Chapter 10

Carola’s scream cut through the air, sharp and shrill. Most of the water had landed on Albert, soaking him from head to toe. He shot to his feet, his face darkening the second he realized it was Dorothea standing in front of them.

“Dorothea, are you out of your mind?” he demanded.

Carola’s long hair clung to her scalp, dripping wet and making her look completely helpless. She scrambled up too, gaping at Dorothea like she couldn’t believe what just happened. “Dorothea, seriously? What’s your problem? Why would you throw water on us p>

Dorothea just let out a cold laugh. “You’re flirting in my room. Getting drenched seems pretty fair, don’t you think p>

She turned to Albert, eyebrow raised. “Wow, Albert. Are you really that cheap? Can’t even spring for a hotel room p>

Albert’s eyes narrowed, his voice sharp. “What are you talking about? Carola just tripped over something. That’s all. It was an accident p>

Carola felt a tiny spark of hope. She squeezed Albert’s hand, her tone soft and shaky. “Dorothea, you’ve got it all wrong. There’s nothing going on between Albert and me. Seriously, it’s the middle of the day. We’d never do anything like that here. Albert was just trying to help me and we both fell p>

Dorothea wasn’t having any of it. “Save it. I don’t have time for your stories. You both need to leave. Now p>

Albert clenched his jaw. “Dorothea p>

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t waste your breath. Save it for your little performance tonight p>

Three movers came up behind her, ready for orders. Dorothea pointed downstairs, her voice clear. “See that piano? Everything within ten meters of it, toss it out. That sofa too, get rid of it p>

She glanced around the room, her lips curling into a cold smile. “And the bed? It’s disgusting. Out with that too p>

Carola’s face twisted in panic. “You can’t throw out my piano! That’s my very first one! Please, don’t do this p>

Dorothea crossed her arms, looking completely unimpressed. “This isn’t a landfill. Take your stuff and go p>

Carola burst into tears, grabbing onto Albert’s sleeve. “Albert, do something p>

Albert’s jaw was tight, a vein throbbing at his temple. “Dorothea, are you sure you want to make an enemy out of me p>

Dorothea shot him a cool look. “Albert, I quit yesterday. I’m not your employee anymore. Why would I be scared of you p>

Albert’s mouth curled into a cold, hard smile. “Don’t come crawling to me later. I won’t be so nice next time p>

He scooped Carola up and carried her out of Cloudhaven Lane without another word. As they left, Carola glanced back at the chaos in the garden her eyes dark with resentment.

Dorothea didn’t waste a second. She directed the movers quickly and efficiently, and within an hour, there wasn’t a single trace of Carola’s

things left in the house. “Nice.ne

She said handing over their O payment. She called in a crew to haul away the junk, and soon the garden looked spotless again. The relief was instant. For the first time in ages, Dorothea felt like she could breathe.

But her phone started buzzing almost as soon as she sat down. Elise’s name flashed on the screen, over and over. Dorothea finally picked up.

“Dorothea, have you completely lost it? What did you do to Carola? She’s been crying nonstop! I told you I was giving you Cloudhaven Lane. Was it really that urgent p>

Dorothea pressed her lips together. “Yeah, it was urgent. This place was mine from the start. Why shouldn’t I want it back right away p>

Elise fell silent, then tried to threaten her. “You’re saying you don’t care about the shares anymore p>

Dorothea shrugged, her tone casual. “Do what you want. If you’d rather go to court that’s fine. Just remember, Grandma’s still here. How much do you think you’ll have left if you push this p>

She paused, letting her words sink in. “Just because I didn’t fight for it before

doesn’t mean it wasn’t mine. I hope you get that now p>

On the other end, Elise was stunned. She never thought the gentle, quiet Dorothea

would ever talk to her like this.