Amelia didn’t answer Reba’s question. “And what brought this on?”


    “I want to make my own money,” Reba said firmly. “I want to be strong, Mom. Like you.”


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    Before, Reba had only known the surface of her mother. Amelia had kept most parts of her life under


    wraps.


    But now, Reba saw Amelia for who she truly was: a genius at making money, a master of her own powerfulwork, a woman who never had to depend on anyone. Amelia lived life on her own terms.


    “The money I’ve set aside for you is more than enough for a lifetime,” Amelia said softly. “You and Samuel could live without ever worrying about a thing.”


    Thest thing Amelia wanted was for Reba to suffer the hardships of building a business from scratch. She’d brought her daughter into this world to experience its joys, not its battles.


    For the first time, Reba wouldn’t back down. “I know. But I want this, Mom.”


    “You’re sure?” Amelia asked, her voice soft. “This is what you really want?”


    Reba nodded firmly. “Yes.”


    Seeing the fire in her daughter’s eyes, Amelia’s own expression softened. “Is this because of what Jeffrey said to you? When you tried to divorce him?”


    Reba had done a lot of growing up recently. “That’s a part of it, yes,” she admitted. “But it’s more than that. I want to <i>be </i>strong on my own. I don’t want to be a parasite who just lives off her family’s money.”


    Before all this, such thoughts had never even crossed her mind. Her world had always been sheltered. Her parents had always protected her, giving her more than enough money to spend as she pleased.


    And after she married Jeffrey, he had taken over. Her world had been confined to raising Samuel and managing their home. She never had to worry about money.


    But everything that had happened had taught her a brutal lesson. Real strength came from having her own power, her own money. It was the only armor against the world, the only way to stand on her own two feet


    when a crisis hit.


    Still, Amelia hated the thought of her daughter struggling. “But you’re already so talented, sweetie,” she said. “You’re a wonderful dancer and a gifted painter. I could never do those things.”


    Reba knew what she needed now. “Those things can pay the rent, Mom, but they can’t build an empire. I want to build wealth,” she said. “I want the kind of power that makes you unshakable, no matter what stormes. Please. Teach me.”


    “It will be grueling work,” Amelia said. “Harder than anything you’ve ever done.”


    “I’m not afraid of that,” Reba replied instantly. After what she’d been through, hard work felt like a gift. It would make her feel like she was finally doing something real.


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    Finally, Amelia gave in. She began exining the very first steps of building a business.


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    “Alright. First things first. Spend the next few days thinking,” she said. “Think about your unique strengths, and what kind of project you’re passionate about. When you have an idea, write a formal business n for


    me.”


    “Okay.” Reba agreed.


    “As for startup capital,” Amelia added, “use the card I gave you. Don’t hesitate. Take as much as you need to get


    started.”


    A warmth spread through Reba’s chest. “Thank you, Mom.”


    “Silly girl,” Amelia murmured, her voice thick with love.


    But beneath the love, she felt a pang of guilt. ‘I brought her into this world to experience its joys, she thought. ‘Instead, all she’s knowntely is pain because of me.‘


    A soft knock came at the door. When Reba and Amelia looked up, Stephen was standing there. Dressed in a bespoke gray suit with silver–rimmed sses, he had the same mild, schrly air about him as always.


    “Excuse me,” he said. “May Ie in?”


    Reba blinked, surprised. “Yes, of course.”


    A small smile yed on Stephen’s lips as he turned to someone behind him. “Youe in, too. Come and say hello to Amelia.”


    Reba’s curiosity was piqued. She wondered who he’d brought along.


    A young woman, half a head shorter than Stephen, stepped into view. She had long, flowing hair and charming eyes. Her white dress was simple, but she wore it with a quiet elegance that spoke of good breeding.


    As Reba took her in, the woman’s gaze met hers.


    “Is this your girlfriend?” Reba asked. She’d heard rumors that Stephen was seeing someone, but she had never met her.


    “No,” Stephen replied, still gentle as always. “Karen and I are just very good friends. Karen Lindsay, this is Reba Jensen.”


    For just a fraction of a second, a look of bitter irony shed in Karen’s face.


    Reba caught it. And she knew, instantly: this was the secret girlfriend, the one Stephen kept tucked away and refused to im.


    “And this is her mother, Amelia Jensen,” Stephen continued.


    Karen offered a polite smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Jensen.”


