bChapter /bb223 /b

    After her heart–to–heart with Jordan, Ste headed to the hospital alone for a check–up. The recent whirlwind of events had left her feeling off–kilter, with her blood pressure spiking and sleep eluding her.

    Since her rescue, her health had been gradually recovering, but her doctor insisted on regr check–ins to keep tabs on her progress. Jordan had always been by her side for these appointments, but this time, she was flying solo.

    As Ste walked through the hospital’s familiar hallways, her heart felt unbearably heavy. Jordan’s confession still rang in her ears. “When we first met, I really did keep a lot from you.”

    ‘I always thought I was strong enough to take on anything, but I never expected the worst pain toe from the one I trust most,‘ she thought to herself.

    As she stepped out of the exam room, Ste’s eyesnded on a familiar figure.

    2

    Anna was guiding Andrew’s wheelchair from the far end of the hallway, moving slowly toward her.

    Ste let out a wryugh. ‘Just my luck–can’t evene to the hospital without running into people I’d rather not see,‘ she thought.

    Andrew’s leg was in a cast, and he looked like he’d been through quite a bit. Ste recalled that thest time she saw him, he was perfectly fine. ‘What happened to him this time?‘ she wondered.

    But honestly, she couldn’t care less. Whatever happened to the Hayes family had nothing to do with her anymore.

    The moment their eyes met, Anna shed a meaningful smile that instantly made Ste uneasy.

    “Ste, what a coincidence,” Anna chirped, her voice so sweet and nauseating. “I heard Jordan ended up in the hospital after trying to save you. You really are bad news for men. From Lionel to Jordan, you sure know how to ruin them.”

    Ste’s heart mmed in her chest.

    ‘How does Anna know about Jordan getting hurt? Just how do they always know everything?‘ Ste thought, a chill running down her spine.

    “Just say what you want to say. Stop beating around the bush,” Ste replied, forcing herself to stay calm.

    “I’m just worried about you,” Anna pouted, putting on her usual pitiful act, but her eyes were full of smug satisfaction. “We’re family, after all. Bet you feel guilty, making the guy you love get hurt for you again?”

    Ste stared at Anna’s phony expression and didn’t feel a thing.

    After all these years, Ste could see right through Anna. Every look, every word–nothing but a performance.

    “If you really care, then keep your distance,” Ste said, turning to leave.

    “Wait, Ste.” Anna’s voice suddenly turned sharp. “I’m not done talking to youb./b”

    Andrew cut in, his voice thick with rage. “Ste, you’ve got some nerve showing bup /bhere. bJordan /bbgot /bbhurt /bbbecause /bbof /bbyou/b,

    and instead of taking care of him at the hospital, you’re bjust /bwandering aroundb? /bbIs /bthis byour /bbidea /bbof /bbconscience/bb?/b”

    People walking by started to slow down, curious about the drama going down.

    Ste caught the satisfied glint in Anna’s eyes. This was all part of her n.

    “By the way.” Andrew’s voice thundered, making sure the whole hallway could hear. “You’ve wrecked our family, and now you act like nothing happened? You ungrateful snake. We took care of you all these years, and this is how you repay bus/bb?/bb” /b

    “Dad, please, keep it down,” Anna said, pretending to calm him, but she made sure her voice was loud enough for the crowd. “Ste has her reasons. We shouldn’t be so harsh on her. Though, to be fair, she did…”

    Anna let her words hang in the air, her face saying it all. She wanted everyone to fill in the nks themselves.

    The crowd grew, and the whispers started to turn into full–blown gossip.

    “Isn’t that the girl who was kidnapped for three years?” someone asked.

    “Yeah, I heard she came back and caused a huge fight with her family. She even exposed some big secrets,” another person chimed in.

    “And now she’s not even taking care of her dad? That’s just cold,” someone else said.

    “She looks so pitiful, but turns out she’s got a heart of stone,” another person added.

    “What’s so pitiful about her? Look at her dad–his leg’s in a cast and she couldn’t care less,” someone said with a sneer.

    Ste looked around and saw people already whipping out their phones to record. She just sneered inside, and thought, ‘Seriously, what kind of drama is Anna trying to pull this time?‘

    “Come on, Ste, aren’t you going to say something?” Anna kept stirring up trouble. “Dad broke his leg because he was worried sick about you, and you don’t even show a bit of concern?”

