everything came back to Ste. She had left her sick and untreated, and now...
Cloudia whispered, "Urs..."
"Mom, I can''t take it anymore. I didn''t sleep a winkst night. It hurts so much. Please, speak to Star. Beg her to let me go. I''ll admit to whatever she wants," Urs sobbed. Cloudia was silent.
"Let her spare me this time. Once I recover, she can do whatever she wants with me," Urs pleaded desperately.
Trapped in an endless cycle of pain and darkness, Urs was losing hope. She wasn''t sure she''d ever see another sunrise.
"Mom, please talk to her. I beg you," Urs broke down in tears.
The basic relief of sleep was beyond her reach, and the unrelenting pain left her gasping for reprieve. She had never imagined that illness could cut this deeply.
Hearing Urs''s plea, Cloudia refused to believe her daughter had done anything wrong.
"My poor child," Cloudia murmured, feeling utterly hopeless herself. She was heartbroken by Urs''s suffering and furious at her own helplessness.
...
In the coffee bar of Wave Residence,
Tabitha sat in a state of disbelief. It had started the moment she saw Ste- or perhaps even earlier, when she first entered Mist Bay and
caught sight of the grand Wel.ne
Residence. The sight of the
mansion, standing majestically against the snowyndscape, had made her heart race.
Back when their studio was first established, before it had turned a profit, their boss had been incredibly generous. At the time, Tabitha had assumed the funds wereing from the Larkin family.
But now, seeing the Larkin family''s attitude toward Ste, it seemed unlikely. She had no idea where Ste had gotten her wealth from.
Could it be that Ste was secretly the little princess of Mist Bay? Was it connected to the man who came to pick her up?
It certainly didn''t seem like it was the Larkin family''s doing. If they had such connections, they wouldn''t be struggling so much now.
"What are you staring at? Cat got your tongue?" Ste ced a cup of coffee in front of Tabitha.
Tabitha''s eyes darted around. "Boss, you owe mepensation for emotional distress."
Ste raised an eyebrow.
Tabitha continued, "The way the Larkin family treated you, it broke my heart."
As if Ste needed her sympathy.
Here Tabitha was, a girl barely scraping by on her paycheck, renting a modest apartment, feeling sorry for a princess living in a castle. How ridiculous.
Susannaughed. "I should ask forpensation too."
When the Larkin family had cut off Ste''s credit cards during their fallout, Susanna had been beside herself with worry.
Ste smirked. "You guys are such drama queens."