bChapter /bb35 /b

i the past, whenever things got rough at home, Ste’s escape was hitting the mall wills fimil

Back then, Ste was always mindful

y’s budget, mendly just browsing and rarely buying anything, if the dit, it was Spimes, the’’dinske up a reason, jud tectoral Einily to a new outfit.

i was usually somutkieg

Ste never felt like she owed Emily a thing. So it cut deep, finding Emily stabbing her in the back like this.

Seeing Emily and Arma all chummy together made Ste sick. She turned to lean, not wanting to stick around, when she heard Anna’s unice.

Ste didn’t want to get near her, so she walked faster.

But Ana caught her in seconds. She looped arms with Ste. “Ste! Perfect timing–Emily and I are shopping, I still own you a wee bark pick something out today”

Ste tried to pull away when Aitna shot Emily a look. Emily grabbed Ste’s other arm right away. “C’mon, let’s check it out inside,” she chimed in.

Ste couldn’t shake them off. They pulled her into the store.

Inside, Anna was buzzing with energy. She grabbed a few dresses off the rack, holding them up excitedly. “This one is so you, Ste,” she gushed. “And this one’s totally your style”

Ste nced at the clothes–all micro–minis. Way too short. They’d show every bruise.

Still grinning, Anna shoved the pile at Ste. “Go try them on! We’ll bwait /bright outside the fitting room.” She added sweetly. “My treat.”

Ste froze, eyes locked on the flimsy fabric: “Anna,” she said, her voice icy. “Are you doing this on purpose?”

Anna blinked, ying dumb. “Doing what, Ste?”

Emily frowned. “Anna told me about what happened,” she said. She dragged me out to make things right with a gift. Just try them. You’re sisters, you’ll

work it out

“You told her?” Ste looked at Anna with an icy face.

Anna suddenly looked like a deer totally caught in the headlights.

Emily jumped in quickly, b“/bbDon’t /bbe mad at her, Ste. Anna sees me as a real friend, so she told me about it, but I swear won’t tease you. I really hope you can recover…”

She shut up quick when she saw bthe /bice–cold re in Ste’s eyes.

Ste dumped the clothes into Anna’s hands. “I don’t bwant /bbyour /bgift.”

As Ste burned to leave, Anna rushed after her. bSuddenly/b, Emily yelled, “Anna, my bracelet! it’s bgone /bit was just on my wrist. You bpaid /ba fortune for that

thing–where is it?”

b“/bSeriously? It was just on your wrist,” Anna–sounded bsurprised/b.

“It must have fallen off. Let’s look for it.”

bAnna /bwhirled on Ste, “Ste, did you see Empy’s bracelet?”

“Right here,” Emily cut in sharply before Ste could answerb, /bpointing straight at bSte’s /b

b‘/bs pocket.

Anina bstared /bat Ste, stunned. “Ste how could you…?

10:10 Wed, 30 Jul GG

It bwas /bthe weekend, and shoppers were stopping, staring

Emily jumped in quickly. “No way! Ste wouldn’t de

“Is that true, Ste?” Anna asked, staring at Ste

Ste shot Anns a cold look. “So what? You think I stole it?

kat when I grabbed i

“I don’t think you’d steal” Anna said, “but how did Emily’s braceletnd in your pocket? You haven’t had any pocket money unce you got back you needed the cash, but”

A voice piped up from the crowd. “Hey, isn’t that Ste Hayes? The one who escaped those kidnappers

“Yeah!” another yelled. “The Hayes heiress, the one snatched three years ago and sold off in Dusty Pines,”

“She was probably broke,” someone muttered. “Guess stealing’s how she got by.”

“Can you me her?” a bystander scoffed. “Three years in the gutter? She’s gotta survive somehow”

Anna frantically waved at the crowd. “No, stop! You’ve got bit /ball wrong. Ste wouldn’t do this.” She grabbed Ste’s arm, shaking it “Ste, tall them Tell them what really happened.”

“What is going on here?” Max’s voice cut through the noise. He shot Ste a look of pure disgust, as it saying. “You just can’t stop causing trouble,

you?”

Emily exined, “Max, it’s my fault. My bracelet went missing, and… we found it in Ste’s pocket.”

Max whirled on Ste, eyes slits of fury, “You’re stealing now? If you needed cash, why not ask me? Stealing from Emily? Have you got any shame lett

Emily flinched at his harshness. She stopped between them. “Max, not it’s not like that. There’s gotta be some mistake

“A mistake?” Max barked, ring past Emily at the emotionless Ste. “Ever since she crawled back, she’s been looking for ways to get back at us. Now she pulls this? Stealing in public to humiliate us?”

make it up to you! Did you forget

He took a step closer, voice vibrating with rage. “Ste, how could you? We’ve been bending over backwards to make everything I bsaid/b?”

“Max!” Anna darted forward, trying to grab him,

“Anna, stay

out of this,” Max snapped. “What happens at home stays there. But pulling this crap in public? Humiliating the Hayes name? Not happening”

Emily moved to speak, her face tight with worry, but Anna caught her arm

“Ste, just apologize to Max,” Anna urged. “Do it now, and he’ll let it go.”

Ste met his re, bvoice /bt. “I didn’t do anything wrong. Why should I apologize?”

Ste….” Anna started, pleading.

Crack! Max’s hand mmed across. Ste’s cheek, the sound sharp and shocking. Anyst shred of family band was shattered in that instant

“You think you’re right?” Max barked, his face contorted with fury. He struck again, another stinging p that snapped her head the other way

Ste’s eyes burned, ba /bsilent, terrifying fury.

“Ste, if I don’t knock some sense into you right now, you‘

“I didn’t do it,” Ste rasped

just

keep pushing.” he growled, leaning in. “Admit it,”

10:10 Wed, 30 Jul,GO

Chapter b35 /b

Max’s hand cracked across her face. “Admit it!” he toured. “Say you’re wrong!”

“NO” Ste shouted back.

Max unleashed a barrage of blows The crowd stared, dead silent, fon tinckout to ins

Blood poured from Ste’s nose, but her eyes locked onto his, zing defiance.

“Last chance,” Max growled, his hand poised in the air. “Say you’re ”

Lionel, who had been standing silently in the background, stepped forward,

Just then, a voice shouted, “Max, enough!”

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