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Tuff sat there, unmoving, while Maggie, after glancing at Tuff and Kayla, didn’t dare make a move either.
Brylee said, “Tuff, please, you have to save Joyce! Please…”
Brylee’s heart–wrenching cries cast a shadow over what was supposed to be a joyous family reunion.
Kayla didn’t really want to get involved, but she also didn’t want to spoil the festive atmosphere.
“Tuff, go check on her,” Kayla said.
“I’m not going,” Tuff said, his voice cold.
He shot an angry glare at Kayla, clearly annoyed.
‘I’ve already settled things with Joyce. I’m done with her,‘ Tuff thought, refusing to get involved.
“Then, should I go?” Maggie asked carefully, seeking Kayla’s permission.
Diane smiled and stood up. “Maggie, I’ll go with you. Let’s see what’s happening.”
“Let’s keep setting off fireworks,” Kayla said, giving her silent approval. Only then did Maggie dare to step out.
Brylee was collapsed at the doorway, kneeling and sobbing so hard she could barely breathe.
“Brylee, what’s wrong?” Diane asked, hurrying over to help her up.
Through her tears, Joyce’s mother choked out, “It’s Joyce! She’s threatening to kill herself during the holidays, and she won’t go to the hospital.”
“Where is she now?” Diane pressed.
“She’s at home. The ambulance came, but she refused to get in. She keeps saying she has to see Tuff. I just don’t know what to do…” Brylee clutched her chest, turning to Maggie. “Mrs. Prescott, for Dominick’s sake, could you please ask Tuff to go talk some sense into her?”
Maggie wrung her hands, clearly at a loss. “He’s not home…”
‘What?‘ Brylee blinked in disbelief.
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‘It’s New Year’s Eve and Tuff’s not even home?‘ she thought, completely thrown.
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“He went to pick up his dad. The flight got delayed, so who knows when he’ll be back,” Maggie added, obviously making it up as she went.
Diane had to bite her lip to keep from laughing out loud.
‘Wow, Maggie’s really playing her cards now–pulling a fast one!‘ Diane thought, amused.
Brylee just stared, lost for words.
‘So Tuff’s not even here? Did I go through all this for nothing tonight?‘ she thought, a wave of hopelessness washing over her.
“Brylee, want me to get a couple of strong folks to help carry Joyce to the ambulance?” Diane offered.
Brylee took a deep breath.
‘Nice suggestion, but don’t bring it up again,‘ she thought.
“If nothing else works, maybe we should just have the paramedics treat her on the spot,” Maggie offered another suggestion.
Brylee was out of options. All she could do was keep crying, her face full of misery.
“Seriously, Brylee, if you keep bawling like this, Joyce is really going to bleed herself dry,” Diane said, half–joking, half–exasperated.
Brylee could barely get the words out through her sobs. “Mrs. Prescott, you’re Joyce’s godmother. She always listens to you more than anyone else… Could you come with me and try to talk her down?”
“I… I really don’t think that’s a good idea…” Maggie stammered, clearly uncomfortable.
“Mrs. Prescott, please. I’ll get down on my knees if that’s what it takes!” Brylee cried out, her desperation plain as day.
Before anyone could react, she actually dropped to her knees right there.
Maggie panicked, rushing to pull her up. “Okay! I’ll go with you. Let’s see what’s going on.”
Diane stomped her foot in frustration.
‘I just said Maggie was finally holding her ground, and now she goes and folds,‘ Diane thought, exasperated.
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Brylee had come with her driver, and Diane quickly hopped into the car. “I’m coming too!”
Brylee shot her a sharp look. “Diane, really, you don’t have to.”
“Maggie gets squeamish around blood. I’ll be there to help her keep her nerve,” Diane said with a grin.
Finally catching on to Diane’s intentions, Maggie squeezed her hand gratefully. “Thanks for coming with me, Diane.”
Seeing this, Brylee couldn’t really object anymore.
The butler came back to report, “Mrs. Prescott and Diane have gone to the Lambert family…”
“Send a car to wait outside the Lambert family. When they’re done, pick them up and bring them back,” Kayla said.
“Yes, ma’am,” the butler replied.
Seeing how wise and decisive Kayla was, Betty couldn’t help but smile in approval.
The butler let slip about Maggie’s fib, making Betty grin even wider. “Well, she finally got clever for once. Tuff, you need to keep up your mom’s story. Just stay put tonight.”
Tuff honestly didn’t care where they stayed. What really mattered was what Kayla wanted.
“If you want us to stay a bit longer, then we’ll stay a few more days,” Kayla said with a smile.
Betty looked even more delighted.
Lily huddled in the corner with her husband, whispering, “What on earth is Joyce trying to pull now?”
“No idea,” Terrell Prescott, Lily’s husband, replied, not even bothering to care.
Terrell couldn’t care less about Joyce. He was too busy scheming how to get on Kayla’s good side and maybe land a new project after the holidays.
Thinking back to how his wife had pissed off Kayla before and made him miss out on the car fleet deal, he warned, “Just don’t go picking the wrong side again.”
“Yeah, I know,” Lily mumbled, looking all guilty. She might want to stir up trouble, but she never had the guts to actually do it.
Fireworks burst across the night sky, painting it with dazzling colors, while snowflakes started drifting down.
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Betty, since she was getting on in years, decided to turn in early, while the ladies gathered in the living room for a game of mahjong.
Landen handed over all the gifts he’d gotten that night to Kayla. “Mommy, can you hold onto these for me?”
“How much did you get?” Kayla teased him.
“I don’t know. Grandma, Grandpa, and all the aunts gave me gifts!” Landen’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
He’d never gotten this many gifts for New Year’s all at once before. He was over the moon.
‘It felt like everyone in the world loved him,‘ Landen thought, his heart bursting with happiness.
“Let’s count them together!” Kayla said with a grin.
“Yes!” Landen jumped up and down, practically vibrating with excitement.
As Kayla and Landen started counting the money, Tuff quietly pulled out his phone and started recording the sweet moment.
Then he sent the video to Landon and Aiden.
He wanted to show them that everyone here was happy and doing well.
Meanwhile, over in Norava, the Kingsley family had just finished their New Year’s festivities. Amelia was gently coaxing Kimsey to sleep.
Compared to the Prescott family, which was buzzing with people and laughter, the Kingsley family felt way more subdued.
“It’s just more lively when you’ve got a crowd,” Landon mused, a hint of longing in his voice.
Amelia smiled softly, teasing, “So, should we have a second baby?”
“Uh… let’s hold off for now,” Landon said, shaking his head.
He used to really want more kids, but ever since they discovered Kimsey had started having second thoughts.
powers, he’d
Every time the subject came up, it was like a warning bell ringing in his head, telling him to be extra careful.
“Honestly, I’m not worried. If it weren’t for Kimsey’s powers, my sister wouldn’t have gotten better,” Amelia said, trying to reassure him.
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Landon said softly, “As long as I have you and Kimsey, that’s all I need.”
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“Alright, then! We’ll just crash their party in Lunova on the second day of the New Year,” Amelia grinned.
“Yeah,” Landon agreed.
Once Kimsey was sound asleep, Landon handed him off to the nanny, ready to get cozy with Amelia. But just as he was about to, his phone buzzed.
The special ringtone made his heart skip a beat.
“What’s wrong?” Amelia asked, her voice laced with concern.
“Aaron just texted. Joyce tried to kill herself, and Maggie got into a car accident on the way to the hospital,” Landon said, his face falling.
