Vespera left her parents'' house at 6:00 am


    Normally, Vernon would be out for his morning jeg and Wanda would be preparing breakfast at this time, nut today, they hadn''t woken up yet


    They had only gone to bed around 2:00 am, after staying up all night waiting for her


    toe home.


    She left a note on the fridge before she left.


    Alter sneaking out of themunity, she took a cab to teba''s house.


    When Reba opened the door, her eyes were swollen with dark circles, "How can Luke still beconsidered human? He''s nothing but a bastard! No, calling him a bastard is too good for him! "And Tina and his mother? They''re worse than bitches!"


    After Vespera had called Reba earlier and exined everything at happenedst night, Reba was furious. She was so angry that she almost wanted to go out immediately and tear them apart.


    Reba was filled with rage, but Vespera remained unusually calm.


    She stepped inside, changed into her slippers, and asked, "Are there any ingredients in the fridge? I''ll make us some breakfast"


    reba looked at her in disbelief. "You st have the energy to make breakfast."


    Vespera took off her coat and gently pushed her agitated friend down onto the couch. "It''s not worth starving ourselves over people like them. We need to eat first so we have the energy to deal with them" She was about to pull her hand back.


    "Wall


    Reba pressed her hand down, staring at Vespera''s wrist.


    There were two deep red marks, clearly from being bound too tightly. Her stomach churned. "How could they still the your hands in that situation? They didn''t leave you any way


    Vespera smiled bitterly. "Yeah, they really didn''t leave me any way out"


    Reba''s anger red again. "Tina bring vicious is one thing, but Luke..how could be do this?"


    been together for eight years


    Reba took a deep breath, her voice choking. "Even if he doesn''t love you anymore, just break up. But does he really have to go this far? You''ve b eight years! For someone he''s known less than six months, "For the sake of a new lover, he''ll do anything."


    "But before, he searched for you everywhere, acting like he still cared!"


    Vespera scoffed and thought, "Gre?"


    "You know he''s going to announce his engagement to Tina tonight?"


    "What?


    Reba tumed to stare at her in shock. "But you''re not even divorced yet! Walt."


    A terrifying thought suddenly crossed her mind. "Does he already know that you had him sign the divorce agreement?


    Vespera pursed her lips. "I''ve considered that possibility"


    Reberce''s eyes widened “What if he''s be plotting this from the start? He worked with his mother-one of them kept you calm, while the other pushed you to make up you


    "Once the druice agreement and thepensation settlement were in effect, he wouldn''t just be able to


    dworce you but also get out of


    paying a single penny. If you dial


    agree, they''d use the video to


    ckenal you.


    back.


    "To protect that video from leaking, you''d have no choice but to swallow your pride and ept. This way, he and Tina can be together without anything holding them by "This man is terrifying."


    Vespera tell into deep thought "Was it really like that?"


    Thanking back on Luke''s actions and what Tina had saidst night, thirre seemed to be a logical inconsistency.


    "Ba, Luned you to help with something," Vrapera s?d, breaking her train of thought.


    Heberra, her mind ase with the desire to tear down the deceitful man and woman, immediately responded, "just say the word. I''ll do whatever it take!" Ady vojen that evering.


    hall of the Penins Hotel was filled with


    elegant crystal chandeliers and the soft flow of ssical music.


    High society elses moved through the space, d in fineclothes, exchanging toasts, and weaving through a ssic scene of wealth and influence.


    Tonight''s charity g was hosted by e he had ved all the promouent tigues from Halewick, and the Sowle family had shown their


    hull support, sending the entire tandly


    With the way these two alles weirssory,


    could tell important announcement was about to be made,


    Tina had been holding Lake''s ann sie they arrived, asionally ncing down at her phone.


    She couldn''t help but wonder what was going on with those people. "Hary weren''t answering their phones, nor were they sending any updates or videos.


    the thought to herself, "What was going on? Had they failed?


    However, that didn''t seem poble. They had already gotten hurt in bed their was way they could have falled.


    Besides, if they had falled, Vespera would havee to find her abiraly.


    It seemed possible that they had gone to such extremes that they night have act tally caused liet death, and now they were hiding in fear of the consequences. She frowned in frustration. This was getting boring