Ste hesitated for a moment, but finally spoke. “My mother said... if you''re willing to cut ties with Aurora, she''lle back."


    The smile on Skyler''s face faded away.


    He frowned. "She''s not a kid anymore. Why is your mother still so unreasonable at her age?"


    Ste''s mother had indeed said to her, "If your father or your brothers ask why I refuse toe home, just tell them as long as they cut Aurora off, I''ll be Mrs. Williams again."


    Skyler''s words made Ste''s heart sink a little.


    Before she returned to the Williams family, her mother hadid out everything for her, holding nothing back.


    In this whole tangled mess, her mother was the biggest victim.


    Yet Skyler just brushed her off as childish.


    Before Ste could say anything else, her third brother, Coleman Williams, burst into the room.


    He fixed Ste with a cold, hostile look. "You''re really something, aren''t you, Ste? All this scheming just to get Aurora out-you''d even use your own mother." Since Ste''s return, Coleman had shown her nothing but open disdain.


    Ste saw no reason to keep pretending either.


    "If you think I''m so maniptive, why don''t you go see Mom yourself and ask her?" she shot back.


    "You think I haven''t tried? She refuses to see me!" Coleman snapped. "It''s you, isn''t it? You''re the reason she won''t see any of us!"


    "If I was really so persuasive, don''t you think I''d convince Mom toe home in the first ce?" Ste''s voice was icy.


    Coleman fell silent, unable to answer.


    Skyler stepped in, cutting through the tension. "Enough, both of you. If she doesn''t want toe back, so be it. Give it some time-she''ll miss Raven soon enough ande home."


    With Skyler''s word, Ste and Coleman let the argument drop.


    But after that day, she and Coleman barely spoke a word to each other.


    Later, word spread that Aurora''s old childhood fiancé, Sherman Burton, had returned after hearing about the family drama.


    He had a sharp tongue and sometimes mocked her, but at least he was smarter than Jasper.


    Aurora was a year older than Ste.


    She wanted to get into business school the familypany. She had a real


    fall after graduation, j


    knack for business. CDelongs to


    But Skyler insisted she study music instead.


    Of course, they all med Ste—said she was the one pushing Skyler behind


    the scenes.


    Suddenly, she was painted as the maniptive viin, the jealous、


    schemer who envied every


    move.  t


    At first, her father and oldest brother


    and


    it. But after enough time


    Stand rumors, even they


    started to believe it.


    And Sherman, for Aurora''s sake, staged an borate act.


    He pretended to break off with Aurora, thenter apologized, iming it had all been a misunderstanding.


    After that, he went out of his way to look after her, always attentive to her every need.


    He spent a whole year gaining her trust, just to set the stage for a betrayal she''d never forget...


    "Star, wake up..."


    Ste''sshes fluttered as she slowly opened her eyes.


    A strikingly handsome, carefree face came into view.


    "Neville..."


    "You looked like you were having a nightmare just now."


    Neville reached out to feel her forehead. Her fever had finally broken, and he let


    out a breath of relief.


    He poured her a ss of water.


    Ste was drenched in sweat, her throat parched and raw.


    She took the cup from Neville. "Thanks."


    ncing out the window, she realized with surprise that morning light was already streaming in.


    "Mr. Connolly, have you been here all night?"