?Chapter 551:


    Katie scoffed, giving Eloise a cold stare. “Mind your own business, Miss Hubbard, or you’ll regret it.”


    “Miss Jones saved my life. The Hubbards have her back,” Eloise said, her voice shaking but firm. While she wasn’t as timid as before, her body still trembled in the face of confrontation. It was a lingering effect from past trauma—she hadn’t fully shaken off the ingrained stress response.


    Katie smirked, full of arrogance. “Once the Dawsons make a connection with Tiana, you Hubbards will be nothing.”


    “But you haven’t aligned with Tiana yet, have you?” Eloise retorted, still trembling. “Even if you do, do you think she’ll just hand over her power? You’re counting your chickens before they hatch. How foolish!”


    Eloise tried to imitate Christina’s cold confidence, brushing off Katie and her group as insignificant. But the aura wasn’t there. Her voice still quivered. Her hands wouldn’t stop shaking. Her mind flooded with painful memories—being cornered, bullied, feeling powerless. The fear wrapped around her like chains.


    “You low-ss, rude chick! Who gave you the nerve to call me stupid?” Katie screamed, struggling to free her hand from Christina’s grasp to strike Eloise. But Christina held her arm tight.


    No matter how hard Katie fought, she couldn’t break free. “Let go of me, you vile witch!” she yelled, red with rage. She raised her other hand to p Christina, but Christina caught that one too. In a burst of frustration, Katie attempted to kick her.


    Christina’s lips curled slightly. She swiftly dodged, releasing her grip on Katie’s hands.


    Katie’s kick missedpletely, hitting nothing but air. Off bnce, she stumbled backward and crashed to the floor.


    “Katie!” Ynda cried out, rushing to her side. “Are you okay?” Her eyes were red with fake concern, as though she wished she could have taken the fall herself.


    “I’m fine,” Katie said quickly, touched by Ynda’s concern. “Don’t cry, Ynda. I’m okay. If you cry, I’ll feel bad.”


    Ynda nodded, wiping her eyes, and then turned to Christina with a choked voice. “Why do you always cause trouble for us, Christina? Brendon and I are getting engaged. If that upsets you, take it out on me. But why drag Katie into it?”


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    From behind Eloise, Chloe peeked out and red at Ynda. “You maniptive, wrinkled bitch! You’re the one always starting fights, but now you’re ying the victim and falsely using Christina with your repulsive skill of twisting the truth.”


    Ynda’s anger red. Not only had she been scolded, but she’d also been called “wrinkled.” She’d spent plenty of money on spa sessions to keep her skin radiant and free of wrinkles. Her face darkened as she red at Chloe.


    Dropping any pretense, Ynda snarled, “You rude little brat! Katie called you a blind cripple, and I didn’t believe her. But now I see she was right.”


    Chloe, usually the picture of grace, could hardly contain her outrage after being insulted and falsely used by Ynda. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. “You’re the rude one here, throwing out humiliating usations like that!” she snapped, her voice trembling with emotion.


    Katie responded with a sarcasticment, not missing a beat. “Oh,e on! Ynda didn’t say anything wrong! Weren’t you the one stumbling around, blind and crippled thest time? How dare you deny it?”


    A steely re from Christina silenced both Katie and Ynda. “Who do you think you are, talking about her like that?”


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