Wiping her tears away, she climbed onto her bed, grabbed her phone, and began furiously typing.

“Amelia, I was so angry just now. Amara suddenly showed up at my house and slapped me, but I didn’t dare hit her back.”

“I’m not allowed to leave the house right now. I’m afraid if I fight back, Dad will get even angrier and never let me go out again. Lately, he’s been especially indulgent with that little witch…”

“And it looks like what we tried a few days ago didn’t work. Amara’s pregnancy seems perfectly fine-she didn’t miscarry. Didn’t we say she already ate the cake…?”

Elowen vented to her friend in a flurry of messages, but ten minutes later, Amelia replied with a photo.

In the picture, Amelia looked simply awful. Her beautiful face was grotesquely swollen, as if she’d been slapped several times—her features almost unrecognizable. There was a bleeding cut at the corner of her mouth, and bruises mottled her arms and neck; overall, she looked utterly battered.

Elowen was stunned and hurried to reply: “Amelia, what happened? Did someone beat you?”

Amelia sent a voice message: “The maid just beat me up. Amara ordered her to do it.”

“It seems that Amara found out about what happened between me and the driver last year. She’s furious, said she’d keep me locked up at home, and even froze my bank cards.”

“Elowen, I don’t have proof, but I suspect Amara is behind all of this…”

“I can’t go out now, and my mother-in-law won’t let anyone come visit me, so I have to count on you.”

“You have to come up with a way to take Amara down. Right now I wish I could skin her alive, tear her to pieces… That’s how much I hate her.”

Amara again!

Elowen was so angry her knuckles turned white.

Clearly, before coming to slap her, Amara had already been to see Amelia and had probably told Mrs. Walker about Amelia’s affair.

Elowen was fuming. She thought Amelia was right-she wished she could see Amara brought down, too.

She swore to herself she would not rest until Amara was defeated.

Leaving Elowen’s room, Amara headed downstairs. A maid mentioned that Larry was back and asked if she wanted to go see him.

Amara hesitated, then nodded, and went to Larry’s study. She knocked on the door and when she heard a response, “Come in,” she opened the door and walked in.

Larry looked a little surprised to see her. “You’re here?”

He didn’t ask why she’d come, only said, “Stay for a while. We can eat together before you go.”

“Dad, I can’t stay for dinner,” Amara

replied, have to meet the directo of my

next show in a little while?

just wanted to stop by

f

She pulled a chair over and sat down across from Larry, asking, “How have you been feeling lately? Ha your

appetite been att

Amara’s feelings toward Larry were complicated.

She’d really just come to maintain appearances and earn a few points in his eyes.

But once she asked, she realized she genuinely wanted to know about his health— she truly hoped he was all right.

“I’m doing fine,” Larry said. “Since the surgery I’ve quit drinking for the most part, and my appetite is good.”

He absently glanced through some documents on his desk, then looked up at Amara’s stomach.

“Have you made a decision yet? Are you keeping the baby? You must be pretty far along by now, aren’t you?”