bChapter /bb50 /b

Ste clung tightly

thtly to Eleanor Years of pent–up grievances band /banguish came pouring out

Eleanor assumed Ste was just frightened. After all, it was only natural to have lingering fears aber a car ident like that

She gently patted Ste’s bback /band bsaid /bsoftly, “There, there. It’s alright now. It’s all over. You’re safe. I have got you. No one will darey a finger on you

Still remained silent.

It was precisely because Eleanor was here that others dared act with impunity. They knew Eleanor was the only one Ste caned about, and with her fragile health, Ste simply couldn’t bring herself to tell Eleanor the truth.

Even now, Fiona and the others were watching Ste like hawksb, /bterrified she might let slip a singlepromising word.

Eleanor cried, “What is the worlding to, that it can’t see Ste, always subjecting her to such things?”

Fiona couldn’t help chiming in, “Maybe it’s the name bthat’s /bbringing bad bluck/b? I was thinking that she bcould /bgrow up to be as beautiful and elegant as a star when I named her Ste.

“But now, I wonder if the name’s meaning isn’t quite as good as I thought.”

Ste curled her lips into a mocking smile. She thought, “Beautiful and elegant? The truth is that my name was just a random pick; only Anna’s name was chosen with any real careb! /b

Eleanor readily agreed, “Alright, let’s change it then.”

Ste shook her head band /bsaid, “Grandma, it’s not that simple to change. If I do, my diploma would be invalid.”

Max scoffed, “You’re just a high school graduate, won’t get you anywhere. What’s the big dealb?/b”

Ste snapped back, “Max, have you forgotten why I never want to college? Need me to refresh your memory?”

Max’s eyes widened in shock, He thought “Ste had always been so docile in front of Eleanor, but ever since she came back this time, she’d been acting so cocky. Who does she think she is?

Fearing they mighte to blows, Eleanor said to Ste, “Don’t worry about your education, if you don’t want to go to school, just have Maxpayt tuition at byour /bpreferred university.

“in a few years, we can arrange for the diploma to be issued. No problem.”

Eleanor thought, ‘The bHayes /bfamily still holds considerable sway in society: just pulling a few strings with the principal would settle everything!

Ste said, “Grandma, I’ve already enrolled myself in an adult education program. Don’t worry, I’ve got my bfuture /ball mapped bout/bb” /b

the

Fiona said, “Mom, how could you possibly forget? Didn’t bsettle /bthat once Ste marries Henry, he send her to college? Henry has already

arranged everything

“Oh, Ste, hurry up and get ready. Henry will be here soon to take you to get your marriage license.”

Eleanor looked bewildered. She asked, “Why the rush to get married? Didn’t Henry just have ba /bcar ident?”

Fiona, her tone syrupy sweet, bsaid/b, “Yes, Henry bhad /ba car ident, but it wasn’t serious, band /bSte wasn’t badly hurt either. Henry love with Ste, and after this ident, he realized he wants to marry her as soon as possible

insists he’s truly in

“Seeing how devoted the two of them areb, /bof course, we had no choice but to support them.”

Aher Fiona finished speaking, the shot a warning nce at Ste, as if daring her to speak up–she would make sure Stells paid for it

“I won’t marry Henry Ste dered family

Andrew immediately flew into a rage. He snapped, “What did you say?”

Ste dered firmly,” bsaid /bI won’t marry

him

Andrew jabbed a finger at Ste and turned to Eleanor, His voice rose in frustration as he said, “Mom, see for yourself. This is your beloved granddaughter. We never forced her to marry Henry. It was her own choice.

“bNow/b, bon /bthe verge of getting the manage license, she dares to back out. How am I supposed to exin this to Henry?”

Eleanor was a bit bewildered. She turned to Ste and asked, “Ste, what happened?”

