bChapter 26 /b

Elianna was muttering like she was in a trance, her face twisted in a grimace.

Nadia noticed something was off and reached out to touch her. “Are you okay, Elianna?”

Elianna snapped back to herself and gave her a quick smile. “Sorry, I was just lost in thought.”

“It’s fine,” Nadia smiled back. “Want to sit down somewhere?”

Elianna, eager to hear more details, agreed. They found a quiet café next to the hospital, ordered coffee, and began to chat.

Feigning casualness, Elianna steered the conversation back. “You said that Ms. Lambert looked a lot like my sister. What’s her nameb?/bb” /b

Nadia took a sip of her coffee and said with interest, “Funny you should ask. She not only looks like your sister, but even her name sounds sims. If it weren’t for her personality being nothing like Skr’s, I would’ve thought they were the same person.”

In Nadia’s memory, Skr was pretty, but her hair had always been dry and split, her clothes ragged. She was timid, never daring to meet anyone’s eyes.

To Nadia, a girl like that, trampled into the dust, couldn’t possiblypare to the radiant and dazzling Ms. Lambert.

Elianna said nothing, simply raised her coffee and took a small sip.

“Nadia, Could you help me set up a meeting with Ms. Lambert?” she asked.

Nadia pped her chest in assurance. “Don’t worry. I’ll definitely get her to meet you.”

hey chatted about a few other things, and when it was time to leave, Nadia promised Elianna she’d bring back good news. But Elianna waited ball /bday, only to receive Nadia’s apology.

“Elianna, I’m really sorry, but Ms. Lambert declined,” she said. “Sheeshb, /bwhat’s her deal? bIt’s /bjust a quick chat, but she said she didn’t have time. So rudeb./bb” /b

“It’s okay,” Elianna replied softly. “She’s from a big family, probably very busy. People like us shouldn’t expect too much. I don’t me you.”

Nadia sighed in relief over the phone. “Thanks, Elianna.”

Elianna hung up, her gaze dark as she stared at her phone.

She didn’t believe Skr could have transformed into the Lambert family’s heiress. That wretched girl must’ve tricked the Lambert family into taking bher /bolliin. That had to be it. /li/ol

Pacing with her phone in hand, an idea suddenly struck her.

That evening, at the Stone family dinner table, Elianna sighed on purpose while eating.

David frowned. “What’s wrong? Even dinner can’t stop your sighing?b” /b

“Dad, there’s something I need to tell you,” replied Elianna.

David kept picking up food with his fork. “What bis /bit?”

Elianna lowered her voice. “It seems… Skr’s out of prisonb./b”

David froze mid–bite, the food fell back onto the tableb. /b

Reba paused too. “What? Skr’s out? And we didn’t hear a thingb?/bb” /b

Elianna bpouted /binnocentlyb. /b“Maybe she still hates us for what happened. bThat’s /bprobably bwhy /bbshe /bdidn’t tell bus /bbsomething /bbthis /bbig

b1/3 /b

b08:16 /bbMon/bb, /bb23 /bbJun /b

“Hmph!” David mmed his palm onto the table. “She’s getting out of hand! We gave her everything for yearsb, /band bshe /bcouldn’t do one thing for us

Elianna quickly tried to calm him. “Dad, don’t be mad. Maybe she had no choice.”

“What choice? That little brat dares to resent us? Outrageous!” David fumed. He was determined to teach Skr a lesson. “Do you know where she Bring her back!b” /b

Elianna bit her lip. “I heard from a friend… she’s at the Lambert family now.”

Dávid froze. “You mean the Lambert family–the wealthiest one?”

Elianna nodded cautiously. “Skr’s doing pretty well there.”

Pretty well? David thought. She’d just gotten out of prison–how could she have any ties to the Lambert family? It didn’t take ba /bgenius bto /bfigure bout /bwhat

she’d done.

“Unbelievable. That shameless girl must’ve be someone’s mistress!” Just thinking of her carrying the Stone family name while doing such disgraceful things made David furious.

“Dad, don’t me Skr. Maybe she really had no other choice,” Elianna said, pretending to defend Skr.

“Tell that unfilial brat to get back here and stop embarrassing me!” David pushed his te aside in rage. “I should’ve disowned her years ago!”

Elianna couldn’t hide her smile. She lifted her hand to cover it. “Dad, what’s important now is getting Skr back. Maybe she’s in trouble, and we can

help.”

David fumed. “When shees back, I’ll beat some sense into her.”

Elianna handed him a phone number. “My friend gave this to me. Said it’s Skr’s new number.”

Since Nadia had failed to set up a meeting, she had been eager to make up for it by promising to get Skr’s number–and she did, easily, thanks bto /bher

benefactor.

David took the number and immediately dialed

On the other side, Skr had just finished dinner and was working in her study. When her phone rang, she picked up without checking the ID. “Hello, who is thisb?/bb” /b

“Skr, you don’t even recognize my voice?” David yelled in the phone.

Skr’s hands froze over the keyboard, her eyes instantly turning icy. “You’re David?b” /b

Calling him by name enraged David. He raised his voice. “bYou /brude little thing, you won’t even call me ‘Dad‘ anymoreb? /bFeeding and raising you was ba /bwaste–should’ve raised a dog. At least a dog’s obedient.”

His mouth spat venomous words nonstop. Skr remained calmb, /bher expression unchanging. She’d heard all this countless btimes /bbbefore /bshe bwas /b

immune.

“David, this is all you’ve bgot/b, huh?” she simply replied.

Hearing the contempt in her voice, David jumped up and roared into the phone, “How dare you talk bto /bbme /blike bthat/bb?/bb” /b

“Why wouldn’t bI/b? Who do you think you are?” Skr shot back, dripping with sarcasm. b“/bI’ve already repaid beverything /bbI /bowed bthe /bbStone /bbfamily/bb./bb” /b

With that, Skr hung up. The line went dead/

David kept yelling into the phone. “Hello? Skr!” bBut /bno response. She’d really hung up on him.

David nearly smashed his phone in bfury/b. b“/bbThat /bbrat!b” /b

b2/3 /b

08:16 MON, 23 JUN

Elianna spoke softly. “Dad, she’s a Lambert family member now. She’d never lower herself to associate with a family like ours. Forget it”

“That shameless trash… she’d better pray I don’t get my hands on her. I’ll skin her alive!” David cursed until he was drenched in sweat.