Chapter 88

Patricia shot him a glare, boiling with frustration as he smirked back at her. Her mind drew a blank; she couldn't find the words to counter him. She locked eyes with him, his gaze shining with triumph. He had bested her this time, a rarity she wasn't accustomed to. She tried to speak but found herself speechless.

Stephano's laughter filled the air, aggravating Patricia even more. She turned her attention to Susan, attempting to offer solace, but her thoughts weren't on Alan's passing. Instead, they were consumed by a fierce desire to throttle Stephano with her own hands. No man had ever gotten under her skin like this, and she refused to let him continue. She struggled to build a wall between them, but it crumbled under the weight of her emotions.

She scolded herself for her lack of control around him. "I won't marry him. I can't marry him. I won't be part of that family. They took my mother from me, and I'll never forgi