Chapter 219

[ 668 words ]

The weight Ursula held in Yorick’s heart was evident to all who knew them. So, why on earth would Yorick hang up on Ursula’s call?

A sense of foreboding crept into Cloudia’s heart.

“Yes,” Ursula confirmed with a nod. “Rick said he was busy and just hung up, claiming he was off to a business meeting.”

The way Ursula framed ‘business meeting’ made it sound like Yorick was hiding something.

Cloudia’s face turned an even grimmer upon hearing this.

Just as she was about to call Stella and warn her to steer clear of Yorick for good, she realized her calls wouldn’t go through. Ever since their fallout, Stella had cut her off completely, blocking her on all forms of communication. Frustration choked Cloudia!

She was about to find another way to reach her when her phone buzzed with a call from Blaise.

No sooner had she answered than Blaise launched into a tirade.

“People say a woman who isn’t married well can ruin three generations. I never believed it until now. Is this how a mother acts? How can you treat your daughter like this?

I’ve told you countless times, we owe Star. Go easy on her, don’t get mad at her, but you wouldn’t listen. You even signed that agreement.

Now look, you’re about to tank the whole company!”

Cloudia’s heart skipped a beat.

“What do you mean? Me? Tank the whole company?”

“The folks messing with our company are from the same one that helped Star’s studio.”

The situation was now crystal clear. What had been mere speculation was now confirmed.

Cloudia was speechless. The silence that followed was deafening.

Ursula, overhearing the conversation, felt a surge of displeasure.

She was already upset with Blaise for constantly blaming Cloudia because of Stella, especially since Blaise seldom visited her in the hospital and seemed to always take Stella’s side at home.

Now, hearing Blaise hysterically

reveal that the Larkin Group’s

current adversary was the very company that had made Stella’s studio profitable thickened the plot. Did this mean the Larkin Group was in-significant trouble, and linked to Stella?

What would they do next? Beg Stella to return to the Larkin family fold?

No, that was not an option!

The thought of the man still lurking in Portis City constantly hounding her for money, made Ursula shudder. If Stella returned to the Larkin family, it would only be a matter of time before her own

secrets came to light. She could not let Stella come back.

Caught in her thoughts, Blaise’s voice snapped Cloudia back to reality. “I don’t care how you do it, but you need to see Star. And you need to talk to her, sweet talk her if you have to.” Cloudia’s breath hitched at his words. She knew the gravity of their company’s troubles, especially since Jaxon had been too busy to visit the hospital. She had tried calling him, to no avail. Now, learning that their company’s issues were tied to Stella’s actions, Cloudia felt a mix of anger and urgency.

“Do you hear me?” Blaise pressed, his voice laced with irritation.

Cloudia took a deep breath. “Are you sure all the company’s troubles are Stella’s doing?”

As she spoke, she couldn’t help but grind her teeth.

Blaise shot back, “What? You want to blame her? Cloudia, let me tell you, if you can’t see the basic facts, the Larkin family’s downfall will be on your hands.”

A shiver ran down Cloudia’s spine.

Blaise continued, “If you don’t want to lose your title as Mrs. Larkin, then start by being a mother. The company going bankrupt isn’t a joke.”

These past weeks had been a frenzied search for the root of their problems, and now, to find out their home was in turmoil too, set Blaise off.

…

In the end, Cloudia couldn’t recall

how she managed to end the call, or

what else Blaise had said. She only remembered two things: the

company’s woes were somehow tied to Stella, and Blaise’s insistence that she reconcile with Stella.

Reconcile? As if it were that simple. Every encounter with Stella had been a battlefield.

With their relationship in tatters, Cloudia knew approaching Stella now would only mean facing her wrath.

If you find any errors (non-standard content, ads redirect, broken links, etc..), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.