Chapter 12: Spark in his eyes
"What do you mean?" Miriam gasped, her eyes wide with disbelief as she stared at her daughter. "Lucius De Salvo is Roderick's uncle? But... but Lucius always claimed he had no family," she stammered, still grappling with the revelation.
"Mom, Lucius lied to everyone. Do you even know what Layla did to Roderick? She falsely accused him of touching her, and because of that, Lucius broke my boyfriend's wrist!" Orabela's voice cracked, tears welling up in her eyes. "I warned you, Mom. I told you not to let Layla live here. Look at what she's done! She's already plotting to ruin my life."
Seeing her daughter's distress, Miriam's protective instincts kicked in. "Don't worry, Orabela. I'll confront Layla myself. How dare she accuse Roderick like that?" she assured her, her tone growing cold with determination.
Miriam reached for the phone, dialing Layla's number, but Orabela stopped her with a frustrated sigh. "It's no use, Mom. She's ignoring us. She hasn't picked up a single one of my calls. Can you believe it?"
Before Miriam could respond, Seraphina's voice cut through the tension. "Orabela, why are you crying? What's going on?" She walked in, her eyes narrowing as they fell on Miriam and her daughter.
"Because of Layla," Orabela spat, her frustration bubbling over.
Seraphina's fists clenched as she struggled to remain calm. "What did she do?"
Miriam didn't miss the tension between them and seized the moment. "I told you to keep your daughter away from mine! If you don't make Layla apologize, be ready to leave this house. I won't tolerate either of you anymore. Your daughter is ruining Orabela's life, just like you have ruined mine!"
Seraphina swallowed the sting of Miriam's harsh words. Layla had crossed the line, and Seraphina knew she couldn't ignore it anymore, even if it meant facing her own daughter.