Cloudia stood there, speechless, her face frozen in disbelief.


    Instinctively, she nced at Urs, who shook her head weakly, her pallor almost ghostly.


    "Mom," Urs whispered, her voice barely audible. Despite saying so little, Urs''s fragile state tugged at everyone''s heartstrings. Cloudia shot an angry re at L. "Stop trying to stir the pot. The mess the Larkin family is in now is all because of Ste."


    L smirked. "Oh really? So, when Dad had twins with thepany''s financial director, was it Ste who introduced them?" Cloudia fell silent, her anger simmering beneath the surface.


    Urs, meanwhile, seemed momentarily lost, her gaze unfocused.


    L''s knowing smile only made things worse, prompting Urs to lower her head in silence.


    Mentioning ise only fueled Cloudia''s anger further, her fists clenching tightly in response.


    ...


    Susanna forwarded a video to Ste, unable to resist a couple of amused clucks.


    "This is just too juicy," shemented before dialing Ste''s number.


    "Can you believe what a rollercoaster the Larkin family drama has be?" Susannaughed.


    Ste replied, "If you''re still able to enjoy the spectacle, I suppose the airport incident didn''t rattle you too much."


    Ste had been worried that Susanna, who wasn''t used to such chaos, might be shaken. But clearly, she wasn''t. Just moments ago, Susanna had beenmenting her lost first kiss, and now she waspletely engrossed in the Larkin family saga. Susanna shrugged it off. "Oh,e on, it''s not that big of a deal."


    "Not even the first kiss?" Ste teased.


    Susannaughed. "Hey, don''t keep bringing up things I can''t fix, alright?"


    If Susanna could have stood up to Hull, she would have pped him silly. But she couldn''t, and she knew it.


    "Alright, enough of that. I''ll let you


    go. Enjoy the show," Susanna said, hanging up...Despite the ongoing arguments echoing from the Larkin household, Susanna had already lost interest. The Larkin family drama was endless, too much for her to keep up with.


    On her way out of a client interview, Susanna got a call from her mom.


    "Mom, what''s with all the frequent calls? Suddenly remembered you have a daughter?" she teased.


    Their contact was sparse, twice month at most. They could go so long without speaking that they might forget the other existed. "Susie, you need to leave the country," Lacey Tucker, Susanna''s mother, said, her voice firm and urgent.


    "Uh, what?" Susanna was baffled.


    "Just pack up and go. I''ve sent Tania to get you. She''ll take care of everything."


    Susanna was stunned. Not only was she being told to leave the country, but someone was being sent to ensure she did so.


    "Where am I supposed to go?"


    "To Ferrond."


    "Now?"


    Ferrond was where Star grew up. Was she really supposed to move there? "Yes, and don''te back to Portis City until I say so," Lacey instructed.


    "What''s going on?" Susanna''s voice was tinged with urgency. Despite the infrequent calls, she cared for her mother. The strange tone in bacey''s voice made her anxious.


    But before she could get any answers, Lacey hung up, leaving Susanna in silence.


    "Am I know


    ''s happening?" Susanna d to herself, feeling a mix of and concern.


    mux not important enough to