?Chapter 703:


    She had been through an exhausting day. From being left behind by everyone to wandering in the rain with no shelter, from Vince turning her away to the unbearable silence from her parents, it felt as though she had been ground down to nothing.


    Even so, here she was, returned to these walls.


    But did this ce even count as home anymore?


    She found it hard to tell.


    All she could do was cry, the way a child might weep after losing the world.


    Meanwhile, in the living room below, Richardshed out, kicking the coffee table so hard that every mug rattled and threatened to tip.


    “How much longer is this going to go on? Why can’t she pull herself together? You’re her mother — go up there and make her see what’s at stake!”


    Seated stiffly on the sofa, Sandra sipped her coffee, her grip nearly cracking the porcin. “And do you honestly think she’ll listen to reason right now?”


    A derisive snort left Richard as he cast his eyes toward the bathroom upstairs, his voice sharp as ice. “There’s no turning back now. Have you seen the trash they’re spewing about our family online? Rosanna’s name is getting dragged through the mud. We need to make Axell sign the settlement agreement tonight, no matter what it takes.”


    Frustration boiling over, Richard mmed his fist into the wall, knuckles paling from the force. “There’s no point trying to reason with Rosanna. At this rate, we’ll have to get what we want another way.”


    Sandra’s expression shifted, shadows pooling beneath her eyes. “And what exactly do you mean by that?”


    The only answer Richard gave was another dismissive grunt. “It’s toote to y nice. Now that things have spiraled this far, she can only me herself.”


    With a flick of his wrist, he pulled out his phone and dialed Axell’s number.


    Axell, who’d spent the previous night deep in his cups, finally answered the call after sleeping off the worst of it. Richard’s request snapped him to attention, a twisted thrill lighting his voice. “Don’t worry, the settlement agreement is ready. Just send Rosanna over, and you’ll have it.”


    After ending the call, anticipation buzzed through Axell.


    Feel inspired by ga  ln o vels .


    He ordered the servants to freshen up the bedroom, making sure everything looked just right.


    Tonight, he nned to savor every moment with Rosanna, hungry for another taste of her vulnerability.


    The very idea had him rifling through his nightstand for pills — determined to be at his strongest for what was toe.


    Not stopping there, he retrieved a whip bristling with thorns, a cruel smile twisting his lips.


    “With the rain pouring down so fiercely tonight, it’s the perfect excuse to keep the fun going until sunrise!”


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