Cloudia stared at the butler in sheer terror. "This..."
Her mind was so overwhelmed that she couldn''t even hear her own voice. She nced down again at the documents in her hands-every detail about that woman''s entry into the Larkin Group and the role Urs yed in it.
So, that woman was brought into thepany by Urs?
No, this couldn''t be...
Cloudia''s mind went nk in an instant, and she felt the blood in her veins run cold and backwards.
"Mrs. Larkin, Mrs. Larkin, are you alright?" the butler''s anxious voice cut through the silence, tensing the entire atmosphere of the living room.
Ste and Tegan had just finished their coffee on Rigou Street and were nning to grab some lunch when Tegan''s phone buzzed.
Ste assumed it might be Uriah calling. It seemed like Tegan had been through a lot with the Horner familytely. Even if she hadn''t said a word, Ste could sense Tegan''s growing aversion to them. Tegan listened to the voice on the other end, her eyes widening in shock. "Okay, I understand." After ending the call, she turned to Ste. "Mrs. Larkin''s been admitted to the hospital."
Whenever anyone around Ste mentioned Cloudia, they never referred to her as "your mom". It was always "Mrs. Larkin". Everyone knew for someone like Cloudia, she didn''t deserve the title of "mom" - not in Ste''s eyes, at least.
Ste raised an eyebrow. "What''s going on?"
"Not sure. A colleague from the hospital called. If her health gives out now, the Larkin family is in serious trouble."
The Larkin family was already as good as sunk. But if Cloudia was out ofmission, there''d be no one left to handle Urs.
Then, Ste suddenly realized why Cloudia might havended in the hospital. "I bet it''s because of Urs.
Tegan uttered, "Huh?"
"Susie checked out your little rumors-they''re all true," Ste exined.
Tegan gasped, "Oh my goodness..."
When she''d first heard those rumors, Tegan thought they were terrifying. She never imagined they''d turn out to be true.
"What on earth has Mrs. Larkin been protecting all these years?"
Ste smirked. "She''s taught Urs well, at least in terms of knowing who to favor."
Tegan was at a loss for words.
''Taught her well'' was a phrase that fit Cloudia perfectly. She used to say Ste didn''t know how to
Qu''
differentiate between family and foe. Well now she did-too well, in fact.
"She might lose her mind over this," Tegan said.
Ste shrugged. "You never know. She might just crawl out of that hospital bed and keep scheming for Urs.''
Tegan chuckled humorlessly. "Wow, that''s quite the image. Either way, it''s not your problem anymore." "Exactly," Ste agreed.
After all, she was nning to return to Ferrond soon. The Larkin family, and even Portis City, would be behind her.
The two friends linked arms and
strolled off to find a ce to eat. As they settled in, Tegan''s phone rang again, the topic once more being Cloudia.
After hanging up, she turned to Ste. "Seems like she''s really having a rough time. Might not pull through this one."
Ste just nodded. The news didn''t
move her. It wasn''t that she was heartless; she simply felt no
connection to these people. Giv
how they''d treated her since she returned to Portis City, she
already been magnanimous with her not striking Cloudia as she was down.
"If Cloudia''s really gone, Urs''s in for a tough ride," Tegan mused.
The two were ready to order when Ste''s phone rang. It was Ronald.
"No spicy food allowed."
Ste sighed, "Yeah, I got it."
Her recovery wasn''tplete, and Ronald had been kind enough to let her out. If she dared to eat irresponsibly, she''d never try stepping outside.
After ending the call, Tegan gave Ste a teasing smile. "Your brother really cares about you."
Ste chuckled. "Well, he won''t be my brother for much longer."
Tegan looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"
Ste beamed. "We''re getting married."
Tegan blinked in surprise. "Wow... congrattions."
Marriage. It sounded wonderful, though a hint of bittersweet emotion flickered in Tegan''s eyes
momentarily before she pushed it aside.
Ste smiled, "So, what about you and Uriah? Any ns?"