The Larkin family household was in turmoil.
Cloudia clung desperately to Susanna''s leg, her voice trembling with urgency. "Ms. Tucker, please, just let me say a few words to her. I''m begging you..."
She waspletely frantic. Urs had just coughed up blood, and Jaxon''s vacant eyes haunted her constantly. She felt on the brink of madness. She knew that just a word from Ste could solve Urs and Jaxon''s troubles. Susanna chuckled disdainfully. "Mrs. Larkin, isn''t this a bit beneath you?"
How much did Cloudia love that adopted daughter of hers, Urs, to go to such lengths?
"I..."
Cloudia was at her wit''s end. Seeing Urs so frail and coughing up so much blood, she feared Urs was running out of time.
"Our family really needs a doctor, Ms. Tucker. Could you please put in a good word for us with Ste?"
The mention of "needing a doctor" ignited Susanna''s temper. Her eyes flickered with disdain as she kicked Cloudia aside.
Just then, L, carrying a child, stepped out of the car and witnessed the scene.
"Mrs. Larkin," Susanna continued, "I just don''t get it. Urs nearly cost Ste her life, and yet you still..."
"No, there''s been a misunderstanding," Cloudia interrupted, shaking her head in agony.
"Misunderstanding?" Susanna scoffed. "Then why did Urs run away?"
"We didn''t want Ste to make a fuss, so we forced her to leave. It was all us. Tell Ste Urs''s willing to take responsibility for everything now. Just get her treated, and Ste can decide the punishmentter," Cloudia pleaded desperately. "Later?" Susanna retorted. "What are you nning to do then? Cut off her credit card? Shut down her studio? Or kick her out of Portis City?"
Wasn''t that what they had done before?
Susanna''s disdain deepened as she recalled the lengths the Larkin family had gone to for an adopted daughter.
"A bunch of people who can''t tell family from outsiders."
With that parting shot, Susanna lost all patience and walked away.
Cloudia, seeing Susanna walk away, grew even more anxious. "Ms. Tucker, Ms. Tucker," she called out.
But before she could chase after Susanna, L suddenly appeared, blocking her path.
Cloudia''s breath hitched. "You... You need to step aside."
Cradling the child in her arms, L smirked mockingly. "She''s right, you can''t even figure out who''s important." "You... L, don''t be so shameless."
"Shameless? I''m holding your biological grandson here."
Since the child''s return, Cloudia had been cold and indifferent, not even sparing him a nce. At least the grandfather had checked on the boy twice bought him toys, and provided a generous amount for child support. But Cloudia?
L continued, "Seems thatdy was right. Your heart ispletely with your adopted daughter. Were you really nning to marry her off to Jaxon? Then why did you mess with Ms. Sirena Patel? Did you think you could keep everything in the family and still ruin a good girl?"
After a heated argument with Sirena, L had calmed down and investigated everything. And what she found Jaxon treasured his adopted sister, and so did Cloudia. "You- how dare you mention Sirena, you wretch."
The Patel family was already at odds with the Larkins. And with L forcefully moving in, the Larkin family was in chaos. The worst days were upon Cloudia and Urs.
...
As Susanna left the gatedmunity, her phone rang. It was her mother.
"Mom, it''s not time yet, right? It''s not time for my allowance."
Susanna had mixed feelings about her mom. They seldom spoke unless it was about money, and her mom only ever called to check if the funds had arrived. "Pick up some documents for me at the airport."
"Huh?"
"I''ll text you the number. Just contact him when you get there."
Susanna was about to say she was busy and needed to get back to writing, but the call ended abruptly.
That was her mother for you- straight to the point, no extra words, no room for discussion.
As soon as the call ended, her phone buzzed with the iing number. Susanna sighed, her initial n to return to the office slipping away With a reluctant shake of her head, she turned her car toward the airport.