Chapter 56
Chapter 56:
A Rolls-Royce Phantom…
The words echoed in Vince’s mind, stirring a blurry memory of the man he had seen outside the restaurant that night. His eyes narrowed slightly.
Meanwhile, Jarrod stood there, rattled. Did this mean Maia really had someone backing her?
Sandra’s face turned an ugly shade of red as she jabbed a finger at Maia. “Shameless girl! Hooking up with some rich man? Rosanna just wanted to talk some sense into you, and you tried to kill her instead p>
Vince remained silent, but Jarrod stared at Sandra in disbelief. Had Sandra known about this all along? Was he the only one left clueless?
Anger surged through him, so hot that he could barely think straight. All this time, he had worried about Maia struggling after leaving the Morgan family—had even thought about helping her quietly. And now, hearing she might’ve thrown herself into another man’s arms right after prison? It felt like a slap in the face.
Still holding onto a thread of doubt, Jarrod clenched his teeth. “Maia just got out. How could she already be kept p>
Sandra let out a cold laugh, her voice dripping with hatred. “You really think this all started after prison? Please. She was probably sneaking around with some creep long before she ever got locked up p>
“Yeah… that makes sense. It’s the only way to explain it,” Jarrod muttered bitterly to himself. His hands curled into tight fists at his sides.
Back then, Jarrod had never been Maia’s biggest fan. She was noisy, always buzzing around him, pestering him to grab coffee or help her with errands, making herself impossible to ignore. She drove him crazy.
But after she disappeared — after she went to prison — the house had felt empty.
Rosanna had been there, of course. Sweet, soft-spoken, careful with every word and every smile, doing her best to fit into a family she hadn’t grown up with. But Rosanna was calculated in a way Maia never was. She wasn’t the same.
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Jarrod had stopped teasing anyone after Maia left because he worried Rosanna might take it personally. He didn’t want to make Rosanna feel small. Yet, despite how perfect Rosanna was, life without Maia had lost something vital. It had lost its spark.
And Maia? She had been that fire for Jarrod, the spark that kept things alive.
That was exactly why Jarrod had wanted Maia to return. He had been convinced that she would never make it on her own without the Morgans holding her up. But now, hearing Rosanna and Sandra say that the cheerful, spirited Maia he remembered had been sneaking around and getting her hands dirty for years, maybe even longer, left him reeling.
It felt like a knife had been driven straight into his back, his blood boiling and his head pounding so fiercely that it seemed ready to burst.
“Maia!” he shouted, unable to contain it any longer. “I never thought you’d fall this low! You disgust me! Was our family never enough? Why would you throw it all away like this p>
Sandra’s voice sliced through the air, cold and merciless. “What did you expect, Jarrod? Her parents were nobodies. Trash from the wrong side of town. She’s got no class. It’s in her blood. Thank God I got my real daughter back. If Maia had stayed any longer, she would’ve buried all of us before our time p>
Sandra shifted her gaze to Vince, her eyes as sharp as blades. “You heard it yourself, Vince. Maia’s hopeless. She’s nothing like Rosanna. Today, she pushed Rosanna down the stairs. Who knows what she’ll do next? I’m not letting her get away with this p>
“I’m calling the police.” Vince’s brow furrowed, his voice low. “About this p>
“Vince, don’t waste your breath,” Richard interjected, stepping forward with a heavy, final tone. “This is a Morgan family matter. We’ll deal with it ourselves.” His cold eyes locked onto Maia, standing upstairs, glaring at her as if she were a stranger — a threat.
“Are you going to turn yourself in, Maia, or should we go ahead and call the cops to drag you away p>