Ste shrugged nonchntly. "How would I know why she fell down the stairs? You should ask the person involved, not me."


    Haynes remained silent, his sharp eyes fixed on Ste. His face was a perfect mask of indifference, yet the air around them grew colder with every passing second.


    He wasn''t buying her story. After all, no one would fall down the stairs without a


    reason.


    In the stifling tension, Keen''s face showed a hint of unease. But Ste stood her ground, meeting his gaze without fear. Her eyes were clear and steady, revealing no hint of guilt.


    Rachel quickly interjected, "Haynie, maybe we should drop it..."


    "We can''t let it go like this," Jasper cut Rachel off. "We need to teach this witch a lesson, or who knows what she''ll do next!"


    Ste crossed her arms, her tone sharp. "Ms. Pearce, care to exin to everyone how you ended up at the bottom of the stairs?"


    Rachel''s eyes darted, torn between speaking up and staying silent.


    Ste shot a look at Rachel''s carefully crafted innocence. "Since I''m not part of this drama, I''ll take my leave."


    Jasper blocked the door, shouting, "You''re not leaving until Rachel gets an exnation!"


    Ste scoffed, "I''m telling you I didn''t push her, and Ms. Pearce hasn''t said it was me, either. Yet everyone else insists it was me."


    Jasper realized Ste had changed. She was sharp-tongued, leaving him at a loss for words.


    He looked at Rachel anxiously, "Rachel, tell everyone. Did Ste push you or not?"


    Ste was right. Unless Rachel confirmed it, no amount of usations would stick. After all, Rachel was the one involved.


    Rachel secretly cursed Jasper''s ipetence. People would start to suspect something was off if she kept stalling.


    She took a deep breath, ready to speak, when the door to the hospital room swung open again. Two figures, onerge and one small, walked in.


    "Ste, are you okay?" Marvin rushed over to hug Ste tightly.


    Ste embraced Marvin, feeling a twinge of guilt. "I''m sorry. I haven''t taken good care of you."


    She had promised Neville to look after Marvin, yet trouble kept finding her, leaving little time for Marvin.


    Despite his young age, Marvin was understanding. "Ste, you''ve been taking good care of me..."


    Before Marvin could finish, a voice filled with hostility rang out. "What are you doing with my mom?"


    Marvin looked up to see Keen ring at him.


    "Keen?" Marvin looked surprised. "What are you doing here?"


    Keen didn''t answer. Instead, he charged over, angrily shoving Marvin away from


    Ste. "Get away! Stay away from my mom!"


    Caught off guard, Marvin stumbled and fell.


    Ste''s expression shifted, and she quickly helped Marvin get on his feet from the floor. "Are you alright, sweetie?"


    Marvin''s eyes welled up with tears, looking at Ste with a pained expression. "It hurts."


    Ste checked him over and saw a scrape on his arm. Her face softened with concern. "Let''s get you some ointment..."


    Keen''s voice, filled with anger and resentment, cut through before she could finish. "Mom, why are you being so nice to him? Why are you letting him hug you?!"