Sadie clung to Stephen's hand and pleaded, "Stephen, you've got it all wrong. I wasn't... It's just that Mrs. Yagle, well, there's something about her. Come on, Trevon's taken. Why would I want to marry him?"She gritted her teeth in denial, her voice a mix of defiance and charm. "I'm not crazy enough to sell myself short."Stephen's stern look softened, and he playfully flicked her forehead. "For a second there, I thought you'd lost your head over Trevon.""As if! You're way hotter than Trevon!"Stephen was not swayed by her sweet talk. He warned her again, "Keep your distance from Trevon. Grandpa and the others have plans for your future, and you're not to mess things up, got it?"Sadie made a face but nodded in agreement.Seeing Stephen relax a bit, she ventured a quieter question. "So, why are you so chummy with Madeline, huh?"Stephen's face took on a thoughtful cast. He remembered asking Caleb after the auction if he had really stopped bidding on that painting just to let
Yeneth's face brightened at the suggestion.The house was not close to the office, but with the subway nearby, it was a breeze to commute. She had been swamped and did not have time to house-hunt, so it was a lucky break."I'll cover the rent," Yeneth insisted.Madeline dismissed the idea with a wave of her hand. "Don't worry about it. I might need to bunk there myself someday. Did you get all your stuff out, though?"Yeneth grimaced. "Not exactly."She had dashed out with just the bare essentials.Madeline's expression turned thoughtful. She wondered if Yeneth had left things behind because she was too busy or if she was holding out hope of patching things up with York.However, best friends were supposed to push her to move on, right?"Perfect timing. Our friend here can help us move your stuff tonight!"Yeneth blinked in surprise. "Tonight?""You're not seriously considering getting back together, are you?" Madeline asked, skeptical."Of course not! I just didn't want to
As soon as Carmen heard the call to the police, she leaped forward."What are you playing at, you little troublemaker? You know filing a false report can land you in jail, right?"Madeline smirked, eyebrow cocked. "Well, look at you, not as clueless as I thought. Do you have any idea how long they lock you up for stealing a coat?""Stealing? Please! This is my son's place. You're the real thieves here!"Madeline waved her phone. "It doesn't matter if you don't recognize it. The police will sort it out when they get here. This outfit cost three thousand six hundred dollars. That's considered grand theft, which is enough to land you in jail for three years!"Carmen was so shocked by the mention of 3,600 dollars that she lunged at Yeneth with a furious howl."You waste space! Is this your idea of spending money? I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget!" Carmen yelled.Caleb quickly stepped in front of her. "Lady, please behave yourself!"With a venomous spit, Carmen collapsed ont
"You're going to regret this!" York exclaimed through clenched teeth.Yeneth could not help but laugh.York was still so full of himself. What made him think she would regret leaving him? With a sarcastic laugh, she brushed past him and headed to her room with Madeline in tow. The room was in complete disarray.Her clothes were heaped on the bed in a tangled mess. The vanity was just as chaotic, with items tossed aside carelessly, many without their lids.A look of anguish crossed Yeneth's face."My black headband! My face cream! My La Mer serum! My ex-boyfriend's gift!"Each item she picked up brought her closer to the edge.Those were her treasures, used only for the most special occasions. They lay discarded like garbage, nearly half of them used up.She had only been gone for a week!Yeneth's glare swept over everyone in the room, finally resting on York. "I could forgive the clothes, but these, you know how much they mean to me! How could you let them be ruined like t
Caleb was not about to let that stick smack him. With a quick yank, he pulled York in front of him as a human shield.The stick landed with a heavy thud.York yelped in pain, setting Carmen off. She charged forward, but Yeneth was quick to block her.Everything erupted into chaos.Madeline's heart raced, and she was about to jump into the fight when a booming voice cut through the night."What's the ruckus about now?!"The cops they had called had shown up.Madeline let out a silent 'thank you'. They arrived just in time.The officers managed to break up the scuffle, and Carmen collapsed to the ground, wailing, "Why's my life so hard? I slave away for an old man by day, deal with a houseful at night, and the minute I sit down, my cheating daughter-in-law causes a scene with her lover. I just can't take it anymore."Yeneth, with Madeline's help, wiped away the blood on her face and nearly jumped back into the fight.Madeline held her steady. "Take a breath."She checked on Ca
The cops were no strangers to stubborn troublemakers, but someone that boldly defiant was a rare sight.Yeneth, irked by Carmen's condescending attitude, snapped back, "That place is mine! You're the ones who should be moving! I haven't even billed you for staying there the past few days!"Carmen was taken aback.She turned to York, bewildered, "You told me that was your place!"York, visibly irritated but trying to keep his cool, corrected her. "You misunderstood! I said I was the one who rented it!""Rented it, huh? Did you actually pay the rent or just a deposit?" Yeneth asked."What's it to you whether I rented it or you did? I've paid my share for the bills and the internet too."Yeneth just scoffed.Madeline thought to herself, 'So, this is the legendary freeloader trying to act tough.'The house was Yeneth's lease, so Carmen had no leg to stand on. They settled with Yeneth not making a big deal out of it, just asking for a payout of 750 dollars.They were all set to le
The moment Yeneth whipped out her phone to snap photos, Madeline was already one step ahead, recording everything on her phone. She captured the whole showdown, every move laid bare.Who threw the first punch? How did Sean's sneak attack on Caleb go down? What about the defense?The footage clearly showed Madeline's group defending themselves with no sign of going overboard.The injuries Carmen and Rebecca suffered were mostly from their own clumsy scuffle. As for York, well, Sean had only himself to blame for that wound.Holden confidently stated, "This video clearly shows that my clients didn't start the fight. In fact, it was the Lawson family that kept provoking them. I suspect York and his family had it out for my clients from the start."The officer, reviewing Madeline's video, turned to York and his family. "Anything to add?"Sean and Carmen's faces fell, their confidence slipping away.York glared at Madeline, his voice tinged with anger. "Madeline, how can you just film
Trevon marched into the police station, his steps firm, his anger clear.He yanked Madeline's hand away. "What in the world are you doing?"If he did not show up soon, were they going to end up in each other's arms?Madeline's hand throbbed from his tight grip, and she scowled with impatience. "I'm putting on pain relief cream! Can't you see?!""Is he so badly hurt or dying that you need to play nurse with him in front of everyone?"Trying to wriggle free without success, Madeline let out a mocking laugh. "He's not hurt down there, so what's the big deal about me treating him right here? Got a problem with that, Mr. Gibson?"Suddenly, all eyes darted to Trevon's backside.Fuming, Trevon wished he could just stitch her mouth shut.However, all he could do was glare calmly as everyone quickly looked away, feigning ignorance."Release me!" Madeline demanded again.Trevon glanced down, noticed her wrist turning pale from his grip, and hastily let go.Her wrist was marked with an