When Love Breaks by Jack

Pearl could read Victor like one of those open books scattered across the coffee table, the kind with dog-eared pages and faded covers. His gloomy face was a dead giveaway – the guy had clearly struck out. She knew Gregory all too well; with Dorothy under his thumb, there wasn’t much hope for a happy ending.

Her heart was racing, yet she had to play it cool, softly asking Victor, “Did Mom give you a hard time again?”

She even handed him a glass of water, trying to smooth things over, “She’s getting on in years, try not to take it to heart.”

Victor scowled as he accepted the water, downing it in one go, but it did little to quell the storm brewing inside him.

Pearl continued, “But her being your mom and totally ignoring how you feel, that’s not fair, is it?”

“And about inheriting the Myers estate, I wouldn’t have said anything if it was just up to her, but handing it over to Jane Webster? Given how tight she is with her mom, and how she barely knows you, she migh already be onto us for backstabbing Bella Taylor. Once she gets control of the Myers estate, kicking us out in revenge would be a piece of cake.”

“I can handle a rough patch, stand by you, but you’ve been living the high life for so long. How are you going to face everyone? What will your business partners and friends think?”

Despite his frustration, Victor retained a sliver of reason, “Jane said that if she takes over the Myers estate, my life won’t change.”

If that was really the case, he could live with it…

After all, if Ramona insisted on passing the Myers estate to Jane, what could he do?

Pearl’s eyes flashed with malice at his words.

he mean, his life

Victor really going to toss her and Dorothy

it, the tighter her grip became. Keeping her voice steady, she said, “You’re just going to take her word for it? Even assuming Jane is kind-hearted enough to do that, what about Bella? Have you

who’s always been there for her, whom do you think she’ll

you really believe she’ll side

are you really prepared to leave your fate in someone else’s hands for

put down his glass, making up his

Pearl had a point.

when you could

just worried about you,” Pearl sighed, feigning helplessness. “Since falking to Jane won’t change anything, I guess we’ll

2.V

back

all bark and no bite. If it came down to just Ramona and Jane,

with Gregory playing the protective husband, ten

asked, “Dorothy hasn’t been home for days.

a trip abroad

doesn’t get into

happen. She checked in

Group, Pearl breathed a sigh of relief, then

Josiah was equally frustrated.

with his daughter still under Gregory’s control and the old man’s poison cured, the Myers estate was as good as Jane’s. They were out of cards to