Two Reborn, One Throne novel Chapter 90

Lucian's temples throbbed violently.

Joanne was boiling with a rage she couldn't express, but she was sharp. "Grace, did you just say you didn't hire Loretta? That you didn't make me pay her nursing fees?"

Grace glared at her. "Do I look like an idiot? Why would I make you pay her nursing fees instead of paying me back my money?"

"Joanne, what kind of game are you playing?"

Joanne gasped, her face twisting in genuine confusion. "Wait, that's not right. Grace, even though you went back on your word, for two days straight, you sent Loretta to shake me down for her wages. She told me a thousand dollars was getting off easy. If you didn't send her, why would I willingly hand over a thousand dollars to hire her as a nurse?"

"Grace, you're the adult here, but you have to own up to what you did. You can't just..." Joanne burst into tears. "I was harassed by Loretta every single day! I didn't dare tell Lucian because I didn't want to mess up his competition. And now, you took his prize money and you're still trying to deny it?"

"Lucian, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have kept this from you. During the three days Grace was in the hospital, Loretta sent me videos of her washing dishes at the diner, watching over Grace at night, and giving her massages. She said Grace told her to collect the wages from me, and if I didn't pay..." Joanne wept uncontrollably. "She said she'd go to the school and make sure I didn't graduate."

"Lucian, why won't she just admit it?"

Hearing this, Lucian stared in utter disbelief. "Mom!"

"Stop listening to her lies! She's just changing the subject! You want to play games, Joanne? Fine! Lucian, during the three days I was in the hospital, Arthur washed all the dishes at the diner! As for the night shifts and massages, you can ask Arthur yourself—Loretta explicitly told him that Joanne hired her! She said Joanne felt guilty for causing my back injury. Since it wasn't costing me a dime, why wouldn't I take advantage of it?"

"Are you seriously trying to pin this on me?! Lucian, look at her! Is this the girl you're so in love with?! She lies through her teeth! Just to get out of paying her debt, she makes up a story about me sending Loretta to collect wages?! Joanne, you've lived in this neighborhood your whole life. Do you really expect me to believe you don't know that Loretta and I absolutely despise each other?!"

Grace was practically vibrating with rage.

This little bitch was an incredibly smooth liar. Trying to throw dirty water on her?!

"No, Lucian, I swear on my life, I'm not framing her! Loretta really did force three thousand dollars out of me over those three days. Lucian..."

"Enough! Shut up! I know exactly what happened!" Lucian's aura instantly turned completely lethal.

The moment he spoke, both Joanne and Grace fell silent. "What do you mean?"

The two women paused, running the timeline through their heads before a horrifying realization hit them simultaneously. "We got played?!"

Lucian's knuckles cracked loudly. "Amber!!!"

This was absolutely her doing.

The day she was hospitalized, Grace had vehemently refused to hire a nurse because Arthur acted as her free caretaker. Amber had failed to stop him, so...

"Lucian, where are you going?"

Joanne was stunned. Did Amber really orchestrate all of this?!

She immediately chased after him.

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