Madeline felt for Sherah's tough breaks. She had been through the wringer with domestic abuse and a son who was distant and unfeeling, leaving all her dreams in the dust. However, that was it."The only way to clear your name and start fresh is to testify against the person who hurt my mom and make sure they face the law," Madeline said."Or would you rather stay silent, go back to that wreck of a home, and live every day with the pain and the guilt eating you up inside?"Sherah shivered, tears streaming down her face.A nurse nearby could not stand to watch and moved to intervene, but Daniel stepped in to stop her.Madeline locked eyes with Sherah. "And don't forget, even if you keep quiet, do you really think Lydia will just let it slide?"Sherah went pale, haunted by memories of shattering glass, being hunted by Radd, and the choking smoke that filled her lungs. She knew she could not keep living like that.Madeline watched her, silent, waiting for her to decide. With a sudde
After her split with Trevon, he had set her up with a chance to study abroad at the Itania Flotenzo School of Art.That thought struck Lydia as a lifeline. "Right, right, I've got to get out of the country."They scrambled to pack, then it hit them – Lydia had never planned to travel abroad and had not even applied for a visa. Then, desperate to leave, she needed one pronto. Could she even get a visa at that point?"Don't worry, your dad can smooth things over with the immigration folks," Skylar reassured her.With no other options, Lydia had to hope that would work. However, she was not just sitting around doing nothing. She whipped out a second phone and shot a text to Kyson: "The target from last time is still breathing. Finish the job. Same pay as before."Message sent, she wiped the record clean in a flash.The following day, Lydia was off to get her visa sorted. She figured it would be a breeze, but the clerk threw a wrench in her plans. "Sorry, miss. Your school proof is n
Lydia could not help but feel a wave of relief that she had a backup plan and had already touched base with Hector.With their level of friendship, she knew that if she hinted at needing assistance to go abroad, he would be there for her in a heartbeat. Without a second thought, Lydia ended the call with Trevon.Talking to that useless guy was just throwing time down the drain. She opened up her chat with Hector, started to type a message, but then hesitated. Instead, she decided to post a status update that only Stephen could see."Trying to get abroad for further studies is such a struggle!"She added a few snaps of her visa application and her disappointed face after the rejection. That would surely get Hector to come to her aid, just like he always did.Meanwhile, Trevon stared at the disconnected call, smirked indifferently, and was about to get back to work when something made him pause.In the next instant, he was on the phone, calling Madeline. Madeline was in the middle
Hector had tried to talk to Yash before. However, he barely got a word out before Andrew, who was passing by, overheard and gave Hector a taste of his stick. He could not figure out why everyone got so worked up at the mention of Lydia.Obviously, Madeline must have bad-mouthed Lydia to the Fergusons, making them all turn against her. Well, if that's how it was, Madeline could go explain things to Yash.Madeline could not help but laugh out of sheer frustration. "Me? Make it up to Lydia? Have you lost your marbles?"Mr. Hector Ferguson, I'm about to get to work, so could you please leave?"She did not even feel like wasting her breath arguing with Hector. Why bother debating with someone who's lost their grip on reality?Madeline had better things to do. Hector slammed his foot against the table next to Madeline, sending the neatly arranged, drying brushes into a noisy dance."Don't play dumb when you know you're in the wrong."Like you're someone important!"Your mom was a tot
Madeline was, of course, about to stir the pot with Lydia. If she did not give her a nudge, Lydia would never do as she wanted.Lydia's icy voice answered the call, "What's up?"Madeline's lips curled into a knowing smirk. "So, Trevon tells me you're planning to jet off abroad?"Lydia's surprise quickly turned to anger. "He blabbed about that to you too?"She had barely hung up on Trevon, and Hector had not even gotten back to her yet—how did Madeline find out so fast? Did Trevon spill the beans to Madeline the second she ended the call? Trevon! Had he really lost all fondness for her?"What's it to you if he tells me? You think you can actually stop me from leaving the country?"Madeline's smile did not waver. "I might not be able to, but the law sure can. Once I file the appeal for the second trial and the court sends you the notice, you're grounded."Lydia felt a jolt of panic but kept her voice steady. "Big deal. If I'm not convicted, once the appeal's over, I'm outta here."
Hector had just slipped into fresh clothes when Lydia's call came through. He answered in a rush.Lydia's voice, raspy and worn, reached him. "Hector, I need a favor."Hearing the strain in her voice, Hector's concern spiked. "Lydia, have you been crying? Did Madeline pick on you again?"Lydia paused, a bit taken aback. 'Since when is Hector so perceptive?' she wondered. She did not need to drop any hints, and he was already onto Madeline.However, she kept that to herself and replied wearily, "Oh, you know. She's my sister. Bullying? It's complicated.""It's definitely her. I've always said she's too much to handle!" Hector interjected, teeth gritted. "So, what do you need help with?"Lydia was taken aback by his blunt take on Madeline, but she let it slide. The more Hector got the wrong idea about Madeline, the better it played out for her."Here's the thing. Remember how I said I wanted to study in Itania? Well, my application's been stuck in limbo forever. You've been to Flo
Andrew had kept mum the whole time. Once Hector was out of earshot, he huffed, "The guy's lost his marbles!"For once, Sophia did not rush to Hector's defense. She mused, "I used to think Hector wasn't as sharp as Stephen. I was planning to leave most of the trust fund to him. Looks like he won't be needing it after all."I'm thinking about setting aside half for Madeline. What's your take, Andrew?"Andrew had never been on board with giving Hector such a hefty slice of the fund.Boys need to toughen up, right? Sitting on a pile of cash and living off the interest—how dull is that?"Your call."If Hector got wind of that, he would be beside himself. His studio might have a rep, but the cash flow? Just so-so. Without the Ferguson family's backing, both out in the open and behind the scenes, he would have tanked years ago. Hector's designs? Out there. Sky-high dreams and all.However, catwalks and the real world? Miles apart. He could not live in style alone. So yes, he's strapped
Madeline stepped out of her car and spotted the man waiting by the curb. The chill in the air made his coat over his suit look even more dashing. If he had not been holding that huge food container, he could have been mistaken for a runway model, turning heads as people walked by.Madeline blinked, tempted to ignore him, but Trevon was already approaching. He held up the food container, "Yahir's place sent over some roast chicken, and grandma wanted you to have one."Daniel wondered, 'What's the point of having chefs in the mansion if we're getting takeout from Yahir?'Madeline bit her lip, hesitating over whether to take it or not.Trevon chimed in, "Grandma said you should swing by the old house when you get a chance."With an exasperated eye roll, Madeline shot back, "Tell the Skylandia crew to ease up on the demands, and maybe I'll find time to see Grandma."It was like Skylandia had snagged a workhorse in her, and the requests just kept on coming.Madeline had reached her l