Chapter 78

Thea picked up the gift box and, in front of everyone, pulled out a folded sheet of paper from the hidden compartment. "This is a handwritten letter I wrote for Max," she announced. "Surprised? Shocked? My handwriting and my words." Ivy and Emmalie's faces instantly paled, Emmalie looking utterly stunned.

She shot several glances at Ivy, silently blaming her.

Ivy struggled to maintain her composure. "And what does a handwritten letter prove?" she said, her tone light but firm. "Thea, everyone's watching. If you keep causing a scene, I'll have no choice but to ask you to leave."

Thea refused to back down. "Fine, I'll go, but I won't be going alone. I'll take the entire Hendrix family with me."

She turned and gave Jake a warning glance. Her eyes threatened, "If you don't follow me, I might just have to tell Stefan more about the reckless things you and Madelyn have done, especially that time when Madelyn nearly ruined the deal with Avon Ventures and Joyce."

Jake immediately understood. Clenching his jaw in frustration, he realized he had no choice and reluctantly stepped forward. "Mrs. Rowland, kicking Thea out would be disrespecting the Hendrix family as well." Ivy grew even angrier, casting Thea a meaningful glance.

Emmalie began to sob. "Fine, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have bought such an expensive gift, Thea. It clearly caught your eye. I'll give the present to you. Please, just stop making things hard for Mom, okay? It's all my fault. I'll leave." Crying, she started to walk away.

Max quickly followed, grabbing her hand. He turned and snatched the letter from Thea's hand, barely glancing at it before declaring, "This letter wasn't written by you. Emmalie wrote it. Thea, stop this. It's getting embarrassing."

Seeing Max's blatant favoritism, Thea suddenly realized how futile her efforts had been. If she ever stood in direct opposition to Emmalie, Max would abandon her without a second thought. If that was the case, there was no point in giving him the gift. Even a stray dog would wag its tail in appreciation.

Thea dodged Emmalie's attempt to take the gift box. "I'm not giving it to you. Happy birthday, though."

Max was about to scold her, but then he saw the brief flash of sadness and disappointment in her eyes and hesitated. For a moment, he realized he hadn't seen Thea this vulnerable in a long time. He wondered, "When has the sweet, playful girl who used to follow me around turned so cold? And why did my obvious bias only sadden her for a moment, rather than wound her deeply? What does that mean? Does she just not care anymore?" But his guilt and confusion were fleeting. Soon, Emmalie's crying drew him back to her, and he softly comforted her, using it as a shield against his embarrassment and regret.

As long as he lavished all his… (The passage ends abruptly here)