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Yvonne blinked her wide, innocent eyes, lifting her face toward Tracy. “What’s wrong?”
Tracy gave her a faint smile. “Nothing.”
Yvonne must have been certain Tracy wouldn’t cause a scene-why else would she dare poke and prod at her in such sly ways?
After all, Tracy’s relationship with the rest of the Xander family was already strained. Every time she came, it was only to chat with her grandmother. She rarely spoke with the others.
But Yvonne’s calculations were off. Whatever Chandler did, Tracy no longer cared.
She gripped the scissors, pulled out the tag, and was about to cut it when a shrill scream rang out from the doorway.
“Tracy, what are you doing?”
Faye rushed forward and hurled a shopping bag hard into Tracy’s face.
Startled, Tracy’s hand slipped, and the scissors nicked Yvonne’s back. A spot of blood instantly seeped through her dress.
“Ah…”
Yvonne cried out softly in pain.
Faye panicked, frantically checking her daughter up and down. When she spotted blood on the back of the white dress, she went pale. Her eyes filled with tears. “Blood? Yvonne, are you alright? Let me see where you’re hurt.”
Blocking the shopping bag with her hand, Tracy’s gaze turned cold. In an instant, she understood Yvonne’s ploy.
At that moment, Chase Xander entered, his arms loaded with shopping bags.
Dressed in black casual clothes, tall and imposing, his features carried a resemblance to Tracy’s.
He set the bags down on the coffee table and asked, “What happened?”
Because Faye had married Trevor Xander when the two brothers were already seven or eight years old, they had always called her Madam Faye.
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17:03 Thu, Feb 19
Chapter 8 Your Credibility Is Already Zero
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By now, Faye had composed herself. Tears still glistened in her eyes as she turned to Tracy. “Tracy, if you’re angry, take it out on me. Please, don’t hurt Yvonne.”
She knew all too well that as a stepmother, the only way to survive in this family was to bow her head and endure.
For Yvonne to lean on the Xander family and marry well, and for her own future comfort, Faye had no choice but to play the role of the selfless, virtuous mother.
Chase frowned, displeasure clear in his expression. His tone brimmed with reproach. “Tracy, how could you hurt Yvonne? That’s too much. Apologize to her right now.”
“Every time you come back, there’s trouble. Can’t you behave for once?”
Tracy stared at him, stunned. She remembered how, when their mother was sick, he had sworn on his chest that he would always take care of his little sister.
But only a few years later, Chase had become someone else entirely. Somewhere along the way, his feelings for her had turned into nothing but disappointment and contempt.
Whenever it came to Yvonne, he sided with her blindly, no matter what.
Tracy’s gaze chilled. “Ms. Faye, if there’s something wrong with your eyes, go see a doctor. Which eye of yours saw me hurt Yvonne?”
“And you-before asking what actually happened, you start barking. What are you, Yvonne’s dog?”
Chase flushed red, pointing at her in anger. “You-”
At that moment, Madam Sarah entered, leaning on her cane, assisted by the driver. She carried an elegant shopping bag in her other hand.
She tapped her cane against the floor, her voice stern. “I was the one who asked Tracy to come back. Every time she returns, you people start a mess. Do you think I’m invisible?”
Tracy hurried forward to steady her grandmother. “Grandma, I’m fine. Please don’t get upset. It’s not worth your health.”
Every visit turned into chaos. She was used to it by now. If her grandmother weren’t here, she wouldn’t have stepped foot in this house again.
Chase pouted, unwilling to let it go. “Grandma, we weren’t making trouble. Tracy tried to hurt Yvonne. I only scolded her because I couldn’t stand it.”
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17:03 Thu, Feb 19
Chapter 8 Your Credibility Is Already Zero
Madam Sarah’s sharp gaze cut straight to him. “Did you see it with your own eyes?”
Chase faltered, unable to answer.
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Sighing, Madam Sarah spoke earnestly. “Chase, Tracy is your sister-your blood sister. You can’t let a few words from outsiders make you turn against her. Do you want to freeze her heart?”
Shame flickered in Chase’s eyes. He opened his mouth to argue but said nothing in the end.
Though his grandmother’s words stirred something inside him, he quickly shoved it down.
Just then, Yvonne stepped forward, her eyes red as she said softly, “Grandma, it’s my fault. I only asked Tracy to cut the tag for me. I didn’t expect it to cause such a misunderstanding. Mom, Chase, you both misjudged her. Tracy didn’t mean to hurt me. It’s on me.”
Madam Sarah’s eyes turned icy as she looked at Yvonne. “Then why didn’t you speak up earlier? You watched her get scolded and felt pleased, didn’t you?”
Yvonne choked, tears brimming. “No, Grandma, you misunderstood me. I never wanted Tracy to be blamed. I was just so scared…”
Her words were cut off by Madam Sarah’s sharp voice. “Scared? And so you pushed Tracy forward to be yelled at by her own brother? What’s in your heart, child?”
Seeing Yvonne cry harder, Faye rushed to her defense. “Mom, Yvonne didn’t mean it. She was frightened, that’s all. This is my fault. I accused Tracy without asking first. Tracy, I’m It’s my fault. I promise it won’t happen again.”
sorry.
Tracy’s lips curved into a mocking smile. She didn’t hesitate to pierce through the lie. “When Yvonne fell into the water last time, you said the same thing. How many times have you promised? Every time you say it won’t happen again, yet the same mistake repeats. With me, your credibility is already zero.”
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