“Grandma, I can’t marry him,” Ste said. Her eyes pleaded as she looked at Eleanor

Eleanor, having no idea what was going on, fell silent for a moment. After a pause, she said gently, “Ste, tell me what’s happening if you truly don’t want to get married, at least let me know how I can help you

Before Ste could speak, Anna suddenly dropped to her knees, sobbing, “Grandma, it’s all my fault.”

Fiona quickly moved to help Anna up.

Anna give Fiona a reassuring look and, sobbing, said, “It was I who took Ste’s spot at the top university. Then our parents a kidnappers. She’s hated us, especially me, ever since. That’s why she provoked Troy.

abandoned her to thos

“Troy teamed up with our business rivals to target our family, and then Ste volunteered to marry Henry, iming Henry bwould /binvest in our family business. Dad and Max believed her.

“Ste then forced Mom and Dad to hand over their shares. For the sake bof /bour family bbusiness /band for you, Grandma, they had no choice but toply.

“As soon as Ste got her hands on the shares, she decided she didn’t want to bmarry /bHenry after all. Now, Henry is sure to take revenge on our family

“Grandma, please btalk /bsome sense into Ste. It’s all my fault. I never should have been born. If she’d just spare bour /bfamily, I’ll apologize to her a thousand times if that’s what it takes”

With that, Anna threw herself to the floor, frantically knocking her forehead against the ground in a desperate plea

Wiping away her tears, Fiona said, “Mom, we really didn’t want to bother you with this, but the situation is urgent now. It’s not like we want Ste to marry Henry either, but she’s the one who got us involved with hirh.

“Honestly, we’re simply no match for Henry”

Eleanor remained silent, her gaze sweeping first over Fiona and Anna, then shifting to Max and Andrew. Finally, her eyes settled on Ste. Ste met Eleanor’s bgaze/bb, /bher eyes brimming with helplessness. She thought, If Grandma doesn’t believe me, my whole world will ball apart

Eleanor turned to Andrew, fixing him with a sharp gaze, She said, “That’s not what really happened, is it? Tell me the truth, every single detail

Anna’s words were clearly just damage control, and the Hayes family bknow /bit.

Andrew looked helplessly at Eleanor and said, “Mother, Anna has already told you everything. Why won’t byou /bbelieve her!”

“Ste is covered in so many wounds, and Anna has always been a liar, I don’t believe a word she says,” Eleanor dered firmly.

Ste was profoundly moved.

Anna froze, her face twisting in wounded innocence before bshe /bclutched at Eleanor’s trouser leg, she said, “Grandma, I’m not lying. Every word I suid is

bTrue/b”

Eleanor retorted coldly. “Whether it’s true or not. Ste hasn’t spoken with only your word to go on, I refuse to believe you. Tell me the truth. Did Ste get into a car ident this time? What exactly happened to her?”

All four of the Hayes family members remained silent, none daring to utter a word.

Ste sneered inwardly, ‘What, cat got your tongues now? Weren’t you all so eloquent just r

Fiona and Anna exchanged anxious nces, both desperately trying to think of a more usible excuse. But neither of them coulde up wit

Max frowned deeply and snapped, “Grandma, why would we lie to you? Ste did get into a bcar /bident, and she’s even been out there seducing

others.”

Before Max could finish his sentence, Eleanor pped his face with a sharp crack, leaving him utterly stunned and unable to speak.

Eleanor red at Max and said sternly, “Thit you to make this clear Anna isn’t your only sister, Ste is your sister too. All these years, you’ve taken for granted how Ste cares for you, while you only ever protect Anna,

“in your eyes, every sister should be like Anna, but Ste has never wronged you. bShe’s /bnot that kind of person. If you dare speak ill of her again, swear I’ll set you straight myself.”

Seeing Eleanor acting as if she were the ultimate authority i

in the household, Andrew felt discontented. He called out, “Mom.”

Just then, a maid came and reported, “Mr. Bass is here. He says Ms. Ste Hayes needs to get ready immediately. He has other engagements and only a brief moment to register the marriage.”

G