?<strong>Chapter 1004:</strong>


    Mabel tilted her head, her eyes wide and gleaming like a curious cat. Even Elyse couldn’t suppress a shiver when she saw that look.


    Irritated, Elyse snapped, “If you don’t believe me, then why bother asking?”


    Mabel, biting her lip and drifting back to the blissful days she spent at Hyde’s house, asked, “But if he did deceive me, why was he so kind to me?”


    Elyse sighed, shaking her head. “He’s treating you well because he wants to deceive you. It’s all part of the game.”


    Mabel’s voice grew louder, defensive. “But what could he possibly gain from tricking me? I can’t offer him any money.”


    Elyse’s face hardened, a sneer curling at her lips. “Not every scam is about money, Mabel. What about your body? Hasn’t he already had that?”


    Mabel flinched as if struck. A wave of shame washed over her, memories of those wild, reckless nights with Hyde shing through her mind. So, was that all it had been? Just lust, with no real love behind it?


    Insulted and stung by the thought, Mabel’s voice trembled as she turned to Elyse. “Is that what you wanted, huh? To see me humiliated, lied to by some asshole, just so you could sit there and gloat?”


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    Elyse raised an eyebrow, her frustration palpable. “Why do you always misconstrue everything I say? Do you truly think of me as someone who takes pleasure in your misery?”


    Her words struck a nerve in Mabel, and her anger red. With every word she spoke, she shoved Elyse harder. “Yes! You always act so high and mighty, while I’m the screw-up! Do you want to know what I hate most about you?”


    Mabel spat, her voice cracking. “What I hate most is that you always act like you’re doing it for my own good. But all you ever do is push me further into the abyss. What kind of sister are you?”


    To Elyse, this was absurd. She blinked, wondering if Mabel even heard herself. Spoiled rotten by Glenda and Lanny, Mabel had never been told ‘no’, never known limits. Elyse’s patience was running on fumes.


    “So, now it’s my fault your life’s a mess? Let’s be real for a second—was it me who brought Hyde into your life? No, Mabel. It was you who introduced him to me. I didn’t even know the guy until you brought him around. So what could I have done to stop any of this?”


    Mabel’s face twisted, the weight of Elyse’s words settling in, but she refused to admit defeat. “Enough! I don’t want to hear anymore.” Her eyes glinted with desperation as she stared at Elyse. “You’re my sister. You can’t abandon me, right?”


    Elyse narrowed her eyes. “What did you say?”


    “You’re my sister! I’ve been tricked by a jerk. You should help me get even.” Before Elyse could respond, Mabel reached into her pocket, pulling out a handkerchief. With swift, practiced ease, she pressed it to Elyse’s face.


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