“Don''t be afraid, Ynda. As long as I''m here, I won''t let anything happen to you. I will make sure you get healthy again."


    "Mom," Ynda cried, throwing herself into Mrs. Walker''s arms.


    "Don''t cry, don''t cry, it''s going to be okay. For now, you just need to cooperate with the doctors. Once I have everything arranged, you''ll be healthy again. You can be like you were before, a normal person. You can fall in love, get married, and have a child of your own."


    Ynda leaned against her mother, her emotions finally settling down.


    Though tears still lingered in her eyes, her gaze held a chilling, sinister glint.


    She wanted Yvonne''s kidney, just as she had been determined to have Flora Moore''s all those years ago. If those bitches dared topete with her for a man, she would take their kidneys.


    ...


    That weekend was Tobias''s birthday.


    Because of his prominent status, his birthdays were never celebratedvishly-it was usually just a simple family dinner.


    The Thompson dinner was an intimate affair that evening; only Tobias, Dana, Noah, and Yvonne sat around the massive table.


    The Patriarch certainly wasn''t going to make a special trip just for his son''s birthday, and Bet was busy with his military duties and couldn''t make it back.


    Noah hade alone. He and Cynthia were locked in a messy divorce, and this time, it was all out in the open; Cynthia had already filed in court.


    The tension at the table was palpable.


    Neither Tobias nor Dana looked pleased.


    "How is Nic?" Dana asked.


    "She''s been discharged. She broke her leg and will need to rest and recover for a while," Noah said.


    "How did she suddenly get into a car ident? Was it negligence on the White family''s part, or is there more to the story?" Dana asked. She clearly suspected it was no ident.


    "I''ve had someone look into it. We should have answers soon," Noah replied.


    Dana nodded, then asked, "And Cynthia? Why didn''t shee?"


    "Cynthia isn''t feeling well. She''s been hospitalized and is on bed rest to prevent a miscarriage," Noah added.


    "She''s not feeling well because you''ve upset her!" Tobias suddenly snapped. "You''re remarried, yet you''re still entangled with your ex-wife, stressing your current wife so much she ends up in the hospital. What exactly are you trying to do?!"


    "I''m not entangled with Karina. I was just visiting Nic."


    "You spend half the month with your ex-wife and child. If you can''t let go, then you shouldn''t have divorced and ruined someone else''s life. Are you adoctor? Do you think Nic will get better just because you''re hovering over her? It''s because of your attitude that Karina dares to use your child to manipte you."


    Furious, Tobias mmed his hand on the table.


    "It''s your birthday. Why are you getting so angry?" Dana interjected.


    She then turned to Noah and sighed deeply. "Even if you care about


    Nic, you shouldn''t show it so openly. You''re giving the White. family leverage over you. If you had been firm the first time Nic got sick, Karina wouldn''t have be so brazen, and things wouldn''t have ended up like this."


    Noah remained silent in the face of Dana''s criticism. He had already realized his mistake, but he didn''t know if it was toote to fix it.


    "Alright, let''s eat. After dinner, you


    should go to the hospital to be with Cynthia. The marriage between our families is a serious matter, not something you can just walk away from over a little squabb Cynthia


    is the most sensible and


    well-mannered person I know. If you apologize to her properly, she won''t hold it against you."


    With that, Dana signaled the start of the meal by picking up her fork.


    The rest of them followed her lead, the sound of silverware against china filling the


    quiet room.