...
Meanwhile, at the Reed Residence.
After a grueling week of recovery, Jade Reed had finally been discharged from the hospital.
Her right arm was locked in a heavy cast and secured in a sling against her chest. While the swelling on the left side of her face had gone down, the four-stitch gash on her cheek was still an angry, scabbing mess. Every time she spoke, the skin pulled, making her hiss in agony.
Penelope Reed hovered anxiously, carefully helping her out of the luxury sedan. "Easy now, take it slow. Watch your step."
Marcus Reed trailed behind them, his face clouded with dark irritation.
Ever since Jade's brutal 'accident', he hadn't shown Penelope an ounce of warmth.
As far as he was concerned, if she had done a better job raising Nora, Jade wouldn't have been subjected to such a horrific beating.
He had actually convinced himself that Nora was an obedient, useful daughter.
Who could have predicted that she would not only steal Jade's rightful place as Mrs. Lancaster, but also order her thugs to nearly beat Jade to death!
It was absolutely infuriating!
If Penelope hadn't spent the entire week sleeping on a cot in the hospital, waiting on Jade hand and foot, he would have thrown her out onto the street days ago!
"Make sure Jade is comfortable. I have to get to the office."
Marcus had spent the entire week glued to the hospital ward, and the company was on the verge of total collapse without his oversight. He desperately needed to restore order.
"Don't worry, honey. I'll take excellent care of her..."
Marcus completely ignored her, spinning on his heel and marching back to his car.
Standing on the porch steps, Penelope watched the vehicle pull out of the driveway, her lips trembling slightly as a flash of deep resentment crossed her eyes.
"What are you staring at? Hurry up and get me inside," Jade snapped, her voice dripping with venomous entitlement.
"Jade, please... I know you've been through hell. Once you're fully recovered, I swear I'll drag Nora here to beg for your forgiveness."
"Forgiveness?"
Jade let out a dark, mocking laugh, completely ignoring the fresh blood seeping from her tearing stitches. "She ordered her animals to beat me half to death, and you think an apology is going to fix it? Penelope, do you honestly think I'm some pathetic weakling you can just push around?"
Penelope recoiled from the screaming, waving her hands in a desperate panic. "No, no, Jade, that's not what I meant..."
"Then what did you mean?"
Jade sank back into the sofa cushions, her chest heaving violently.
Between the liquid diet and the sheer stress, she had wasted away over the past week. She was so physically frail that just stringing a few sentences together left her gasping for breath.
She locked her venomous eyes on Penelope, her voice dropping into a deadly, hateful hiss. "You're just feeling sorry for your precious biological daughter, aren't you? You're terrified I'm going to ruin her perfect little life!"
"How could you say that?" Penelope scrambled onto the sofa beside her, frantically grabbing her uninjured hand. "Jade, I've loved you like my own daughter since you were a little girl. You know that. Nora... she doesn't even compare to you."

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