Chapter 221

Emmalie threw herself into Ivy's arms and sobbed softly. "I knew you cared about me, Mom." Thea almost laughed in anger. She thought, Of course, she cares about you. Ivy's way of caring involved giving Emmalie everything Thea had. Ever since Emmalie's return, Thea had been forced to relinquish everything to her. While Thea was fine with some of this, she wouldn't allow herself to be completely walked over.

With a cold expression, Thea said, "Divorce is impossible. We married for our own reasons, but now that we like each other... You want me to give him to you? Emmalie, stop dreaming." Her pale face, though solemn, was exquisite and moving.

Ivy slapped Thea. "Bastard! Do you think Nicolas will stay with a woman who cheated on him and is infertile? The Hendrix family values its bloodline above all else. Nicolas is the head of the family, and many covet his position. Can't you consider the Rowland family for once?"

Thea's heart skipped a beat. She wondered what Ivy meant by her infertility. Her eyes filled with sadness, but Ivy ignored it, saying, "Don't let outsiders take this from you. Will it kill you to let your sister have her way, just once?"

Thea felt heartbroken. She pointed at the door, shrilling, "Get lost!"

The caregiver, arriving for her shift, witnessed the scene. "Who are you? Mr. Hendrix has instructed that no one is to disturb Mrs. Hendrix's rest. Leave! I'll call for help."

Despite their reluctance, Ivy and Emmalie left awkwardly. Before leaving, Emmalie said, "Thea, don't worry. When I become Mrs. Hendrix, I won't forget our sisterhood. I'm soft-hearted, unlike you. I'll share my resources with our family."

Thea threw a glass at Emmalie, her sobbing laced with anger. "Get lost!" The impact aggravated her wound, causing intense pain, but nothing compared to the heartbreak. Ivy wouldn't joke about such things; Thea knew Emmalie was telling the truth.

Thea loved children and had always dreamed of motherhood. When she was first pregnant, unsure of Nicolas's feelings, she'd decided to raise the child in a loving home. She might not provide as much materially as Nicolas, but she would ensure her child wouldn't suffer the tragedies of her own upbringing. Now, Ivy had told her she could never be a mother.

Thea felt like a marionette, completely at the caregiver's mercy. The nurse, seeing her empty eyes, felt guilty. "Mrs. Hendrix, don't listen to that nonsense... The doctor said that with proper recuperation, there's still hope. " Thea didn't listen. "Where's Nicolas?" She needed to hear the truth from him.

"I was called by Darwin to care for you. I don't know where Mr. Hendrix is," the nurse replied. Darwin was assigned by Nicolas to handle Stephanie. His sudden summons meant something had gone wrong with Stephanie. Thea thought, So, I'm still not as important as Stephanie?

Thea sneered. As she reached for her phone, the caregiver intervened. "Mr. Hendrix instructed me not to let you use your phone. It will damage your eyes."

Thea thought, So, even my personal freedom is monitored? Is he afraid the phone will hurt my eyes, or the online gossip will hurt my heart? She didn't understand, but Nicolas had gone to Stephanie. She questioned the pretense of his care, finding her probation period for him ridiculous.

Meanwhile, at the suburban villa, Nicolas entered with a cold, urgent expression. "What's the matter? Tell me quickly." He had no patience for Stephanie; his thoughts were on Thea.

Stephanie had never seen such coldness in Nicolas's eyes. "Nicolas, do you love Thea so much that you'd accept her child by another man? Now that her child is gone, it's heaven's justice!" She spoke with the certainty of someone who'd done Nicolas a great favor.

"Stephanie, do you really think I don't know you orchestrated this?" Nicolas sneered, his voice bone-chilling. "Before you went to Thea, you paid her doctor to lie, and you even hired someone to slander her. You deserve to die." If not for her brother's sacrifice, Stephanie would have died a thousand times over.

The killing intent in Nicolas's eyes was real. Stephanie trembled. "Nicolas, my movements were always under your control. How could I control internet opinion? You can say I selfishly caused Thea's miscarriage, but I won't take all the blame!"

"Money buys anything," Nicolas said, throwing down a stack of chat logs. Stephanie had bribed men. But Nicolas was richer; there was no news he couldn't access.

Darwin watched, sighing. Stephanie was finished. She'd crossed Nicolas completely. Fear coursed through Stephanie's blood. She fought desperately. "Nicolas, so what if I did it all? Don't forget my brother saved you. You want to kill me and show him he saved the wrong person?"

"There are many ways to torture a person... I've done enough for you," Nicolas said cruelly. "Now, you pay the price. Darwin..." He would confine Stephanie to one of his overseas manors for life—his final mercy. She would never hurt Thea again.

"No!" Stephanie cried. "Nicolas, don't forget my brother's favor! He left behind a child!"