    Amelia’s own polite smile froze on her face the instant she saw Karen. ‘That girl’s face,‘ she thought, her mind


    <b>11:00 </b><b>Thu</b><b>, </b><b>Oct </b><b>2 </b>


    racing. ‘She looks just like…


    Reba gently tapped her mother’s arm. “Mom.”


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    Amelia snapped out of it, her eyes flicking for a split second to a tiny red mole on Karen’s earlobe. She quicklyposed herself. “Please, have a seat.” <fn7178> Latest content published on FιndNovel</fn7178>


    For the next few minutes, Stephen and Karen made polite small talk, asking about Amelia’s health. Karen was graceful and well–spoken, carrying the conversation with an easy elegance.


    Once the casual greetings wrapped up, Stephen couldn’t help sneaking a nce at Reba, his eyes lingering just long enough for her to catch it.


    Reba didn’t bother with any formalities. “Did you need something?”


    Karen looked a little surprised, clearly not expecting Reba to be so blunt.


    “Actually, yes,” Stephen admitted.


    “Then get to it,” Reba said.


    ‘There’s no way he’s just here to visit Mom,‘ Reba thought. ‘We’re not nearly close enough for that. And not with the bad blood between him and Jeffrey.‘


    Stephen nced at Amelia, then back to Reba. “Perhaps we could speak privately?”


    Thest thing Reba wanted was to be alone with him. “No,” she said simply. “Whatever you have to say, you can say it here. My mother and I don’t have secrets.”


    “It’s about you and Jeffrey,” Stephen said.


    “I’m listening,” Reba said.


    Stephen got straight to the point. “You’re nning to leave Jsburg with your son and your mother, and Jeffrey has no idea,” he stated. “Right?”


    Reba’s head snapped up, her eyes instantly wary.


    “Stanley has been making a lot of noisetely. It wasn’t difficult to connect the dots,” Stephen said, holding her gaze. “I can help you get away. I can make sure Jeffrey never finds out, and that he can’t stop you.”


    Reba studied him with suspicion. “Why are you helping?”


    Stephen’s expression was an unreadable mask. “I want your word that you won’t have him killed.”


    Reba wasn’t sure what he meant, though a name immediately surfaced in her mind. “Who?”


    “Jeffrey,” Stephen said simply. “My brother.”


    Reba stared at him, baffled. This made no sense. “This is the same act he pulledst time,‘ she thought. ‘He already admitted he doesn’t actually care about Jeffrey. Why is he trying this concerned–brother act on me


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    “There is no hidden agenda, Stephen said, reading the suspicion on her face. “My offer is exactly as it sounds


    Rebeca didn’t buy it for a second. ‘A man like him doesn’t have a kind bone in his body, she thought.


    Amelia, however, watched the exchange and recalled the things Reba had whispered to her while she’d been in thea. Her decision was instant, “Reba, she said firmly, “take his offer.


    “But he can’t be trusted, Reba protested.


    Stephen was silent. Karen seemed taken aback.


    Amelia, however, saw right through the games these wealthy families yed. “He’s still Jeffrey’s brother. It’s only natural for an older brother to worry,” she said, giving Reba a pointed look. “This’s a trade. We both get what we want. Just agree to it.”


    For the first time, Stephen’s full attention shifted to Amelia. She wasn’t at all what he had expected.


    Reba was still wary. “That’s it? Just… let Jeffrey live?”


    Stephen met her gaze, his own expression open and sincere. “That’s it.”


    With a final nce at her mother, Reba nodded. “Deal.”


    Once everything was settled, Stephen and Karen didn’t linger. They just exchanged a couple more polite words and made their way out.


    At the door, Karen nced over her shoulder at Reba, and for <i>a </i>fleeting moment, her eyes held a raw, deeply buried envy,


    “Karen,” Stephen said once they were in the hallway.


    She immediately looked up at him, her expression perfectly sweet. “Yes?”


    The warmth was gone from Stephen’s eyes, reced by a chilling emptiness. “Are you getting ideas from Reba? Thinking you can just leave without saying goodbye?”


    Karen’s response was instant. She hooked her arm in his, beaming up at him. “Never. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I’d stay even if you tried to throw me out.”


    He looked down at her pretty, lying face. ‘She despises the very air I breathe,‘ he thought with cold amusement. ‘She dreams of escaping, but she still spouts this nonsense. She’ll say anything for the money!’


    He pushed the thought away. “Good to hear,” he said, his voice turning cold. “Because if you ever try to run, I will break both of your legs.”