Larissa Judson and Haskell Palmer novel Chapter 75

Larissa's words extinguished some of Finley’s anger. He couldn't help but think about the hardships she must have faced growing up away from the family.

After a moment, his voice was strained. "It was Honora's mother who switched you two. Honora was just a baby. She's innocent..."

Larissa cleaned her ear with her pinky. "How boring. That's the only excuse you people ever have. If her mother hadn't done it for her benefit, then yes, she'd be innocent. But her mother meticulously planned it all for her. To call her innocent in that scenario is a joke. By that logic, the children of human traffickers are innocent, too. They just steal other people's kids to make money and give their own a better life."

She fixed him with a sharp look. "And by the way, the night before I came back, your 'innocent' little sister hired men to try and assault me."

"That's impossible!"

"Heh. Feel free to investigate."

Finley was speechless, his clenched fists slowly uncurling. "You're humiliating me like this... to make me feel what you felt, aren't you?"

"That's right," Larissa said with a dazzling smile. "There's no such thing as true empathy in this world. The only way for people like you, who preach from your pedestals, to understand is to experience it for yourselves."

The smile was brilliant, but all Finley saw was its cruelty.

"Brace yourself. The game is just beginning," she continued, turning and walking toward the garage. "You'll have a real breakdown when your family loses everything and you're left with nothing."

Finley watched her go, his expression a complex mix of emotions. It was no longer just contempt or anger. But he still couldn't believe Honora would ever do something as vile as hiring men to assault Larissa.

…

Honora went back to her room to get ready for her trip to Starlight Media. Glancing out the window, she was surprised to see Finley following behind Larissa.

…

"Haskell, I brought the man you wanted to see," Larissa called out as she reached the gazebo where Haskell was waiting. "You can ask him yourself if he's the one who said you're only nice to me because you need me."

Finley, his pace slowed by his injured leg, arrived a few moments later. He stopped short at Larissa's words and looked at Haskell.

Meeting Haskell's gaze, Finley felt a surge of anxiety. But then he reminded himself that Haskell was no longer the powerful man he once was. He was a cripple—even more so than Finley himself—and his position as the Palmer heir was uncertain. There was no reason to fear him.

Despite his self-reassurance, Finley found he couldn't hold Haskell's gaze. Those calm, steady eyes were like a vortex, threatening to pull him into an abyss.

"Is that so? Is that what you believe, Finley?" Haskell asked, his voice deceptively mild.