Chapter 154

Rage filled Jeff's eyes, and his voice shook. "Lainey,tell me exactly what happened. I promise, I'll fight for you."

He felt ready to take on anyone, even royalty, if it meant avenging his daughter.

Lainey slipped easily into her usual act.

She kept insisting she had only slipped and fallen.

After Jeff pressed her with question after question,she finally gave in, her tone wavering. "It was Jonny.He claimed the Todd Group was in trouble and wanted me to get money from you. I refused him,and that's when he..."

Her sentence faded, but the sadness on her face was unmistakable. A man who would lay a hand on his own wife for money, Jeff thought he was the lowest of the low.

Fury made Jeff's whole body tremble, veins throbbing at his temples.

"Jonny crossed the line!" he shouted. "Where is he?I'll handle this mnyself!"

He made to leave, but Lainey caught his arm.

"Dad, don't! Please stay here." She clung to him,desperate. "He said all sorts of lies, calling me reckless while I was abroad. If those rumors start to spread, especially to the Stewarts, what am l supposed to do?"

Jeff lost what little patience he had left.

Jonny had crossed every line, first with violence,then by dragging Lainey's name through the mud.

Absolutely shameless!

There was no way he would ever let his daughter stay mixed up with someone that foul.

Gripping Lainey's hand, he promised, "Don't worry.I'll end your marriage to him myself. I'll hire the best lawyer in the city and make sure Jonny leaves empty-handed."

He gave her a reassuring look. "And about the Stewarts? As long as I'm around, no one's going to lay a finger on you."

Feeling comforted, Lainey leaned against his shoulder and whispered, "You really are the best,Dad."

While the two of them were busy planning the divorce, Hilda had already made her way to the entrance of Hope House.

Seeing Eleanor even for a second at the hospital had shaken her to her core.

She couldn't wait any longer. She had to see her daughter, even if it meant nothing more than a brief meeting.

Every bit of caution and advice about biding her time faded away.

None of that mattered.

Eleanor was her child.

She needed no proof, no one else's permission, no more waiting.

Her heart knew the truth, and that was enough.

Word had reached Hilda that Eleanor had come straight here after leaving the hospital.

She planned to go in right away and seek her out.

To her surprise, Myah explained that Eleanor had just left, heading out with Fannie only afew minutes before.

Disappointment washed over Hilda all over again,heavy and familiar.

She forced herself to smile, hiding her regret. "That's unfortunate,"she said softly.

After a brief silence, a thought came to her, and she continued, "I hope you don't mind me asking, but...Could you tell me about Eleanor when she was little?I'd love to hear about her favorite foods, what she liked to wear, what she played with, anything at all.I just want to know her better."

Worried she might seem strange, she quickly added,"It's just, | feel such a connection to her. Even if we aren't related, I'd still like to understand who she is."

Myah gave Hilda a long look, suddenly struck by how much she resembled Eleanor.

The last time they had met, it had been in passing and easy to miss.

But now, the similarities were hard to ignore. Maybe,just maybe, there was something more to it. Guided by a sense of fate, Myah began sharing stories from Eleanor's childhood.

Nostalgia colored her words, while Hilda listened in silence, her heart aching with every memory, and the conversation lingered on and on.