Larissa Judson and Haskell Palmer novel Chapter 35

Larissa lowered the card, her eyes narrowing. “Vivica, you’re not just shameless, you’re cheap.”

Vivica froze, then stared in disbelief. “What did you say? You called us cheap? This is ten million dollars, more than you could ever earn selling your herbs! And you’re turning your nose up at it?”

Larissa sneered and threw the card back in her face. “You think ten million dollars is enough to buy my forgiveness? Are you insane?”

The crude gesture made Vivica stumble back. “Larissa, how could you treat your own mother like this?”

Larissa swung herself out of the hammock, picked up the banana leaf, and started fanning it threateningly at Vivica’s face.

“Ah… stop it!” Vivica cried, dodging away.

Finally, Larissa tossed the leaf at her. “If you come here spouting nonsense again, next time I’ll feed you bird droppings. Try me.”

Vivica, shaken, stomped on the leaf on the ground. “Larissa, there’s a limit to your games! You’re refusing ten million dollars? Have you no sense of gratitude?”

“I have no use for ten million dollars!”

“Then how much do you want? You could sell herbs your whole life and never see that kind of money! How can you be so ungrateful?”

“You could give me the entire Judson fortune, and I still wouldn’t forgive you,” Larissa said with a cold smile. “And don’t think I don’t know the truth. You knew I was your real daughter all along, didn’t you?”

“Your eldest son, Finley, runs Starlight Media. He’s finally signed a few promising talents and turned a small profit, but he’s still leagues behind the major players in Regal City.”

“And Leopold, with his little home music studio. He had that one hit song. It would be a shame if some scandal were to break right now. I wonder if he’d ever recover.”

“Tell me, Vivica, what if I were to destroy their careers…?”

Vivica’s finger trembled as she pointed at Larissa. “What are you trying to do?”

“Why are you so angry, Vivica?” Larissa asked. “I’m just talking about ruining your sons’ careers, and you can’t handle it. But you think it’s perfectly acceptable that Honora stole twenty years of my life?”