Chapter 18
Just then, a call came through from the front desk.
“Andre, a same–city delivery just arrived for Mr. Leon. The sender’s surname is Warren, and it was mailed from Vlans. Would you like us to send it up?”
Andre Dixon had just ended the call with Vance.
“No need. Just file it in the archives.”
Lately, with Leon Group expanding in Trurgh, smaller firms were always trying their luck–sending proposals and partnership offers by mail.
Andre didn’t think much of it and headed to the hospital.
Only to be told Estela had already checked out the day before.
A flicker of confusion passed through his eyes.
Given Estela’s usual nature, she’d never make a move without informing Vance–not even for a short trip. ‘And now, she hasn’t said a word about leaving the hospital?‘ he thought.
Still, if she’d been discharged, she was probably fine.
Andre didn’t bother reporting it to Vance.
Meanwhile, at a private hospital in Trurgh, Estela was carrying
a lunch box and a neatly folded coat as she took the elevator
up to the top floor–home to the exclusive VIP suites.
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Before heading up, she’d asked a nurse about the daily room
rate.
The man had saved her life. She wanted to do something in
return.
After thinking it over, covering his medical expenses seemed like the least she could do.
“Miss, the tenth floor is reserved for Gold Card members. There’s no need to pay,” the nurse explained.
In other words–even if she wanted to, she couldn’t. Her good intentions hit a dead end.
As the elevator doors opened, she was nearly knocked off balance by a woman, and the soup in her hands almost spilled.
The woman snapped, “Are you blind or–wait, Estela? What are you doing here?”
Estela narrowed her eyes slightly.
The woman wore a white dress with a plunging V–neck designed to show just enough skin. Her hair was pulled into a high bun, and her slightly round face was caked with mismatched pale makeup.
It was her cousin–Elise Warren.
She and her half–brother Wilford shared the same father. His mother had passed away when Wilford was fifteen.
Just six months later, Michal Warren had married Elise’s mother, Ronda Warren.
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Elise had already been thirteen at the time.
Their grandfather had been so furious, he ended up hospitalized for over half a year.
Crushed, Wilford chose to study abroad soon after.
Later, when Estela’s parents died in an accident, it was Michal who took her in immediately.
Her father’s passing had been so sudden that the university hadn’t even had time to find a replacement professor.
Three months later, Michal stepped into her father’s role.
The fashion brand her mother left behind? Ronda had taken it over under the guise of “helping manage things.”
At the same time, a painting Estela had created with her grandfather was submitted by her school to a national competition. It won a prestigious award and even earned her an invitation to the Royal Academy of Arts.
The dream school of every designer.
Estela could still remember the thrill of holding that acceptance letter in her hands.
een the only available spot for studying abroad. But
to Ronda “accidentally” giving her the wrong date, she ssed the flight.
The next day, she saw Elise posting about her “Royal College of Art life” on social media.
At that point, everything clicked into place.
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Michal’s family was like a pack of leeches–draining every last thing her parents had left behind, including her.
She didn’t bother entertaining their fake concern or phony attempts to make her stay. That very night, she packed her things and left.
Getting into the Fine Arts program at Wonder University later on felt like her way of salvaging a piece of the dream they tried to steal.
“Hey! I’m talking to you. Are you deaf or what?”
Snapped back to the present, Estela found Elise standing right in front of her, smug and full of herself.
Estela didn’t even try to be polite.
She stepped around her, voice flat. “Don’t block the road.”
Elise spun after her, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “Oh, look at you–Mrs. Leon now, huh? Think that makes you special? Please. Your husband doesn’t even want you. He’s all over the headlines with other actresses. Who are you trying to impress with that attitude?”
stela ignored her and stopped in front of a hospital room.
Elise noticed something off. She glanced at the lunch box in Estela’s hand, then at the door she was about to knock on. There was only one person staying in that room.
‘With all the recent gossip about her and Vance being on the rocks… could Estela be targeting someone else?‘ she wondered.
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