For years, Amilia had nursed a corrosive jealousy toward Bexley, hunting for any excuse to destroy her but never finding a believable one. Today, fortune had finally smiled on her—her daughter’s arm was broken. If she crippled Bexley in a fit of righteous maternal fury, how could her parents or Kaleb possibly condemn her? Damn that Bexley: a pathetic, memoryless shell of a woman. What right did she have to bask in so much adoration from her parents and brother? Amilia would make sure that affection evaporated once Bexley became a mangled cripple.

A venomous light glinted in Amilia’s eyes, her face twisting into a malicious mask as she repeated her brutal command to the bodyguards: Bexley was to be left dead or broken beyond healing.

This had never been about avenging her daughter. It was about releasing a decade of festering jealousy.

Seeing that Amilia wouldn’t budge, Levi fell silent. He knew Elliana’s skills well—the guards Amilia had brought stood no real chance against her. They would be knocked flat in moments, so he had no reason to worry about Elliana. His only concern was how Kaleb would respond if things spun out of control. If Kaleb stepped in to defend his family, Elliana would be in real trouble. Even so, Levi had no right to meddle in the Thompson family’s internal matters. All he could do was stand back and watch.

As the guards rushed forward, Rita moved in front of Elliana to protect her. Elliana gently pulled her aside and, in one swift motion, struck out, sending the two lead guards flying. The Thompson guards might have been hand-picked, but to Elliana they were little more than a messy crowd. In less than a minute, they were all on the floor, unable to rise.

Rita stared in astonishment, her eyes shining with pride and awe. Never in her life had she imagined the girl who had suddenly appeared and called her “Mom” could fight like this. She knew exactly how skilled the Thompson bodyguards were, yet Elliana had leveled them without breaking a sweat. Her daughter was remarkable—far beyond anything she had expected.

Wave after wave of happiness washed over Rita. She felt a growing urge to return home with her daughter at once, to see her husband and son. Surely nothing could top that joy.

In stark contrast, Karlee was so terrified she forgot to cry. The doctor she had flirted with was actually a monster in disguise—one kick from him could have ended her life if he hadn’t held back. The thought left her trembling.

? : gal?no?vels?co?m

Amilia staggered back, stunned and furious. Watching her guards fall one after another on her own turf was a humiliation she couldn’t swallow. But more than embarrassment, she refused to lose her chance to punish Bexley. She screamed toward the entrance, “Bring more men! All of them! I want that troublemaker torn apart!”

At her command, new waves of guards stormed into the room, surrounding Elliana so tightly it looked as if they intended to crush her under their boots.

“Go! Beat Bexley and that brute to a pulp!” Amilia shrieked.

The guards obeyed, charging at Elliana with malice.

Seeing the sheer number of attackers, Rita tugged nervously on Elliana’s sleeve. Elliana gave her hand a gentle pat.

“It’s okay. Just step back a little so you don’t get hurt.”

Rita nodded and quietly moved away. Since she couldn’t stop the fight, the least she could do was stay out of her daughter’s way.

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