Mrs. Amanda covered her face, overwhelmed by a suffocating despair. "Stop it."

"Mom, I know you don't want to believe it, but I'll prove it to you. That is, if you're willing to face the truth."

The line remained dead silent.

Shortly after Orion hung up, a text from his mother lit up his screen: [Fine.]

He stared at the single word, his gaze turning icy.

He immediately dialed Thaddeus Draven. "It's time to close the net on the Sinclair family."

"Finally making your move?" Thaddeus replied. "If you ask me, the only reason the Sinclairs got away with their arrogance for so long was out of respect for your mother. Now that you're done playing nice, I say good riddance."

As Orion's closest friend, Thaddeus knew exactly how ruthless the Sinclairs were behind closed doors.

It was about time Orion put an end to it.

Orion stood before the expansive glass window, overlooking the city. "I tolerated them because Amelia kept my mother happy. I gave them a pass for her sake.

But the Sinclairs are ungrateful parasites. It's time to take out the trash."

He couldn't risk them manipulating his mother any further.

Thaddeus's voice crackled through the speaker. "Does this mean Lemira is going to find out you were in that car with her?"

"Yes."

"Well, she was bound to find out eventually. But I'd recommend waiting until you have undeniable proof before you drop the bomb on Lemon. I'm sure she'll understand."

Just thinking about the situation made Thaddeus sick to his stomach.

The Sinclair family was despicable. To cover their own tracks, they had dragged Orion into their mess.

And Mrs. Amelia's gamble had paid off-the Everhart family ended up cleaning up the aftermath.

If they hadn't, the Sinclairs would have been wiped out years ago.

Orion gripped his phone tightly. "I know."

"Don't stress over it too much. Even if she gets mad, you'll just have to work harder

to win her back. I know Lemon will eventually see how much you care."

"I hope so."

Truth be told, Orion wasn't entirely confident.

He had coasted through life with ease; he had never been this terrified of losing something.

Unable to help himself, Orion opened his chat with Lemira. He scrolled through their messages, his thumb lingering affectionately over the screen.

It was as if touching the glass could somehow reach her.

Meanwhile, Lemira was doing the exact same thing, staring blankly at her phone.

She thought about her upcoming dinner with Orion. What on earth was she supposed to wear?

Stella Waverly strolled over. "What are you spacing out for?"

"Nothing."

Lemira quickly dropped the shirt she had been holding, trying a little too hard to act casual.

Janice chuckled, snatching the shirt back up. "You're acting super suspicious. You're being all secretive like you're going on a hot date."

Lemira's expression shifted awkwardly. "I'm not. We're just grabbing a simple dinner."

She had briefly mentioned her plans with Orion for the evening.

Stella rested her chin on her hand. "Still denying it's a date? Let's hit the mall We are going to find you dress so stunning it'll knock Orion

dead!" g

"Exactly!" Janice chimed in. "Look at your closet-it's nothing but casual loungewear You don't ever own a single dress. A date demands a killer dress."

Before she could protest, Lemira was dragged out to the shopping center.

As luck would have it, they bumped into Sophia Sinclair. The woman was weighed

down with shopping bags, clearly in a foul mood.

Stella leaned in and whispered to Lemira, "Whenever Ms. Sinclair is having a meltdown, she comes here to blow cash. I hear she's maxed out

her cards more times than anyone

can count."

Lemira looked up, her gaze locking with Sophia's.

She watched the woman stomp over in her high heels, radiating hostility. "Lemira,

I've got some great news. Care to hear it?"

Great news?

Lemira highly doubted that.