Fiona nodded.

Only Ste and Fiona were left in the hospital rooni..

After Ste weke up, she felt everything was surreal. Her parents, who had always tried to milk her dry of everyst bit of value, were suddenly taking to her in annually sweet tone. Ste felt there was definitely something fishy going on.

Fiona said, “Do you want some polenta? I’ve had some brought over for you. You haven’t eaten in days, and you usually eat little as it is. Your health will be in worse condition”

Ste kept her lips sealed.

When she was little, she secretly peeked through the crack at Anna’s door. She found that every time Anna fell ill andy in bed, Fiona would personally spoon–feed her

Ste was so envious back then, hoping that one bday /bFiona would treat her like that too. But when the day finally came, she didn’t need it anymore

Ste abruptly pushed aside Fiona’s hand holding the bowl band /bsaid, “No. I don’t want it.”

Fiona quickly pushed the bowl forward again. “At least eat some. It’s good for your health. The doctor suggested you eat something when you wake up. Even if you want moreter, you won’t be able to. Be a good girl and eat some, okay?”

Ste–said, “bNo./b”

Fiona persisted in urging her, and Ste got annoyed. With a surge of strength, she pushed the bowl from Fiona’s hands to the floor.

The reporters happened to arrive and froze in shock at the scene before them.

Fiona had been seething with rage, but when bshe /bbsaw /bthe reportersb, /bba /bsmile instantly bstered /bitself onto her face.

Fiona said, “Ste just woke up and isn’t quite herself yet. No worries. I’ve got plenty more polenta prepared. I can feed her another bow

The reporters started rolling their cameras, with some even livestreaming

Fiona prepared another bowl of polenta for Ste and returned to her bedside. bFiona /bbsaid/b, b“/bCome onb, /bSte. Just btake /bba /blittle bite.”

Ste definitely knew what was going on. She red fiercely at Fiona band /bsaid, “Are you putting on ba /bshow for the reporters?”

Her voice was loud enough for everyone to hear.

Fiona shot her urgent nces and whispered tensely, “We’ll talkter. Now stop saying that.”

Ste snapped, “Why can’t I say that? Isn’t it just babout /bsaving your precious reputation? Fiona, do you really think I should spare you that dignity?”

“Ste,” Fiona snapped in a low voice. Rape twisted her features bas /bher gaze turned dagger sharp.

Ste said, “Cut the act. What’s your purpose this time? Is this your new stunt to deal with me because I refused to marry Herary and even h4 him jailed, and now that the Hayes Group is falling apart?”

Fiona was absolutely livid. She frantically signaled Ste with warning bnces/b, bbut /bSte pretended not to notice.

Ste said, “Fiona, is it my bfault /bthe Hayes family hase to this? When byou /bhad to choose between saving moor Anna that day, you didn’t hesitate for a second before picking her

“If only you’d called the police back then, I wouldn’t be in this miserable bstate /bnow

“When I came back, thought you’d finally treat me better. But you just went

curther. You dimniond all my thoughts as absurd.

“You took it for granted that Anna stole my identity to get into Quentm University and spent the 1 billion dors I worked my fingers to the befor

“We’re family, right? So just because I have something, I should hand it over? Like it’s my fault I ‘stole‘ Anna’s putrients in the womb. And now my beloved Lionel is marrying her, and still not one of you has ever apologized to me

“You even brought in the media back then, all just to use me

Before Ste could finish, the reporters instantly sensed a major scoop unfolding

if Ste kept talking like this, there was bound to be even more explosive revtions, which would be a blockbuster exclusion.

The reporters swarmed in, thrust their microphones toward Ste, and began to interview her.

A reporter asked, “Ste, is what you just said true?”

Another one basked/b, “Are you saying your family bhas /balways mistreated you, and all the harmonious scenes are just an act?”

The third one asked, “Ste, what else happened? Can you bgive /bus all the details?”

Fiona was furious, but she couldn’t let it show. She said, “I’m sorry. Ste has just woken up, and she is still feeling a bit groggyb. /bPerhaps you couldall spare the room for bus/bb./b”

However, the reporters stood their bground/b, all hungry for Ste’s response.

Seeing that Ste was about bto /bsay something, Fiona seized the moment when no one was blooking /band dug her nails sharply into Ste’s thigh. The searing pain made Ste shriek recklessly.

p? What happened!” A bwave /bof concern swept through the room

“What’s wrong?

Fiona hadn’t imagined Ste would be this defiant.

Ste stared at Fiona and said, “Why did you dig byour /bnails into me? Fiona, are you afraid all the dirty things byou’ve /bdone will bbe /bdiscovered? Then you shouldn’t have brought them here. Don’t expect me to y along with your act.”

Fiona blushed with rage and humiliation. Powerless to stop Ste, she bcould /bonly hastily usher the reporters out.

The reporters were reluctant to leave because they sensed the next revtion was about to be absolutely explosive.

However, there was nothing they could do. They had no choice but to leave.

As the door clicked shut, Fiona took a deep, seething breath and asked, “Ste, what the hell do you want?”

Ste bsaid/b, “it’s not about what I want. It’s about what you’re trying to pull here. For once, actually thought your concern for me was real.

“But you just had to bring the reporters in and put on this whole act to show everyone how much you love me and how responsible you are. Fiona, doesn’t your hypocrisy make you sick?”

Fiona replied, “So what? The Hayes Group is finally starting to show some signs of recovery. Can’t you just lend a hand? Did I raise you all these years just for you to turn against us like thisb?/b”

Ste abruptly fell silent. She let out a cold, mockingugh, and then chuckled bitterly to herself.

After a long pause, she finally bsaid /blightly, “Fiona, you should know, if it weren’t for the family, I would have out all ties with byou /blong ago.”

Fiona snapped, “Don’t you bdare /bthreaten mu, Ste. if you really want to cut ties, then make it clean. The Hayes family doesn’t need you to survive

Ste stated at Fionab, /band Fiona instinctively bit her lipb. /b

1032 Thu 31 Jul

Fiona thought, ‘That’s not true. Ste is my flesh and blood. I carried her for nine long months. I still remember how overjoyed I was when the doctor told me I had twins. No one could have been happier than I was at that moment.

‘I bare twins. They weren’t artificial creations. They were naturally conceived. Thinking of my two precious daughtersing into the worldb, /bbI /bfelt I must be the happiest mother alive.

“After all the suffering and bullying Ste endured these past three years, how can she still be so defiant and unreasonable? Since she came back, she has done nothing but constantly gotten on my nerves and hasn’t even lifted a finger to help the family.

b“/bShe even wanted to cut ties with me. How dare bshe/b?b‘ /b

“If iyou’r /i

‘re not going to eat, then I’m leaving.” Fiona snatched up her clothes and stormed out.

Ste was left alone in the hospital room.

She thought, “Fiona never truly cares about me. Whether I eat or not doesn’t matter. All she cares about is keeping up that “loving mother” act for everyone to see

“She never loves me at all. I’m just dead weight to her. The sooner I get away from her, the botter.”

Later, Eleanor came to visit her, and Ste grew stronger with each passing day.

Just as Ste bwas /babout to be discharged from the hospital, Lionel came to visit her.

es with him. He couldn’t bring himself to meet her bgaze/b, yet remained in the room.

Ste locked eyes

He only heard Ste say, “Get out of here.