If Ste ever thought of herself as part of the Larkin family, she wouldn''t have been so ruthless to them. After all, they were her blood rtives.


    But just look at how far she''d gone. She left herself no fallback whatsoever.


    She never even considered that she might need a haven with the Larkin family one day if she ended up in the same situation with the Lugar family as Urs did. She hadn''t thought of that.


    Jaxon was seething with anger. He had practically begged Ste, lowering himself to a level he''d never thought possible, but she remained as unyielding as a stone.


    What was she to the Lugar family anyway? Some precious treasure? He doubted it. Without a blood tie, he wanted to see if they would continue to hold her in such high regard.


    Cloudia felt a tight knot in her chest when she heard that. "You mean... she refuses to help me?"


    Jaxon replied, "Yes."


    Cloudia''s eyes welled up instantly, tears streaming down her face. "She doesn''t remember even a shred of our bond?"


    Jaxon nodded again. "Yes."


    Cloudia felt as though something heavy was lodged in her heart. "I am her mother. I carried her for nine months and endured all the pains that a mother bears. How could she do this to me?"


    Jaxon remained silent.


    "How could she do this to me? I am her mother."


    Hearing Ste had refused to help drove Cloudia to madness. She screamed, overwhelmed by hysteria. "I regret it. I''ve decided not to favor Urs anymore, so why won''t she help me?"


    The more Jaxon listened, the more ragged his breathing became, and his resentment toward Ste deepened.


    Cloudia continued, "What should I do for her to forgive me? She knows the entire Larkin family needs her now. Why is she being so heartless?"


    Cloudia was on the brink of losing her mind. The thought that Ste refused to help made it seem impossible for her to find a way out. She was losing her sanity.


    Faced with Cloudia''s breakdown, Jaxon could only remain silent.


    Cloudia asked, "And your father? What''s his stance now? Is he also abandoning me for that woman outside?"


    Ste was out of the question. Then Cloudia pinned her hopes on ise.


    But when it came to ise, Jaxon''s breathing quickened. He had thought about reaching out to his father. But his father refused to see him. That was his own father, yet in the past few days, Jaxon had felt the sting of being abandoned,


    Yes, he had been abandoned! His father of so many years now poured all his attention into that other family.


    "I''m sorry." Faced with Cloudia''s copse, Jaxon, as her son, felt a profound sense of helplessness.


    Whether they liked it or not, the Larkin family fell apart because of Urs and Ste.


    ...


    After a long overnight flight, Ronald''s private jetnded at Ferrond International Airport around ten the following morning.


    Knowing she would be returning to Ferrond, Ste had woken up early.


    Ronald coaxed her into having some oatmeal, but her stomach was so unsettled that she threw it all up.


    She hadn''t eaten well for days, so by the time theynded, Ste felt thoroughly exhausted.


    Ronald carried her the whole way, and for once, Ste didn''t insist on walking on her own because she simply didn''t have the strength.


    "When we get home, I''ll have the medical team give you a full check-up," Ronald said with a gentle smile, his eyes full of tenderness.


    Ste murmured in agreement, nodding softly. Since she suspected she might be pregnant, she hadn''t taken any of the medications Finley bought her on the ne.


    Trailing behind, Finley was still grumbling about the trip to the Muliba Desert. When he heard Ronald mention the medical check-up, he couldn''t help but add sarcastically, "It looks like your medical room''s finally going to get some use."


    Speaking of the medical room, it had all started because Ste had a weak constitution as a child. The first time she got sick and had to go to the hospital for an IV, she vomited because she couldn''t stand the smell of disinfectant.


    After that, Ronald expanded the medical room at home. They bought all the equipment you''d find in a hospital and even dedicated an entire wing of the house


    to it. They even hired a team of pediatric specialists.


    As Ste grew up, the team changed, but even in the years she spent away from Ferrond, the team remained.


    Hearing the bitterness in Finley''s voice, Ste peeked out from Ronald''s embrace. "You better stop talking, or your time in the Muliba Desert might just get extended."


    Finley got struck silent at the mention of "extended."