Thalia sighed and said, "It was Sandra."

"Sandra? You've got to be kidding me! My dad just said he was going to throw Sandra and Charlie out, and now, all of a sudden, Sandra's in a car accident? There's no way that's a coincidence. Something's definitely going on here!" Tiffany's face darkened.

"What happened?" Charlie frowned, voicing everyone's unspoken question.

Thalia explained. When Charlie had stormed home that night and taken Stan away, he'd ordered the servants not to tell Thalia anything. He'd even kept the news of Tiffany's kidnapping quiet, but Sandra had told Thalia anyway.

Thalia, frantic, had the chauffeur take her to look for Tiffany. Sandra went with her. Halfway there, the car veered into a telephone pole. In the panic, Sandra threw herself in front of Thalia, shielding her from the impact. Thalia escaped with a few scrapes, but Sandra was covered in blood and rushed to the hospital.

Tiffany listened without sympathy, finding the situation almost laughable. She knew Sandra had planned the accident. She glanced at Charlie, knowing this would make him reconsider kicking Sandra and her family out.

"If only I'd had someone keeping an eye on Sandra," Tiffany thought bitterly. "I thought she'd stay at school, but never imagined she'd come running home and pull off this stunt. Well, now Dad and Mom probably won't throw them out. All my work for nothing."

After what felt like an eternity, the light above the emergency room flickered off. A nurse emerged, wheeling out the unconscious Sandra. Charlie and Thalia rushed forward.

"Doctor, how is she?" they asked in unison.

"She has a moderate concussion and a fractured right arm, but she's not in any life-threatening danger. She just needs to rest and recover," the doctor replied.

"Thank you, Doctor," Charlie and Thalia said together, relief evident in their voices.

Sandra was wheeled to her room. Thalia sighed in relief, but then noticed Tiffany, quiet and expressionless. Concerned, she said, "Tiffany, sweetheart, you must be so shaken up. And look at you, you're hurt all over. Come on, let's find a doctor to patch you up."

"No need." Tiffany shook her head, then turned to Charlie. She waited silently for his decision.

Charlie gritted his teeth. Finally, he spoke, his voice almost pleading. "Stan is a terrible person. I know you don't want to see them anymore, so we'll let Stan go. But Sandra is a good girl, and she got hurt because of your mom. We can't just kick her out, right?"

Tiffany had expected this. A bitter smile touched her lips.

Charlie, knowing Tiffany's dislike for Stan and his family, continued, "I owe Stan a lot, but now the debt's settled. Sandra, though, hasn't done anything wrong. We can't—"

"You're never going to get rid of them now," Tiffany interrupted. Then, almost whispering, she said, "Dad, if this keeps up, I'm really afraid I won't be able to protect you guys."

Sandra had won last time, partly due to Tiffany's own actions, and partly because Charlie was too naive and soft-hearted.

Tiffany felt a wave of anxiety. She was responsible for protecting her family, and Charlie didn't understand the burden she carried.

"What are you talking about, sweetheart? When did I ever need your protection? Isn't it my job to protect you and your mom?" Charlie chuckled, patting Tiffany's shoulder reassuringly. "Come on, don't worry about it anymore. Go get those wounds taken care of."

"No need." Tiffany brushed his hand away and walked out of the hospital.

Owen had just dealt with the kidnappers and returned Zoe home before rushing to the hospital. At the entrance, he saw Tiffany leaving, her face emotionless.

"Tiffany, what are you doing out here? Is your mom okay?" Owen asked, concerned.

"She's fine. Thank you, Uncle Owen. I couldn't have done it without your help," Tiffany replied gratefully, then walked away.

Owen hesitated, sensing something was wrong. After hearing Charlie's story about Sandra, he shook his head.

"Charlie, you're being blind. Do you even know how much Tiffany's done for your family? Listen, if you don't start seeing people for who they really are, you're going to end up in a mess you can't get out of." Owen left the hospital.

Night had fallen when Tiffany stepped outside. Her family's chauffeur approached. "Miss Kelley, ready to head home?" he asked.

Tiffany nodded and got in. Noticing her quiet mood, the chauffeur drove slowly through the empty streets.

Tiffany sat in silence, letting the quiet calm her. Her resolve hardened—she would take Sandra down. The thought brought a hint of satisfaction.

She rolled down the window. Then, in the side mirror, she noticed a sleek black Maybach following them.

Even the chauffeur noticed. "What's the deal with that car? We speed up, it speeds up. We slow down, it slows down."

Tiffany gasped. She recognized the car—it was Richard's. He'd been following her since she left the hospital.

For a moment, Tiffany froze. She'd felt so alone, burdened with protecting her family. But here was Richard, quietly watching over her.

"Stop the car!" she called out.

The chauffeur, puzzled, pulled over. The Maybach stopped behind them. Richard watched, surprised, as Tiffany got out and walked toward him.

I have removed the instances of censored language. The added website reference was also removed as it is not relevant to the text's content and appears to be an advertisement.