    Ste kept her cool and looked Andrew straight in the eye. “Are you done?”

    “Done?” Andrew was so mad his face was practically purple, finger trembling as he jabbed it at Ste. “You blew up this family. Your mom ran off, iyour /ibrother’s a wreck, and you still have the guts to ask if I’m done?

    “Ste, you’re bad luck incarnate. Anyone who gets close to you is doomed. Just look at the guys around you—each of them gets wrecked.”

    His words cut Ste like a knife, stabbing straight into her heart.

    Jordan really did get hurt trying to save her. As for Lionel, he totally brought that mess on himself.

    Just as Ste was reeling from his words, Andrew seized the moment. He deliberately threw himself out of the wheelchair, grabbing the armrests and hurling his body to the ground with a heavy crash.

    Anna let out a blood–curdling scream that echoed down the hallway. “Dad, what happened to you?”

    “It’s her,” Andrew bellowed, jabbing a finger at Ste. “She’s trying to kill me. She wants me dead.” People went wild, the whole hallway buzzing with outrage.

    Someone shouted, “What? She’s actually trying to kill her own father?”

    Another person yelled, “Unbelievable! Who does that to their own family?”

    Ste just stood there, watching Andrew put on his dramatic performance on the floor, a mocking glint in her eyesb. /b

    She was standing at least ten feet away–there was no way she’d even touched him. ‘This old devil could win an Oscar for that stunt,‘ she thought.

    Anna squatted beside Andrew, tears instantly welling up in her eyes. “Dad, are you alright? How could Ste treat you like

    this?”

    “I’m fine, just heartbroken,” Andrew said, milking his frailty for all it was worth. “I had never thought the daughter I pour my heart and soul into raising would want me dead.”

    Ste didn’t flinch, not bothering to exin herself. She just said calmly, “Check the security footage.” Her voice was quiet, but everyone heard it clearly.

    Anna’s face went pale, and she thought, ‘How is Ste not freaking out right now?‘

    The security guards rushed over, and with the crowd practically shouting for answers, they brought up the hallway’s

    surveince footage.

    The footage showed Ste hadn’t even gotten close to Andrew. He’d thrown himself out of the wheelchair all on his own, dramatically.

    Andrew’s face was livid with anger. He jabbed a trembling finger at Ste and shouted, “Ste, even if the footage shows you didn’ty a hand on me, your cold attitude is mentally tormenting me. I’m going to sue you for this.”

    “Go ahead, sue me,” Ste said, her voice calm and icy, her gaze razor–sharp. “Bring it on. Let’s see how you embarrass yourselves next.”

    Anna quickly weighed her options and rushed over to steady Andrew. “Dad, let’s just go. Ste… Maybe she didn’t mean it. There are too many people watching–let’s not give them more gossip material about our family,” she said, putting on her best reasonable act.

    “Leave? Hell no,” Andrew snapped, still refusing to back down. “I want to know–how can she treat the people who raised her for all these years like this?”

    At that moment, a security guard walked over and warned them, “If you can’t resolve this, we’ll have to call the police.”

    Andrew grudgingly settled back into his wheelchair, and Anna started to wheel him away.

    As they passed by, Anna suddenly stopped, leaned in close to Ste’s ear, and whispered so only Ste could hear her. “Ste, do you really know what Jordan has been through? He’s got way more going on than you think.”

    Her words hit Ste like a sledgehammer, knocking the wind out of her, Ste was already torn bup /bover bJordan’s /bbpast/bb, /bband /bnow Anna was throwing this curveball. ‘Does she know something I don’t?‘ Ste thoughtb, /bbanxiety /bbcreeping /bbin/b.

    “What do you mean?” Ste blurted out instinctively.

    Anna gave her a mysterious smile. “Why don’t you think about it yourself? The truth alwayses out in the end.”

    With that, she quickly wheeled Andrew away, leaving Ste standing there, puzzled and lost in thought.

    Ste stood frozen. Anna’s words kept reying in her head.

    She wondered, ‘Is Jordan’s past really even messier than I thought? He’d alreadye clean about his shady history, iso /iwhat else could there possibly be?‘

    Just as Ste was about to leave the hospital, N came rushing over, her face pale and anxious. “Ms. Hayes, there’s a video blowing up online. People are saying you ‘pushed your dad.”

    Even though the hospital’s security footage had already cleared Ste, the maliciously edited clip was spreading like wildfire all over the inte.