Thinking of this, Alicia let out a coldugh.


    88 Jouchen


    So this time, Tiffany hadn’t had the chance to poison Adam’s cars against her, and since Alicia had spoken of her suffering in the Lawrence family earlier, he’d actually felt a twinge of pity for her.


    But to her, that didn’t change anything.


    In this life, she had determined that she didn’t need anyone’s pity. She wouldn’t survive on sympathy. This time, she would rely only on herself, guard what was hers, and never again let Tiffany take a single thing from


    her.


    Brooke, seeing Alicia remain silent, tried cautiously to speak up for Adam. “Miss Lawrence, Doctor Lawrence is actually a good man. He’s not like the rest of your family.”


    Before Alicia could respond, the door to the ward was shoved open with a bang that echoed against the wall. Both she and Brooke looked up to see Maria storming in, arrogance written all over her face.


    “Alicia,” she dered, “Tiffany will be staying in this room. You need to pack up and move out immediately. This room belongs to her now.” <fn53f9> Original content can be found at F?nd-Novel</fn53f9>


    Maria thought she knew Alicia well. Alicia would always craved her affection, and had once clung to every word as if it were sacred.


    Yesterday’s temper tantrum, Maria assumed, was just a ploy for attention. Surely, if Maria herself came to her now, spoke to her personally, Alicia would give in.


    Thinking about this, Maria turned to Brooke without waiting for Alicia’s reply. “And you-aren’t you Alicia’s friend? Hurry and help her pack. Move her things out.”


    She didn’t believe Alicia could possibly afford a caretaker. To her, Brooke was just some penniless ssmate from Alicia’s ss.


    Brooke’s cheeks flushed with anger, but she dared not speak up. Maria screamed of wealth and power, and that wasn’t a mere caretaker aide to fight back.


    All she could do was fume in silence, secretly cursing Maria to trip and fall t the moment she stepped outside.


    “Oh, and don’t bother moving to Tiffany’s ward,” Maria added coolly. “You can go to a regr room-four beds to a space. That’s more than enough for you.”


    It wasn’t just that she wanted Tiffany to have the best. She also intended to humiliate Alicia with the worst.


    Brooke nearly burst with outrage. She nced anxiously at Alicia, terrified she might actually agree to such a unreasonable demand. But Alicia only smiled faintly.


    “Mrs. Lawrence,” she spoke up. “After all these years in the family, I never realized your memory was this poor.”


    What? Maria blinked, not immediately catching her meaning.


    “If I recall correctly.” Alicia said coldly, “I made myself perfectly clear this morning. I will not give up this room. So please, Mrs. Lawrence. Leave.”


    Maria hadn’t expected defiance. Her temper spiked. “Alicia!” she demanded. “If you still want toe back to the Lawrence family and call me ‘mother, then you’d better…


    “But I don’t want to return to the Lawrence family,” Alicia cut her off, her voice hard as ice. “And I certainly don’t want to call you mother. So no, I will not be giving up this room.”


    Maria had always thought it a gift to let Alicia call her “Mom.” Now, hearing Alicia cast that away so casually, herposure cracked. All the polished manners of a socialite vanished in an instant.


    “Look at you, Alicia!” Maria almost screamed. “Do you think you deserve to live in a room like this? You have ten minutes to move out, or else—”


    “Or else… what?” Alicia arched a brow, calm and cool as Maria ranted.


    That poise only infuriated Maria further. She didn’t even expect Alicia to remain unshaken when the Lawrence clearly had the upper hand.


    “You shameless brat!” Maria snapped, lifting her hand high. “Who gave you the right to speak to me like this? I’ll teach you a lesson!”


    Brooke gasped, frozen in fear as Maria’s palm arced through the air, certain it would strike Alicia’s face.


    But the p nevernded. Before it could fall, Alicia’s slender hand shot up, mping Maria’s wrist in an iro grip. Her eyes were ice.


    Never again would she give Maria the chance to hit her. Alicia was sure about this. In this life of hers, never again did Maria have that right.


    Maria’s shock was in. She never thought the girl she’d once bullied so easily now resisted her openly. Snarling, she raised her other hand to strike-only for Alicia to seize that wrist too.


    She cried out in pain as Alicia squeezed, certain her bones would snap beneath that strength.


    Alicia had worked like a servant in the Lawrence household for years, beaten down with endless chores.


    “Do it well, or the family won’t like you,” they’d said, handing her all the roughest, heaviest tasks. Without realizing it, she’d grown strong.


    “Alicia, what are you doing? Have you lost your mind?” Maria shrieked. “I’m your mother! Are you really go against me?”


    Brooke could barely contain her glee. She wanted to p for Alicia, to cheer out loud. But instead, she bounced with silent delight.


    Her joy was short-lived. The door banged open again, and one by one, the rest of the Lawrence family filed in, faces full of usation-all turned against Alicia.


    Panic shot through Brooke. She knew Alicia couldn’t win against so many. Heart racing, the bolted from the ward, phone already in hand. She quickly dialed Kevin Quinn, Charles’ chauffeur.


    “Mr. Quinn! Pleasee to the hospital right away!’ she pleaded breathlessly. “Miss Lawrence they’re all here, ganging up on her, trying to force her to give up her room for their real daughter


    She spoke so fast, she didn’t even make the situation clear. But Kevin wasn’t Charles’ chauffeur for nothing He’d been with him too long not to understand what was happening. He knew well enough the cruel treatment Alicia had suffered in the Lawrence family.


    “Stay close to Miss Lawrence,” Kevin ordered at once. ‘I’ll call Mr. Yates right now.”


    He hung up immediately and dialed Charles.


    At that very moment, Charles was in a boardroom, deep in a meeting. As always, his phone wasn’t with him. It rested on his secretary, Tracy Shepherd’s desk outside.


    When the phone rang, Tracy nced at the caller ID, and then hung up the call without hesitation.


    But Kevin called again. And again. Finally, Tracy strode into the meeting room, phone in hand, a tight frown on her face.


    “Kevin, what do you think you’re doing?” she answered sharply, voice clipped with irritation. “You of all people should know Mr. Yates’ schedule. He’s in a meeting, so stop blowing up his phone.”


    “It’s urgent,” Kevin said quickly. “A serious matter-life-and-death urgent. Please, put Mr. Yates on the line.”


    Tracy’s tone turned icy. “You’ve been driving for a few years and now you think you’re important enough to interrupt a meeting? I said no. Whatever it is can wait.”


    “Fine,” Kevin ground his teeth. “Tell Mr. Yates it’s about Miss Lawrence. She’s being bullied by her family right now. He needs to know.”


    Tracy’s frown deepened. For years, she knew no one had ever been close to Mr. Yates. He’d kept his world clean, untouched.


    So who was this Miss Lawrence? Tracy thought, hesitated. And what gall she must have had, to think she could catch Mr. Yates’ attention?