Chapter 17
Chapter 17
Yvonne stated flatly, “I don’t care what you meant. Zina is part of this household, and she’s your sister. While I allow you, as a brother, to be a little more protective of Lydia than Zina, I won’t tolerate any more negative talk about Zina under this roof.”
With that, Yvonne was beyond caring whether Lydia was eavesdropping. She had no patience left for this son of hers who turned utterly clueless whenever family matters came up..
Yvonne shut the door and sank back down beside Zina.
Zina turned her head to stare at Yvonne. “I caught all of that. Honestly, I’m already doing better here than I deserve. Besides, for me, this house is just a place to crash.”
Granted, it was harsh. But Zina had pressing business to handle, she could be out of here any time now. The Lamberts needed a heads–up.
As if Zina hadn’t spoken a word, Yvonne took Zina’s hands firmly in her own. “We’ve fallen short with you. You do exactly as you please here. Make yourself completely at home.”
Zina pressed her lips together, instinctively trying to pull her hand free. But her resolve softened, and she found herself unable to follow through. In the end, all she could manage was a sigh that escaped her.
Zina mentally calculated, ‘Chris must be just about done getting the intel on his end. Once I get Emberrose and cure Patrick Carter, I can finally focus, free and clear, on my own business.”
Yvonne observed Zina lost in thought, then softly let out a long, low sigh. “I’ll leave you to it for now. Whatever you need, whenever you need it, just say the word.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Lambert.” Zina replied politely.
Without another word, Yvonne made her way out, her steps heavy and lingering.
#
Only after Yvonne had gone did Zina finally power up her computer and flip open her notebook.
The notes inside unleashed a flood of long–dormant memories. Zina squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, reined in her thoughts, then set her fingers flying across the keyboard.
Night deepened, plunging the world beyond the window into darkness. A silence that belonged solely to the night settled in. And beneath that stillness, schemes seethed, unseen.
Seeing the “Transfer Completed” message on her screen, Zina nodded in satisfaction. She picked up the phone. “Alright, it’s time. Let’s get the show on the road.”
Rosie woke up to her phone blowing up with messages, dinging and buzzing nonstop.
Rubbing her sleepy eyes, Rosie was still trying to process the flood of messages when suddenly her phone lit up with an incoming call.
Kyle practically shouted down the line, “Rosie! Are you seeing trending topics? What the hell happened? You guys assured me Zina wouldn’t say a word. How did all this stuff leak online?”
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Chapter 17
The barrage of questions hit Rosie like a wave. Her mind went blank for a split second before she scrambled to check her phone.
A few seconds later, Rosie froze with dizzying hashtags, [The adopted daughter case takes a shocking turn], [Ungrateful daughter or inspiring icon], [Escaping toxic family].
Those hashtags that should never have seen the light of day burned into Rosie’s vision. She rubbed her eyes in disbelief, blinked hard, but there they were.
A piercing scream ripped from Rosie’s throat, echoing through the room. Then, her whispered words came, heavy with stunned disbelief, “How could this happen?”
“You’re asking me? I should be asking you. I’m heading to your home right now. You’d better explain this mess.” Kyle snapped, hanging up without waiting for a reply.
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