Chapter 442

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