bChapter /bb60 /b

Ste felt no fear whatsoever. After everything she had endured, nothing could break her now.

Trey and his usual gang strede toward Ste, all smiles, but their presence was unmistakably menacing. “Your family sure has some nerve, daring m mess with us like that. Well, I’m going to have a proper talk with you now.”

ste stood her ground, neither retreating nor flinching, her face an impassive mask. “Whatever my family did to you, take it up with them. Leave the out

befit/b:

“How can you say it has nothing to do with you? If your fasily hadn’t yed the victim card to win public sympathy–iming they’d always bail you out and using us of maliciously ganging up on your family our families wouldn’t be in this mess

“Ste, this is all because of you. If you won’t answer for it, who will?” Before Ste could react, Troy suddenly yanked at her clothes, pulling them open just enough to expose her skin.

Ste yanked her clothes back into ce and pped Troy hard across the face. “Troy, if you hadn’t had your twisted designs on me from the very beginning, would we even be here now! Serves you all right.”

Troy’s buddies crowded aroundb, /breaching out to grab Ste.

Ste had been on guard all along. Spotting a fire extinguisher cab right beside her, she quickly opened it, pulled out the extinguisher, and aimed it straight at them. “Stay back. One step closer and I won’t hold back

Seeing sh

was just a woman, the men dismissed her threat entirely and kept advancing

Ste had learned how to use a fire extinguisher long before this. In one bswift /bmotion, she pulled the pin and sted it straight at them.

Troy snarled, “Damn it, you bitch. You’re gonna pay for this.”

As they closed in, Ste pressed the fire extinguisher to her head, “Lay a finger on me and I’ll bbash /bmy own head bin /bwith this. Let’s see if you can Eve with a death on your conscience.”

Troy scoffed in disbelief, “Go ahead, Ste, do it then. Who do byou /bthink you’re fooling? You-”

Before Troy could finish, Ste swung the extinguisher and smashed it directly against her own head. One wasn’t enough. She hit herself again. And

again.

They were all leftpletely dumbfounded. Blood immediately streamed down Ste’s head. Themotion quickly drew a crowd of shocked onlookers

One of Troy’sckeys said anxiously, “Boss, this ain’t good. If they really think we smashed her head in, we’re gonna be held ountable for this,” One of Troy’s men said anxiously, “Even if we didn’ty hands on her, we still drove her to this. We can’t let things bspiral /bout of control.”

Troy shot Ste ba /bvicious re and snarled, “Just you wait.” With that, the gang scrambled away.

Just as Kevin returned with ba /bnew phone, he spotted, Troy and his gang running off. Sensing something was wrong, he immediately aber

With the help of the doctors and nurses, Ste had her head wound bproperly /bbandaged.

Kevin saw a janitor cleaning blood off the hallway floor and rushed to Ste, asking anxiously, “Ste, what happened?”

Ste said, “It’s nothing.” She bwored /bthat it Kewin found out, he’d go after Trey to settle the score. Kevin didn’t have the bkind /bof backup Troy did, and she feared he’d end up getting the short end of the stick,

“How can byou /bsay you’re fine?” Kavin insisted, clearly not buying it

Ste tried to y it down. “I just bumped my head.”

Kevin demanded, “Don’t try to fool me, Ste. I just saw Troy and his gang humming away. Was it him?”

Ste shook her head. “No, it was just me.

Kovin kept his eyes on her.

Ste reached out her hand and quickly changed the subject, asking, “So, did you get the phone?”

Kevin handed her the phone. Thanks to a ssmate of his working at the mlle service center, he’d managed to get t I recement SIM card even

without bher /bID.

Ste took the phone, downloaded the necessary apps, logged into her payment ount on the social app, and transferred some money to Kevin,

Kevin stared in astonishment, “Ste, I just bought you a phone. Why did you send me money?”

“Phones aren’t cheap. I can’t let you pay for it. Take the money, or I’ll be upset.”

Kevin didn’t want to upset her, and knowing how stubborn Ste could be, he reluctantly epted the transfer. “Alright, dinner’s on me

“Alright.” Though Ste could only eat a little due to her limited appetite, sharing a meal with Kevin still felt heartwarming.

Kevin bnced /baround. “You’re supposed to be discharged today, right? Howe no one came to pick you up?”

Ste wasn’t surprised. She’d made things clear to Fionast time, so their absence was expected. Eleanor probably didn’t even know. Ste didn’t even want them toe. She was perfectly fine going back alone,

Kevin asked, “But are you really okay to go home like this?”

“Yeah, I can. I’m going home,” Ste said firmly. She bhad /balready packed her meager hospital belongings.

Seeing that he couldn’t persuade Ste, Kevin offered to take her home. Ste didn’t stand on ceremony.

At the doorstep, Ste didn’t invite Kevin in. The Hayes were notorious social climbers, so long as someone had money, nothing else mattered. Stea knew they might make some cutting remarks to Kevin, and she wanted to spare him that,

“Let’s keep in touch,” was all Ste said to him before entering the bHayes /bresidence.

“Sure thing.

As soon as Ste stepped insideb, /bshe didn’t see Fiona and her family of four anywhere. Instead, it was Eleanor who greeted her.

The moment Eleanor saw Ste, she rushed to her side. “Ste, you’re back already? Did the hospital discharge you? And what’s with this bandage on

your forehead? Where are they?” Eleanor asked, her voice full of surprise and co

Ste didn’t answer right away.

Eleanor nced aroundb, /bappearing just as clueless.

Mary stormed over, fuming “I just heard from the servants that they haven’t had a buffet in ages. Since it’s the weekend, they And get thisb, /bbit’s /bpretty expensive.”

Eleanor’s face darkened instantly. “No wonder they’ve been sneaking around all morning. They were trying to keep it from me.”

not for one today.

Ste didn’t mind being left out herself, but when she realized they hadn’t even Invited Eleanor, her anger red up, “Grandma,” Ste deredb, /b“I’m going to treat you to the buffet

“Let’s just have ba /bsimple meal at home, bNo /bneed for the buffet. At my age, I can’t eat much anyway, and neither can you. Why waste money?” Eleano

“Even if we can’t eat much, we’re going. How dare they feast with the blood money they’ve drained from me while we’re left out? We bmust /bgo.”

Mary chimed in eagerly, “That’s right, ma’am, you and Ste should go. Ijust happened to overhear which buffet they’re at. When you get there, if they refuse to pay for you, just make a huge fuss. bAren’t /bthey terrified of losing face?”

Eleanor turned to Ste, her expression hardening with resolve. Those four had btruly /bgone too far. “Let’s go.” Eleanor dered firmly

With the family car still avable, they had the driver take them straight to that buffet restaurant At the front desk by the entrance, Ste approached bthe /bstaff and said, “We’re looking for Fiona and Andrew.”

The receptionist suggested they make a call. “I’ll do it,” Eleanor said firmly. She picked up her phone and called bAndrew/b.

The

phone rang for what felt like ages with no answer. Just as Eleanor was about to try calling Fiona instead, Andrew finally picked up. The moment Andrew stood up, Ste spotted him.

Andrew edged btoward /bthe exit, careful not to draw attention from other patrons. “Mom, did you need something?”

“Where are e you?”

“I’m out. What’s up?”

Eleanor asked,

“Never mind. But why is it so noisy on your end?”

Andrew said nervously, “Uh, just got some things to do. Mom. If that’s all, I’ll hang up now.”